Igor Kurganov
Russian-born German poker player (born 1988)
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Igor Kurganov (born 5 May 1988) is a Russian born German professional poker player, angel investor, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of Raising for Effective Giving, a philanthropic organisation that promotes a rational model to philanthropy often referred to as effective altruism,[1] and provides advice on choosing charities based on certain criteria.[2][3]
| Igor Kurganov | |
|---|---|
Igor Kurganov in 2015 | |
| Nickname | lechuckpoker |
| Born | 5 May 1988 Saint Petersburg |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet | 1 |
| Final table | 1 |
| Money finishes | 7 |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Money finishes | 3 |
| European Poker Tour | |
| Money finishes | 4 |
| Spouse | |
Poker career
Kurganov's first tournament was the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure where he finished in 119th place for $20,000. In April 2012, he won the EPT High Roller in Monte Carlo for $1,425,874. He made three final tables in the 2013 Aussie Millions cashing for over $1,000,000.[4] Kurganov finished 6th in GuangDong Asia Millions cashing for over $1,000,000 and later in the year played his first World Series of Poker event winning an additional $70,000.[5][6]
Kurganov plays online under the nickname lechuckpoker.[7]
In April 2016, he teamed with the London Royals in the Global Poker League. As of 2020, Kurganov's live tournament winnings exceed $18,500,000.[8]
In November 2019, Igor Kurganov announced on Twitter, that he has left Team Pokerstars.[9]
World Series of Poker bracelets
| Year | Event | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $10,000 Tag Team No Limit Hold'em Championship | $273,964 |
Personal life
Kurganov was born in St. Petersburg and immigrated with his family to Germany at an early age. Kurganov has been dating British poker player Liv Boeree since 2014;[1] the couple married at the Burning Man festival in 2025.[10] Together they founded the charity project Raising for Effective Giving, an organization that educates poker players about effective altruism,[1] and fundraises for specifically selected highly effective charities.[11][2] As of July 2020, Raising for Effective Giving has raised over $14,000,000 for its supported charities.[12] Kurganov himself expressed particular interest in supporting organizations that work on existential risk research.[13] Kurganov lived for a time in Munich and then London and most recently was reported to have moved to Austin, Texas.[14]
Association with Elon Musk
A Wall Street Journal article in July 2022 details some of Kurganov's connection to Elon Musk. Kurganov did charity coordination work with Musk for a period in 2021–2022.[14]