Anatoly first got into poker as a hobby whilst studying, taking down $1 buy-in Sit & Gos before realising he had an edge in the game. $1 buy-ins became $5 buy-ins, single table Sit & Gos became MTTs, and before you know it the young Russian was fending off the likes of Jason Somerville and Martin Jacobson to scoop the PokerListings Most Inspiring Player award in 2015. The fun-loving 28-year-old is well-known for his ‘Filatov splits’, but his playing style has proven to be just as flexible with more than $2 million in live earnings and over $2.3 million online under his famous alias ‘NL_Profit’.

Many of Anatoly’s cashes have come from rubbing shoulders with fellow high rollers, including his biggest ever live score of €265,200 for second place in the €10,300 buy-in EPT High Roller 2014 in Vienna.  A string of impressive cashes in 2018, including a 2nd place finish in a WSOP Circuit Event in Sochi for just under $100K, has seen Anatoly surge into the top 25 of Russia’s all-time money list.

His fearless approach to taking on poker’s biggest hitters, coupled with a nomination for Best Russian Player 2014 by GPI and an award for Best European Player 2014 by Bluff Magazine, led to Anatoly being selected as Team Manager of the Moscow Wolverines in the first ever season of the Global Poker League. Some top performances saw the Wolverines sail to the playoff stages before narrowly succumbing to the Berlin Bears for a spot in the final, but being chosen for such an important event indicates just how respected Anatoly is in the poker community.

Scroll down for our Q&A with Anatoly or to check out his poker stats click here.

What has been your toughest game/tournament?

I played a Super High Roller in Macau 2014 and busted Timex (Mike McDonald) with a 7-high combo. That was tough.

Do you prefer live or online games?

I like playing both online and live, especially huge series and big events.

What was the highlight of your poker career?

I was the best Russian player in 2014, won lots of money, and got to visit over 12 counties. That was a great year as a poker player. But right now I’m having a great time as an official partypoker ambassador!

What is your top poker tip?

Never give up and stay positive.

What else are you known for?

I can do the splits! [laughter]

If you could play a game of poker with anyone, who would it be?

That will be [Fyodor] Dostoevsky! I would have won all of his money, taken the rights to his books, and become very rich. He was a gambler.

Do you have a favourite poker quote?

“I can dodge bullets, baby!”