Over in Russia, poker is becoming almost as popular as vodka.

The favorite to win the 2008 WSOP is Russian Ivan Demidov, who sits in the final table’s second chip position. Vitaly Lunkin, also a Russian, won a no-limit Hold’em event; and Svetlana Gromenkova, yet another Russian, won the Ladies Championship. It kind of makes you wonder, doesn’t it?

Poker pro Daniel Negreanu figures the Russians owe much of their poker success to their penchant for playing chess.

“Chess is a great training ground for poker players because it’s a math-based game, much like backgammon is,” says Negreanu. “The battles between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky were epic. And while poker isn’t quite at that point, we’re definitely headed in that direction.”

Negreanu expects to see more Russians winning on the European Poker Tour and other major international poker tournaments in the coming years. (Read more of Negreanu’s article, “Chess Breeds Poker Stars in Russia“, in the Houston Chronicle.)