Furkat Rakhimov

Furkat Rakhimov is a Russian professional poker player who has made his mark primarily in the high-stakes short deck variant. According to official records, he has accumulated over $2.35 million in lifetime live tournament earnings across just five recorded cashes. All of his known results come from the elite Triton Poker Super High Roller Series, where he has repeatedly proven his skill against the world's best players.

Details of Rakhimov's early poker career are scarce, but his recorded cashes begin in 2017. His first known result came at the Triton Super High Roller Series in Jeju, South Korea, in October 2017. In a HKD 250,000 No-Limit Hold'em Six Max event, he finished 8th for $82,420. This marked his entry into the upper echelons of tournament poker, and he would soon become a regular face at short deck tables.

Rakhimov's breakthrough came in 2018 at the Triton Poker Series Montenegro. In a HKD 250,000 Short Deck Ante-Only event, he battled to a 5th-place finish worth HKD 918,000 (approximately $116,939). He was eliminated by chip leader Gabe Patgorski, with Rakhimov's king-queen falling behind Patgorski's aces; the flop left Rakhimov drawing dead, and Patgorski improved to quads on the river.

Rakhimov's biggest career payday came in March 2019 at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Jeju. In a HKD 1,000,000 No-Limit Hold'em Short Deck Ante Only event, he finished 3rd for an enormous $1,357,200. Just three days later, he placed 4th in the same event (another HKD 1,000,000 buy-in) for $532,512, demonstrating remarkable consistency at the highest stakes.

He continued his strong run later that year at the 2019 Triton Poker Series London. In the £100,000 No-Limit Hold'em Short Deck Main Event, he finished 11th for £217,700 (approximately $265,594). His elimination came at the hands of Ming Zhong Liu and Stephen Chidwick in a three-way all-in. Rakhimov limped with queens, Liu called, Chidwick moved all-in, and Rakhimov called off his stack. Liu held ace-king and flopped a king but turned a full house to take the pot, eliminating Rakhimov.

Rakhimov has been involved in several memorable pots at Triton tables. In the 2019 London event, he famously rivered a full house to crack Paul Phua's aces. Rakhimov limped with pocket queens, Phua raised with aces, and Rakhimov moved all-in. The flop came king-high, but a queen on the river gave Rakhimov a boat to eliminate Phua.

In another hand from the same event, Rakhimov took the chip lead from Robert Flink. Flink opened with ace-king, Lim called, Rakhimov called with pocket fours, and Ben Lamb moved all-in. Flink reshoved, and Rakhimov called for his stack. The flop gave Rakhimov top set (four on board), leaving Flink drawing dead, and Lamb was eliminated.

These hands illustrate Rakhimov's aggressive yet calculated approach in short deck poker. He is willing to stack off with medium pairs and often gets lucky to outdraw premium hands. His style suits the short deck variant well, where hand values are closer together and draws are more powerful.

With only five recorded cashes but all in multi-million-dollar buy-in events, Furkat Rakhimov has carved out a niche as a short deck specialist. His career earnings place him among the top Russian tournament earners, despite a relatively low volume of results. He continues to be a threat in high-stakes events, though his recent cashes tail off after 2019. As of 2025, he remains a respected figure in the high-roller community, known for his calm demeanor and ability to navigate tough final tables.

Rakhimov's journey underscores that in poker, a few deep runs in the biggest events can define a career. His results show that success at the highest levels does not require constant grinding; rather, seizing opportunities in the world's most expensive tournaments can yield life-changing scores and a lasting legacy.