Nikita Malinovskiy

Nikita Malinovskiy is a Russian professional poker player whose live tournament career, while limited in scale, has been marked by solid performances in Unibet Open events. his total live earnings stand at $17,839, with a best live cash of $9,457.

Malinovskiy’s most notable result came in December 2016 at the Unibet Open Bucharest Main Event. With a €1,000 buy-in and 603 entrants, he finished in 15th place, earning €7,120. During the tournament, he eliminated Krzysztof Idziak in 28th place when his pocket kings held against Idziak’s pocket deuces. He was eventually eliminated in 15th place by William Hens, whose ace-king outran Malinovskiy’s pocket queens.

A year earlier, in November 2015, Malinovskiy participated in the Unibet Open Antwerp Main Event. On Day 1a, he won a flip with ace-king against Elhamdi Pecitas’s pocket queens to increase his stack by 41%. He also got paid off with pocket aces against Nico Lombaerts. However, his final finishing position and prize in that event are not recorded in the available sources.

Based on reported hand histories, Malinovskiy tends to play aggressively. He was willing to call all-in shoves with pocket queens and made thin value bets with aces on river. He is also noted for his composure, tapping the table and saying “good game” after being eliminated.

While Malinovskiy is primarily known for live events, it is commonly believed among the poker community that he has an active online presence under a pseudonym, though specific details are not publicly confirmed.

Despite not reaching the highest levels of live tournament poker, Malinovskiy remains a recognizable figure in the Russian poker scene, particularly among followers of the Unibet Open circuit.