Ruslan Prydryk

Ruslan Prydryk recorded his first live tournament cash in 2009, quickly making an impact on the European circuit. In October 2009, he finished fifth in the EPT Warsaw Main Event for $104,637, his first six-figure score. He followed this with an eighth-place finish at EPT Deauville in January 2011 ($90,918) and won a €1,100 NLH Turbo at the same festival in 2014 ($21,863). During this period, he also captured victories on the Russian Poker Tour, including a win in Yalta (2010) for $67,200, and a second-place finish in the Ukrainian-Russia Tour Grand Final (2012) for $33,100. His early career was centered in Europe, with 22 live cashes spanning France, Poland, Germany, and Ukraine.

Prydryk's defining moment came at the 2023 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. The $10,000 Main Event attracted a record 10,043 entries, creating a $12.1 million first prize. Prydryk navigated the massive field to reach the nine-player final table, entering as a relatively unknown player. On July 17, 2023, he finished fifth, earning $2,400,000 — by far the largest cash of his career, dwarfing his previous best of $104,637. This single score elevated his total live earnings to over $2.87 million and put him on the global poker map.

Throughout his career, Prydryk has displayed a patient, technical style, particularly effective in deep-stacked tournament situations. His ability to adapt from small-stakes European events to the high-pressure WSOP Main Event final table underscores his skill growth. As of early 2025, his Global Poker Index rank is 126,506, with $2,876,443 in total live earnings reported by The Hendon Mob. Prydryk remains a representative of Ukraine's poker community, known for his disciplined approach and a career defined by a single monumental score that changed his trajectory.