Ruslan Ilinskyi

Ruslan Ilinskyi, reported under the name Ruslan Prydryk in official records, began his live tournament career in 2009. His first recorded cash came that year, and he quickly made an impact on the European Poker Tour (EPT). In October 2009, he finished fifth in the EPT Warsaw Main Event for $104,637, his first six-figure score.

Over the next few years, Ilinskyi notched multiple cashes on the EPT and other European tours. In January 2011, he placed eighth in the EPT Deauville Main Event for $90,918. He also won a €1,100 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo event at EPT Deauville in 2014 for $21,863. Beyond the EPT, he recorded two victories on the Russian Poker Tour and a second-place finish in the Ukrainian-Russian Tour Grand Final for $33,100 in 2012.

Ilinskyi's career reached new heights at the 2023 World Series of Poker. Entering the $10,000 Main Event as a relatively unknown player, he navigated a record-breaking field of 10,043 entrants to reach the final table. He held 50,700,000 chips (42 big blinds) entering the final table, eventually finishing fifth for a career-best $2,400,000. His run included consistent chip accumulation over eight days, with notable jumps on Day 5 and Day 7.

With total live tournament earnings of $2,876,443, Ilinskyi ranks among Ukraine's most successful poker players. He has 17 recorded cashes, 13 of which are from WSOP events (including online), and two EPT final tables. His deep run in the 2023 WSOP Main Event cemented his reputation as a formidable competitor on the global stage.