Eat. Sleep. Gym. Play. Repeat: Life on Tour With Anzhela Vasylenko And Erik Rozhynskyi
From a small village in Ukraine to the tropical paradise of Bali, it has been quite the journey for the poker pair of Anzhela Vasylenko and Erik Rozhynskyi. The two professional poker players from Ukraine have known each other for 15 years having come from a small town but pursued very different career paths in the beginning.
Power Couple: Anzhela Vasylenko And Erik Rozhynskyi
Anzhela Vasylenko worked as a lawyer and held a regular office job while Erik Rozhynskyi never finished university and was playing poker since the age of 18. The two met in the city at a gym, started dating, and three years after, got married. Erik began his professional career in 2016, played his debut live tournament in Kharkiv, then made a bold proposal to his new bride Anzhela:
“No more work, stay at home, and maybe you want to play poker?” Erik revealed his offer to his wife in a recent interview. “Of course, yes. I like it.” was Anzhela’s reply. She went all in.
The Deuce Go Wild
From the years 2016 to 2018, Erik played exclusively in Europe, shuttling between tournaments in their home country and the Czech Republic while Anzhela was by his side, absorbing the movements of the game. It did not take too long for her to learn winning strategies.
Anzhela made her debut as a poker professional in 2019, capturing her very first title in only her second appearance at a live tournament. She shipped the Ladies Event of the WPTDeepStacks in Rozvadov. She also seemed to be Erik’s lucky charm as his career earnings that year would break the $50,000 milestone with a packed calendar and consistency at the felt. It was also in 2019 that the couple decided to take a trip to Bali, Indonesia. They fell in love, this time with the island, and never left.
Bali High
Anzheka Vasylenko and Erik Rozhynskyi, arrived at the island just before the pandemic lockdown and with the war in their homeland, decided to make Bali their home base. By circumstance and then by choice, Erik and Anzhela seemed to have made another wise and fortuitous decision as their careers post-pandemic, would reach new highs.
While returning to the live felt action only in 2023, the last two years have been bountiful for the Ukranian pair. In 2024, Erik banked his first five-figure cash of $24,224, finishing runner-up in the Sunday Superstack event of the U Series of Poker – USOP Da Nang and followed this up with a great showing at the WPT Cambodia – Passport to the World Championship with four final table finishes including a title at the Deepstack Turbo Event.
Meanwhile, his partner Anzhela also won her first five-figure cash but did one better, achieving a career best cash of $34,700, finishing fourth at the Won Poker Cup event in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Though Erik finished only 32nd in the same tournament, there was no competitive mode between the two.
“We’re always happy when one of us wins. Erik’s win is also my win, and my win is also Erik’s win.”, says Anzhela. Erik also adds that their partnership helps with the losses, “sometimes you bust out from a tournament, so you need support emotionally and financially. Emotional support is very important.”
Rising Together
The partnership clicked for 2024 and paid off handsomely in prize money. Anzhela’s big win in Cambodia allowed her to breach the $50,000 milestone with a year’s best cash total of $61,352 while Erik more than doubled his post-pandemic best year with a total of $121,101 in winnings. And 2025 is shaping up to be an even better year.
Erik currently has shipped two more titles in February, at the World Poker Tour – WPT Cambodia Championship, Phnom Penh, winning the Mystery Bounty and Mystery Bounty High Roller Events. For the high stakes event, Erik was rewarded with a career best cash-to-date of $76,000. Recently, he had also bagged the title at the High Roller Warm-up Event of the Won Poker Cup III.
In the same tournament, partner Anzhela also took a title in the Sunday Deepstack Event. She ended the tourney with the most table finishes (3) which had made her one the most consistent performers in Won Poker Cup’s early tournament history picking up from a strong performance from its inaugural edition. The Bali-based Ukranian couple have hit their stride. Half-way through the season, Anzhela has already amassed $39,020 while Erik already surpassed his 2024 earnings with a current total (as of May) of $193,816, giving him a current total live earnings of $410,661.
Eat. Sleep. Gym. Play. Repeat.
For the two, they have managed the marriage of their personal life and poker careers with a simple routine when they are on tour.
“We wake up, go play, and then sleep, and repeat. We go to the gym sometimes.”, Anzhela says. “ Eat, sleep, gym, play, and repeat.”, Erik recites like a mantra. If and when they have faced each other in a tournament, they don’t really overthink it.
“We just play our hands, so it doesn’t matter.”, says Anzhela, adding, “ But I really don’t want to play with him because he always warns me and is very aggressive. So, I don’t want to play with him.”
Simple rules for a future that is looking good. A first trip to Las Vegas is penciled in for 2025.
“We’re going to Las Vegas to play in the WSOP. It’s our big dream, and it will be our first time. Hopefully, we’ll win a bracelet and then go back to Asia to play again.”, reveals Anzhela.
Their life in between tournaments isn’t that different. Erik narrates,
“We usually play when we’re at home, and we play online. We wake up in the morning, have coffee, and sit down to play. Afterward, we might rest or go to the gym or something like that. On our rest days, we spend time together with my cat. Sometimes we go to the beach because we live in Bali.”
Of course, because life’s a beach and they play poker for a living. Paradise indeed.
*Story by Mike Alcazaren
