Eastgate & Demidov join PokerStars

PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker room, welcomes the youngest ever WSOP Main Event Champion Peter Eastgate and runner-up Ivan Demidov into the fold of professional poker players and world champions that make up Team PokerStars Pro. The 2008 WSOP main event made history as the first time the final table was delayed by four months and it also became the first ever European player heads up final.

Peter Eastgate of Denmark entered the record books as the youngest ever WSOP Main Event Champion winning the prestigious bracelet and $ 9,152,416 at just 22 years old. This record had previously been held by Phil Hellmuth for 19 years after he took down the main event in 1989 at the age of 24. Peter Eastgate began playing online at PokerStars after graduating from high school and has been playing professionally ever since. He had already pulled off several impressive results on the live tournament scene before the 2008 World Series and has more recently taken down the $ 5,000 No-limit Hold’em side event at the 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, scooping $ 343,000.

“I won’t be splashing out on expensive things or living a crazy life now that I’ve won. I’m thinking carefully about how to invest the money so that I make the right decision”, says Eastgate. Peter plays online at PokerStars.com using the screen name ‘PeteEastgate’.

After four hours of heads-up action in the WSOP Main Event final 27-year old Ivan Demidov from Russia, finished runner up, earning himself $ 5,809,595. This triumph came only weeks after he also made history by becoming the first ever player to make two World Series of Poker main event final tables – he finished in 3rd place at the World Series of Poker Europe main event in October and took home $ 608,995.

Ivan has been very successful in live tournaments making several cashes around Europe and finishing 11th in this year’s $ 1,000 No Limit Hold’em event cashing $ 39,854. Mathematics graduate Demidov says, “I was inspired to do well at this year’s WSOP after watching the success of fellow countryman and Team PokerStars Pro Alex Kravchenko – so to join the team and play alongside him is a real honour.” Ivan plays online using the screen name ‘Ivan Demidov’.

Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu commented on the two final tablists at the WSOP event; “I’ve played against Ivan at the WSOPE and also watched them both closely throughout the WSOP final table – both players represent the young new rising poker talent emerging in Europe and they’re a great addition to the team.”

Peter and Ivan join the ever expanding roster of Team PokerStars Pro, which includes previous WSOP Champs Chris Moneymaker, Greg Raymer and Joe Hachem as well as Daniel Negreanu and many other top pros from around the world. To play against him or any of the Team PokerStars Pro members, simply visit www.pokerstars.com.