2008 WSOP Main Event Runner-Up Never Paid

The 2008 WSOP was pivotal in the life of Ivan Demidov for a couple reasons. He met the girl who later became his wife, and he won $5.8 million for finishing second in the Main Event.

Seven years later and only one of those prizes remains.

No, the Russian pro didn't blow his millions foolishly or by making bad investments. Demidov claims to have never seen the cash.

“That second place has changed my life completely, but not because of the money I won, as I haven’t received any," Demidov recently told All In Magazine. "That’s a long and dark story, but basically my backer did not pay me and I ended up not getting any prize money.”

Demidov didn't go into the reasons behind the lack of payment and it's probably best that he didn't. Staking deals in Russia may be somewhat different than those we are familiar with in the U.S. To put it another way, his backer may have ties or connections to some unsavory characters, leaving the whole story better left unsaid. But that's all just conjecture on my part.

Perhaps more noteworthy is that 2008 was the first year that the Main Event took a hiatus until November. And how did Demidov spend his time while waiting for the final table? By finishing third at the WSOPE in London in September and winning $608,995.

Since then, the Russian pro has cashed in a couple dozen other tournaments, including the 2013 WSOP Main Event. Finishing 280th in the ME, Demidov pocketed $37,019, according to the Hendon Mob. He has yet to score another six-figure payday following the final table in Europe and has lifetime earnings of $6.8 million, minus the $5.8 million in winnings that he was denied for whatever reason.

But Demidov does not appear bitter about how things went down. His success in 2008 led to a Team PokerStars Pro contract, giving the Russian "the bankroll and freedom to play what I want and to do what I want." What he wants is to play at the WSOP every year, which he has done and will do again this year for a select number of events starting later in June.