Olga Spirova

Olga Iermolcheva first encountered poker through the James Bond film Casino Royale, and soon after began playing online for play money while at university. She describes it as love at first sight, spending hours learning about the game, tournaments, and players. Her first recorded tournament win came in 2013.

Iermolcheva's best result to date came in 2015 at the Latin American Poker Tour (LAPT) Panama City Main Event, where she finished as runner-up, earning over $113,000. She considers this six-figure score a turning point that made her approach poker more seriously, transitioning from casual play to a professional career. Prior to that, she had already been a winning player with no other income source.

As part of a PokerStars promotion, Iermolcheva won an online tournament and a fan vote to become one of four students coached by Team PokerStars pros. She was paired with Ukrainian #1 Eugene Katchalov, receiving two private lessons from him and one from the Team Online coaches. She describes the experience as a gift that gave her a big boost.

Iermolcheva gained wider recognition through her appearance on the 2023 series Game of Gold. Although she felt she didn't play particularly "cool," she received positive feedback. In 2024, she became a CoinPoker ambassador. She confirmed she will not be appearing in Game of Gold 2 due to other commitments.

Iermolcheva primarily plays live tournaments, supplementing with online play. She notes that many male opponents underestimate her as a woman, playing more hands against her, but she often overcompensates by calling too much, finding that they usually show value hands. She admires players like Victoria Livschitz, Andrew Lichtenberger, Jesse Lonis, and Jonathan Jaffe, and aspires to compete at the highest levels like Triton events.

Born in Ukraine, Iermolcheva enjoys traveling and the tournament lifestyle. She finds that living in Ukraine is relatively inexpensive, so she doesn't need huge earnings to live comfortably. In a 2025 interview, she discussed her plans, new opportunities as an ambassador, and the dynamics of being a woman in poker.