Svetlana Gromenkova

Svetlana Gromenkova plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

While Svetlana’s been playing poker professionally since 2005, it wasn’t until 2008 that she captured international attention. Born and raised in Moscow, Svetlana immigrated to the US in 2002, taking up residence in Brooklyn and studying psychology at NYU. She was originally a bridge player until poker caught her attention and she decided to try her hand at playing online. After experiencing considerable success, she made the decision to devote her attention to live tournament play.

Since going pro in 2005, Svetlana’s tournament performances have steadily improved. She made her first WSOP appearance that year, cashing in the $1K No-Limit Hold ‘em event. Following this, she steadily posted solid tournament results prior to her return to the WSOP in 2007. Svetlana saw the money again that year, cashing in two events for more than $10K. While she had established a solid reputation by this point, it was the following year that Svetlana stepped into the spotlight.

Svetlana’s first big cash of 2008 came at the WPT’s LA Poker Classic in February. She ran deep in the $9.9K No-Limit Hold ‘em Championship Event, earning better than $26K. Spurred on by her success, Svetlana returned to Vegas for the WSOP. One of 1,190 competitors in $1K No-Limit Hold ‘em Ladies World Championship, Svetlana worked her way to the top to claim more than $224K and her first WSOP bracelet. She went on to cash in the $1.5K HORSE event, adding yet another cash finish to an already impressive record.

During her off-time, Svetlana likes to stay on the move; an avid traveler, she enjoys trying new things and studying foreign languages. She rounds out her time away from the felt taking in movies and playing backgammon.

If you want to see Svetlana in action, look for her playing online at Full Tilt Poker.