The last Ukrainian poker player standing in the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event, Anton Makiievskyi calls Dnipropetrovsk home and entered the tournament’s play down day as the chip leader with 21.0 million. He finished in eighth place for $1 million after flopping kings-up, but eventual Main Event champion Pius Heinz hit a boat on the turn despite being a 10:1 underdog to pull ahead for good.

2011 marked Makiievskyi’s first trip to Las Vegas, and he definitely made the most of it. Amazingly, four Ukrainian players took home bracelets during the 2011 WSOP, as the game continues to become more and more popular in the European country. He entered the 2011 WSOP November Nine with the eighth largest stack at 13.83 million.

When 22 players stood strong in the 2011 WSOP Main Event at the start of Day 8, Makiievskyi was atop the pack, leading Ireland’s Eoghan O’Deaby about 1.5 million in chips. Much of his damage came by virtue of winning a pot worth 20 million late on Day 7 after Christopher Moore 4bet all-in on a flop of K-J-J and showed A-J for trips. However, Makiievskyi had the goods with K-J for a boat in an epic confrontation.

Coverage found on WSOP.com explained the excited scene at the Rio during the waning hours of Day 7 with an $8.7 million first place prize hanging in the balance: “What a massive pot at 20 million in chips between a flopped full house and trip jacks, but Moore would need help on the turn or river in this one.” The turn was a six, leaving Moore calling for an ace on the river. However, a four came to give Makiievskyi the largest pot of the WSOP Main Event to that point.

Makiievskyi also sent French poker player Guillaume Darcourt to the exit on Day 7 after his pocket nines took down a race against Darcourt’s J-10 of diamonds. The board filled out 2-6-6-2-8 and Darcourt, at one time the chip leader in the Main Event, prematurely exited in 35th place for $242,000. We can be sure that Ukrainians around the Rio were jumping for joy.

Members of PocketFives.com seemed overly impressed by Makiievskyi’s run in the Main Event. Take Shannon ShannonShorr Shorr, for example, who Tweeted headed into Day 8, “ESPN coverage of WSOP continues to deliver. Excellent interview by Anton Makiievskyi. Carter King’s was awesome the other day.”