Lighting $25k On Fire Just To Learn?!

From Tech CEO to High-Stakes Poker Crusher

Author

Art Parmann
April 02, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

“I lit $25K on fire.”

That’s not a quote from a degen at 4am in a Vegas pit. That’s Victoria Livschitz, a billion-dollar tech founder, describing her first ever real poker tournament.

After selling her company, she retired to Montana for exactly five minutes before discovering poker. And instead of grinding $200 dailies, she jumped straight into a $25,000 high roller.

Why? Because she wanted to “meet the wizards”—the best players in the world—and figure out what the hell they were doing.

What happened next?
✔️ She won a tournament the next day.
✔️ She racked up over $2M in earnings.
✔️ She became one of the most respected players in high-stakes poker.

This episode is a banger—a blueprint for betting on yourself.

Welcome to Table 1. If you’re new here, this isn’t some country club poker night. This is where the real stories get told—the kind you don’t hear in WSOP post-game interviews.

We’re taking you past the bright lights, down the back alley, through the unmarked door, and into poker’s underground fight club.

Inside? Legends who have won (and lost) millions, gamblers who play with house money, and stories so wild you’d swear they were made up—except they’re not.

This isn’t a history lesson. It’s real poker, real people, and real stakes.

Before we dive in, let me hit you with a quote:

"Scared money don’t make money." – Every poker player who’s ever run it twice & won the first board only.

Now, I’m no bankroll nit, but if you’re just sitting on stablecoins, you’re literally leaving money on the table.

That’s where Gauntlet.XYZ comes in. The nerds handle the math, you collect the interest—zero brainpower required. Your USDC, USDT, or whatever else you’re hoarding? Put it to work instead of letting it gather digital dust.

And here’s the best part: THEY DON’T TOUCH YOUR PRIVATE KEYS.
Your keys, your crypto. No rug pulls, no excuses.

Get in the game → https://gauntlet.xyz/t1 (DYOR, obv.)

Alright, now let’s get to it:

Episode 70 - Victoria Livschitz (Part 2!) Part 1 available here

Last week, we introduced you to Victoria Livschitz—the tech genius who built a billion-dollar company, outmaneuvered the Russian government, and then somehow ended up in a $25K poker tournament with zero experience.

This week? We go deeper.

🔹 The high-stakes rollercoaster continues—how she went from watching poker streams during lockdown to battling the best in the game.
🔹 The $400 daily that turned into a heater—how she immediately started crushing tournaments after busting her first $25K.
🔹 Why she refused to start small—her mindset on jumping straight into the deep end and forcing herself to learn.
🔹 Meeting the poker elite—how Sam Grafton, Andrew “Chewy” Lichtenberger, and Nick Schulman became her first mentors.
🔹 What she’s building next—why she’s not just playing poker, but changing the game with her new poker study tool, Octopi.

📺 If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a high-level strategist attacks poker like a startup, this episode is a must-watch.

🔥 If you love high-stakes stories, hit SUBSCRIBE for more!

📌 Click Subscribe for more high-stakes poker stories & interviews!

Cheers,

Art and Justin

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PS – Check out www.table1.vegas to play with us at Table 1!