Group A

Shane 'rapha' Hendrixson
Chance 'chance' Lacina
Maciej 'Av3k' Krzykowski
Anton 'Cooller' Singov
Alessandro 'stermy' Avallone
One Player from the Asian Championships

Group B

Tim 'DaHanG' Fogarty
Sander 'Vo0' Kaasjager
Alexey 'Cypher' Yanushevsky
Kévin 'strenx' Baéza
Magnus 'Fox' Ollson
One Player from the Asian Championships

Mode: Duel
Date: every Sunday
Time: check in 07:00 CDT, start 08:00 CDT
Prize: 100€ for 1st place
Mappool: dm6, ztn, dm13, t7, t9

Mode: Duel
Date: every Saturday
Time: check in 07:00 CDT, start 08:00 CDT
Prize: 100€ for 1st place
Mappool: dm6, ztn, dm13, t7, t9

Miker: We're at Dreamhack, you can see cooller who just came third in Quake Live, and the first question is: Anton, you played your first important game in your group with linkje very convincingly, full domination and perfect map control, how did you find your game so quickly after the flight?

Cooller: I have an opinion that it's a personal matter and every player has personal ways to find his game. Some players start playing their first matches with confidence, some without much confidence. I simply was focused and was confident that I was going to play a good game, and that happened.

Miker: The next question is related to IEM Dubai. At this tournament you look a lot better, what was your motivation for arduous practicing? The question is a bit vague, but...

Cooller: Experience, of course it was experience, because games are different, and I couldn't play Quake Live the same way as I played Quake 3. Game styles differ a lot, the speed of the game is absolutely different, all the in-game moments like placing shots, i.e. the positional aspect of the game, also are essentially changed. So I needed some time to adapt to this game, and I'm starting to get good. Hopefully I can show better results at the next tournament. But I am starting to think that the most important detail about participating in tournaments is mental attitude. Because just now I was fighting for the 3rd place, and I was so confident and felt so comfortable mentally that I had no problem at all in the game. Before the game versus av3k I needed slightly more time for warmup, though, the administration was telling us to hurry, so I just sat down and pressed ready at once. I find it uncomfortable to play when such things occur.

Miker: The next question is about the game with av3k. As far as I know it was your first game today, yesterday you overcame your group rivals with ease, after that there was a 1/8 vs fox, a 1/4 vs dahang. It's likely that you were very confident after such great games, your opponents were far from weak. So let's talk about that match vs av3k: how did it happen that you won the first map, the beginning was nervous, map control was going from hands to hands, and other maps were lost?

Cooller: Let me explain. The first map, dm6, is a rather specific map and the outcome of the match depends on the first minute a lot, and in particular on the battle for second RA and second mega. Whoever wins this battle dominates this map. It's just this sort of a map. I managed to take second armour and mega rather successfully, took map control and so I had no problems with pressing him down. Even though with time his score started to climb up close to mine, it was a good game. As far as the second and the third maps are concerned, I lacked warmup as I said. Normally those maps are rather good for me, they're comfortable maps. And it's worth to stress that av3k's style was clashing with mine, I dislike playing av3k because his style is disgusting, well, for me personally. Cypher is very comfortable with playing av3k, but not me. Av3k moves around the map in a specific way, and he shoots in such a way that everything he shoots connects with me. So, he was a tough opponent for me, and I lacked warmup, too, and didn't feel comfortable in the game. It's sad that the tournament uses single elimination system and there's no second chance.

Miker: Was the moment at dm13 with the score of -1:-1 gamebreaking?

Cooller: Yeah, there was a moment when he hit me and I flew down into the lava, and in that moment major items, RA and mega, respawned. Naturally I died, and av3k took RA and mega, and that was it, he was in full control. At dm13 it's very difficult to steal control from an adequate player. And my nerves played their part. When you play and you become nervous in the game it leads to bad results for sure.

Miker: At ztn when av3k led by 10 frags and 5 minutes were left into the game you said gg. Have you already given up, knowing that you can't win that match, and were preparing mentally for the game for the 3rd place?

Cooller: That game was already impossible to win, I say this with absolute certainty, that's why I typed gg. I never give up until the last moment, but unfortunately in that game the last moment already happened. A player like av3k won't lose such a game, no matter the circumstances.

Miker: What are your plans? The ESL's European Championship is ahead, and the World Championship follows it. Will you be able to prepare well, morally and physically? We'd like to see the return of one of the best Quake 3 players.

Cooller: My Quake Live plans are rather dynamic, and I'm going to take part in all upcoming tournaments. As for the next tournament, qualifications for it are going to happen online, and everybody knows well that online games are very specific due to ping. That said, I feel more or less comfortable online, I think that I got accustomed to it, because I practiced online a lot. So I think that I'll be able to qualify. Later games will happen at a LAN, we'll see about them.

Miker: What do you think about new Quake Live maps?

Cooller: There are two of them, t9 and t7. One of them I love. The most significant moment for me is that it lacks railgun. I feel absolutely comfortable with this map, I always know what and when to do, I know how to steal control. The second map, t7, is rather specific. It's rather big, it has many armours, mega, all weapons, and at this map it's easy to reach a distant opponent with a railgun shot. This map is very comfortable for railgun players. I don't like it at all, there's some water there, weird columns, endless teleporters... I don't like to play this map, because raling became really easy in Quake Live, and all good players just don't miss at all. So at this map everything comes down to luck. The one who is luckier will win it.

Miker: The next question is big, I'd better post it into your Skype. Read it yourself, please.

Cooller: [reads aloud] I'm a GG.ru tounament newsmaker and followed all matches, and I noticed that if cooller is focused and controls the map, or rather times all items no matter who picked them up... Ah, I see. He writes that I always know when items respawn. He almost always predicts an opponent and sees through him, he can overthrow a game even when the opponent is dominating. The question is: did all that came from Quake 3, or did he need to adapt to the new game for a while to achieve such a result? Without a doubt, the biggest portion of experience I brought from my Quake 3 career. But despite that I needed some time to adapt to the new dynamics of Quake Live. Did I answer the question?

Miker: Yes, thanx. Now the last question, and I'll look into the chat for new ones... But you look tired, are you really tired?

Cooller: Not really, I'm not tired, I just normally have a different shedule. Normally in Moscow I play until 4-5 AM and wake up about 2-3 PM. And today I had to wake up at 8 AM, so maybe I haven't switched to the new shedule yet and look tired because of that.

Miker: The next question is about the upcoming tournament, but you already talked about it, right?

Cooller: Yes, I did. There are no other tournaments yet, or rather they haven't been announced. At first there are online group stages, and players who come on top of their groups will travel to a LAN. And the LAN's top six will travel, in a month, to some serious event. By the way, I heard that they offer serious money there, something like 15000E for the first place, that's an essential motivation for all players, and I think that we'll see very serious massacres there. Everybody will be preparing real hard for it. Right, Cypher? [laughs]

Miker: What's the major difference between Quake 3 and Quake Live?

Cooller: Firstly, there are weapon differences. Rockets travel much quicker. Secondly, hitbox is enlarged. I will explain it. The zone that you need to hit to connect a shot is enlarged, so it's rather easy to hit railgun shots. You can hit something like a shoulder or a heel, no matter, that will be registered as a successful hit. There was nothing like that in Quake 3, shooting was difficult. You needed to connect shots to the body. Further, speed of the game is faster. Shaft isn't as strong in comparison with Quake 3, but is still the major weapon. Maps are modified, too, and the respawn system is completely different. When you're fragged you respawn not at the most distance from the place of your death, but at the most distance from your opponent. Roughly speaking, somebody fragged me and entered the teleport, and I am now respawning at the biggest distance from him. So because he entered the teleport and entered another location, I will be respawning in a completely different place.

Miker: One more question. If you made it to the final, whom would you like to play, Z4muZ or stermy? And what skill do you think Z4muZ is displaying now?

Cooller: Well, judging by the fact that he made it to the final... Although his brackets were rather easy, because the entrance to semifinals he earned by beating destrukt. It's a guy from the USA, he's a kind of good average player, so to speak. As for his semifinal game with stermy, of course Z4muZ had luck there, I can claim this with certainty, at the last map he got lucky.

Miker: What happened?

Cooller: Well, they fought, fought, and fought, so stermy frags him and is left very weakened, and Z4muZ respawns right at RA. He grabs RA and takes full control. Two minutes were enough for him to rack up the same amount of frags. And in general about Z4muZ, this guy used to play Quake 3 seriously in past, I remember how we used to play. He moves around the map well, he has good timing, understanding of the game, awareness of the opponent's position, and his aim is at the very high level.

Miker: How much will you get for the 3rd place?

Cooller: No idea. What? [listens to Cypher] Ok, in short, it's 1000E.

Miker: So your travel costs got successfully covered, right?

Cooller: Well, my travel costs were covered by my sponsor, so I can even afford to buy something. [laughs] Oh by the way, I see more questions in the chat, can I answer them? A guy is asking me what I think about the future of Quake Live.

Miker: Yes, and what do you think?

Cooller: I heard that ESWC is coming back, and although I know that they aren't planning a Quake tournament yet, I think that they simply don't know yet that Quake Live is getting popular and is a rather serious game. I think that with time somebody will tell them about it and they'll make a Quake Live tournament. ESL is coming into the highlight, too, and I think that they'll be making regular tournaments. And considering the tendency to popularize this game, the amount of players who now play this game, and the fact that there are regular online tournaments with over a hundred of players registering, I think that Quake Live will be the major disclipline next year.

Ok, now then... [reads aloud from the chat] What do I like better, Quake 3, Quake Live or Quake 4? Certainly not Quake 4. If I have to choose between Quake 3 and Quake Live, then let's say Quake Live, because I play it at this moment and begin to understand how to play it. Although of course the major game in my life was always Quake 3, and my popularity is due to Quake 3. Well, I'd say it's balanced then, they're equal games.

Miker: [giggles, reading aloud] 'Cooller, I'm watching you since 2002...' Fans!

Cooller: I'm grateful that there are people who like my games and who can always make me feel good when they write that they're cheering for me and wish me good luck. I'm really grateful. What? [listens to Cypher] Ah, yes, it depends on character of course, there are people who react rather emotionally to my losses and my victories. I have no right to judge them, it's their own business.

[reads aloud] Can you fix lack of blood and gibs in Quake Live? Yes, you can, there are commands cg_gibs and cg_blood if I'm not mistaken. Cg_gibs is about pieces of meat. I have it set to zero to avoid being distracted and to avoid it influencing my psyche [smiles]. Things are as simple as possible.

Miker: A question about t6. How do you like it? Why do you think it got kicked from the map pool?

Cooller: Honestly, I have no idea why it got kicked. As a map it's very interesting. I played it back in Quake 3 days, and in TDM, too, and why it got kicked I have no idea at all. Unfortunately, I can't influence this decision in any way.

[reads aloud] Anton, are you going to marry? [laughs] No, not yet. But it will happen rather soon.

Miker: You smiled for the first time during this interview!

Cooller: That's not true. [reads aloud] Who of Russian gamers rocks like cooller now? The answer is noone. There's a couple of dudes who practice hard and their skill is gradually rising, but to reach top international level, well, I don't know what they need for that, a moon to fall from sky maybe... [reads something further and replies] No, Frozen isn't getting better, he already had some experience from Quake 3, but judging by his games, and I played TDM and duels with him, unfortunately he is nothing serious. Although he's a kind of a friend, we socialize well, so there's nothing personal in my evaluation.

[reads aloud, laughing] How do I like a girl sitting in the background? [turns around to look] Well... Unfortunately I cannot see her face, but from the back, she's not in my taste. [keeps smiling] I hope she isn't Russian.

[reads aloud] Do I miss hub3aeroq3? No, absolutely not, although the map is rather interesting, dynamic, action-packed, but it's still not in my taste. I like highly intellectual maps.

[reads aloud] How do I like Quake Wars? What is Quake Wars? I don't know what Quake Wars is. [listens to Cypher] Unfortunately, I have no experience of Quake Wars game and can't comment on it. I apologize.

[reads aloud] At this tournament no t4 is present, a map that used to be very comfortable for railgun players, and there's no hub, too. Do you think that it gives an advantage to the players of your style? How do you like these maps? Well, as far as t4 in Quake 3 is concerned, I know how it must be played, and at some last Asus I played it versus Jibo and won. I just dislike this map, I've got a personal distatement towards it because I lost at WCG 2002 due to this map. There's nothing more to it.

[reads aloud] I'm not into Quake, but often I see how pros help new players progress, by training them, etc. Do you do it? No, I don't do it, I don't teach anybody, and I think it's absolutely stupid. But I haven't ever heard of anybody charging for training. Although if somebody would offer me money for training I would consider the offer. [smiles]

[reads aloud] Do my teammates from pstarz help me? Yes, they help me morally, I like TDM a lot and we're keeping in touch in Skype. And it's just for fun, nothing more than fun.

[reads aloud] Did you play anything except Quake? Yes, when I began playing I was a member of a Shaitan club team. It was a CS team, and I was playing best of all in that team. By the way, in past there was a player Hostage in c58, they played with Xenitron, I was on the same team with him. Starcraft I played, too, but not at the highest level, but I played at battle.net, I was registered there. But with time I chose Quake 3.

[reads aloud] Do you have time for real sports in-between the tournaments? Yes, I have it, it's a personal matter, and you have to separate Quake and your life. Besides, there aren't as many tournaments anyway, it's just that at the tournaments food is atrocious and flights don't feel well, other than that there are no problems.

Miker: Are you content with your 3rd place and what are your plans?

Cooller: I'm not content with anything except the first place, I like to be the first. But top3 is a sign of improvement, considering that in Dubai I got 5-8th place. That means that gradually I'm starting to rise, and I think people will see it and maybe Cypher will become frightened of me. [laughs]

[reads aloud] Cool hat! Yeah, it's a present from my brother. Besides, it's cold here. When we came here there were no people here yet, and it was as cold as in the streets. Only now people have breathed in enough warm air and did other things. That's why it became more or less warm. But overall it was disgusting to play, my hands were cold, it was so lame.

[reads aloud] What's your education IRL? Law, I graduated from Tax Academy.

[reads aloud] Do you know where uNkind is now? Are you friends? No, I'm not friends with uNkind, we don't keep in touch, but I saw him about a year ago and I know that he changed his first and second names. Now he is Mark Morozov. [smiles] At that moment he told me that he was going to work in the administration prefecture in the region he lives in, as far as I understand it's Novogireevo. Unfortunately I have no more information about him.

[reads aloud] Speak about your devices. Well, what can be told about them? My major sponsor is Razer, so I use a Razer keyboard, Razer headphones, a Razer mat. But the mouse is Microsoft 1.1a.

[reads aloud] Where's ZeRo4, where are LeXeR, uNkind, and do you keep in touch with them? No, I don't keep in touch with them. About ZeRo4 I have no idea, as far as I understand he's more interested in his personal life. He's a rather adult person. And as far as I know, LeXeR lives at the island of Bali now, he moved there with KALbI4 from M19. They play loads of poker and are enjoying their life, sea, sand, and weather...

Miker: They moved about half a year ago, right?

Cooller: I have no idea when they moved, but it's popular news by now.

[reads aloud] How do you see yourself in three years? That's an interesting question. And a difficult one. I don't do anything at the moment that could essentially change my life in three years. I don't think that in three years I will be participating in tournaments as much, although that might happen. I play a lot of poker now, and I hope that in three years I'll become a good serious player of high limit poker, which will let me feel comfortable. Because opening your own business in Moscow is almost unreal alone and without some connections. Do we still have more time for questions?

Miker: We do, of course, what about you?

Cooller: Ok. [reads aloud] What's your strongest and weakest map and why? Who do you think is the strongest player on each map in Quake Live? I think that at this moment my strongest maps are t9 and dm13. There's no railgun at those maps, I feel very pleasant at them. The weakest map is certainly t7, because I played it only a little and don't feel my game there at all. And about strongest players at each map... Well, in truth any player can own any map! Some paradoxical things happen, like, Cypher can lose t9 to stermy, then win me, and I win stermy. So it's impossible to guess. Now all top players are at a very high level and know what to do at each map more or less equally. So there are other things that come into play.

[reads aloud] How to earn a million in Internet? Poker. It's realistic, I think, but provided that favourable circumstances and chances occur. And stock exchange, you can get some money there.

[reads aloud] Did you play Dota, what's your favorite hero? No, I didn't play Dota. [laughs] I didn't play Warcraft a single time. I know it's addictive and don't want to risk becoming a victim. To hell with it.

[reads aloud] Except paid trips, what do you get from sponsors? I've got monthly salary, all necessary devices, any number of them. Keyboards, headphones...

Miker: Do you replace them frequently?

Cooller: No, absolutely not. Only when it's necessary. Well, I am tricky, of course, so let's say I ask for five keyboards, and three of them I sell to somebody for a hundred each. [laughs] Ok, the salary I've got, I won't say that it's a kind of secret, it's 500E at this moment. For a month it's absolutely ok, I think. By the way, Rapha gets 500-700$. But they're witholding money for long times, and actually I was told that this organization is highly disgusting. Nobody values or respects it.

[reads aloud] Will you play WoW? No, I won't play WoW. I spent a lot of time with Ultima in childhood at school, so I know what online games are. I understand what a serious drug they are, so to hell with that.

[reads aloud] What's your favourite dish? It's a difficult question. I actually like to eat good dishes, so I've got a list of favorite dishes that is so long that I can't name a particular dish.

[reads aloud] Somebody wants a keaboard from me... Well, okay, walk up to me at Asus and tell me that at Dreamhack you asked me for a keyboard, and I'll give you my keyboard without any problem. [laughs]

[reads aloud] What type of poker do you play, which limits? I play hold'em, no limit, at PokerStars. I play NL100 at this moment, because I started a new career at PokerStars. The deposite was limited and started to rise from NL 50 normally. In past I played at Ongame, with rather serious limits like 2-4-3-6-5-10. In Summer I travelled to WSOP and played at all the tournaments, even cash, even 5knl, for a few days.

[reads aloud] How old am I? I'm 23 at this moment, the birthday happened in August.

[reads aloud] Tell a joke. [laughs] No I will not, it will take too much time.

[reads aloud] Do I like Angelina Jolie? Sexually, not really, but I'm aware that she's a rather attractive girl. But not much, she's not in my taste.

[reads aloud] What's your nick at PokerStars? I can't say it and I'm not going to. The question is closed.

[reads aloud] You spent years with Mousesports. What do you have to say about Russian organizations? Honestly, the level of Russian sponsorship for progaming is so low and pathetic that I don't even want to speak about it. Russia is a country with rather greedy people who take money very seriously, so when people ask for money and say that they need it for computer games, nobody reacts very seriously to it.

[reads aloud] Do you practice with Cypher? Yes, I do. Actually Cypher can't play anywhere else except Russian servers, so from time to time he offers to play, and we go rocking together.

[reads aloud] Greetings from Ultima. Obi Wan Kenobi. If that's the same Obi Wan Kenobi whom I knew, then greetings to you, too! [laughs]

[reads aloud] My girlfriend left me, but I love her so much. What should I do? When I was in such a situation myself and was crying under the blanket through the nights, my mom told me that I'll have a hundred of girls in future. You just need to believe in destiny and that all that happens is for the best. Don't be sad, take care of your nerves and take care of yourself, so that you could find a worthy specimen.

[reads aloud] What do you think happens after death? I hope that a human soul sets into another human being who gets born, and another person appears.

[reads aloud] When do you plan for a family? It's a rather difficult question, and I think that it will happen closer to my thirties. Being aware of seriousness of the consequences that marriage and family and kids create, I understand that... Not that I'm not ready yet, but I just do not want to. It's too early for a death sentence. [laughs]

[reads aloud] Have you ever played drunk? No, I haven't, I don't drink. No alcohol at all, so I have no idea how that feels.

[reads aloud] Do you see goodgame site for the first time? How do you like it? No, not for the first time, it's a rather serious site, and considering the short time span that it has existed for so far, I can say that they have very talented people who know how to do things that they do, and I respect them. The site is fine. Although I already asked and ask again to widen the central sector, because this thin stick that you've got... Make it wider so that news could be read normally on it. And as for design I like it a lot, it's pretty.

[reads aloud] What's the colour of your socks? What colours do you like? [laughs] I like white socks, I like them very much. There's no favourite colour in particular, I like white and black colours, red and blue. It depends on the colour of what it is. If it's clothes then it's one way, if it's a car then it's another way, and if it's the colour of Cypher's eyes, then it's yet another way. [winks at Cypher]

[reads aloud] Send greetings to Sasha Nikolaev, please. Alexander Nikolaev, I send you hearty greetings from Sweden!

[reads aloud] Your opinion about esports in Russia and in the world at large, not taking crisis into account? Nothing special at all, in my opinion a few years ago esports was developed on a more serious level, with organizations like ESWC and such. There was Cyberblizzard, KODE5, there were lots of them, but now...

[reads aloud] Wink for us! [winks at the camera]

[reads aloud] Was Quake interfering with your education? Yes, of course, it was, especially during last years of school that clashed with WCG. And when I was entering university there were serious problems with visiting tournaments, their dates kept clashing with exams. I don't want to think about that time now, it was disgusting.

[reads aloud] What happened to Cybersport magazine? It didn't produce enough money, and the financial stream that was supporting it ended.

[reads aloud] What is happening now is like talking to a god. You're cool, we'll love you forever. Nothing of the kind, guys, I always think that I'm an ordinary person. I am nothing special at all. And I don't want people to think that I'm special or cool and other such things. That I never wanted and will never want it. But thanx, of course.

[reads aloud] Say a few words to beginning quakers. To all beginners and progamers I want to say that this stuff is not serious at all, that you need to care for your education, for your health, and for your life in general. And you need to pay a lot of attention to it, or at least to separate all that and the game, instead of plunging into the game completely. Normally all beginning progamers think that it's so amazingly cool, that I'll be so cool, that it's such a super thing. Nothing of the kind. Firstly, you will never be cool, ever. Secondly, you first need to achieve something, and to play at top international level is almost absolutely unrealistic. For that you need to show yourself somewhere, and to show yourself anywhere nowadays is almost impossible, except online. Because travelling to tournaments on your own is costly and not many people can do it. So I don't advise you to take it seriously, because in truth it isn't anything serious. Just a waste of time. Yes, Alexey? [referring to Cypher] Well, Alexey is just one of the rarest people who got lucky at a particular moment and a particular time, and he managed to show himself, to gain interest of various sponsors and such. If nothing like that happened, Cypher wouldn't be playing now, that's what he's telling me.

[reads aloud] Cooller, tell me which command is responsible for smoke from the rockets. [laughs] Cg_smokeRadius_RL, that's the command.

[reads aloud] What do you do in your spare time? I sleep, go for a walk, visit a sportsroom, talk to my friends, talk to my parents who live separately. I travel to the sea and to grandma and grandpa. And I do all the rest things that other people do.

[reads aloud] Anton, what percentage of your prizes goes to Mousesports and how does this organization earn money with help of the pros? At this moment I have no contract with Mousesports, our relationship is so great that I have no duties, and we decided not to make a contract. So I will give them away no percentage, but if they ask then I will do it out of respect. Although I doubt that they will ask. As for the question about how it all works... Let's say that there is an organization like Mousesports. They start to search for sponsors, motivating them with the fact that they've got players who're popular in the gaming world and who can be an example for all progamers in general and for all people who're playing. And they start to explain to them that their player is a world champion and he uses a keyboard like Razer. So if people keep seeing that he's playing with a Razer keyboard, then people will be buying Razer keyboards, thinking that these keyboards can help them improve their skill, etc. So these companies become interested and give out money in order to make all members of that team advertise their production. [Unzips his sweater] Look, I wear the Reebok T-shirt. Well I don't know, I guess everybody thinks now that if they wear Reebok T-shirts and Reebok hats that they'll become gods like Cypher and I. [smiles] In general I'm very grateful to my team and am very happy that Mousesports appeared in my life at all. They did a lot for me, and I did a lot for them. It's very pleasant to work with them. Of course I did much more for them, because my popularity among sponsors is very high.

[reads aloud] Do you have a car and which one? What musical genre do you prefer? At the moment I've got no car, sold it a few months ago. I had Infinity FX45 from 2003 that featured insane petrol consumption and mad taxes. At the moment I don't drive anything, now I'm saving money and am planning to buy something soon, because without a car normal life is impossible.

[reads aloud] Do you have a favourite movie? Yes, I like movies a lot. There's no particular favourite movie, but I like movies like Troy, Hitch, Transformers 1, Diehard. [listens to Cypher] The Snitch? Hm, I watched it, but it's not in my taste... No, Fight Club I don't like, too. The 300 Spartans is a good movie, I Am Legend is a good movie.

Miker: How did you get into Mousesports?

Cooller: Ok I'll explain. The last Quake 3 tournament happened at ESWC in 2005, at roughly the same time Quake 4 appeared. Everybody expected Quake 4 to be a very popular game, although it was indeed popular enough. And I didn't have a team after winning ESWC. Or rather I had Check-Six, but that was not a serious team at all. So after ESWC I got many offers and Mousesports did the most interesting offer. That's how I got on the team. What? [listens to Cypher] Yeah, I got invited to join many teams, fnatic, SK, and American teams, and Virtus.pro made me an offer, by the way.

[reads aloud] How can I stop smoking? You can read a book An Easy Way to Stop Smoking, but it doesn't work with everybody, although many of my acquaintances gave up smoking with its help. But in general I think that you need self-control. If you can fight yourself, then you can give up any harmful habit. I smoke myself and have troubles with it, too, but what you need is to focus on an idea to give up, to understand that it kills and destroys you, and you need to think of the future and of your health. And you need to understand that there's some bastard sitting inside of you who keeps telling you that you need to go smoke and that it's cool and all that stuff. You just say no and that's it. It's the only way.

[reads aloud] Which shaving system do you use? [laughs] Gilette Mach 3 Turbo, the green and vibrating one. The last one that had five razors I didn't like at all, instead I like this one with three razors.

[reads aloud] What music do you like? Absolutely any music, it depends on mood. In the car or in the morning when sun is shining I can turn on something energetic. In the evening when tired I can turn on light music. There's no particular favourite genre, I listen to any music, except classic music, I'm not its fan.

[reads aloud] How do you like the Dreamhack tournament? It's averagely organized, nothing special. There's nothing more to say.

[reads aloud] How did you earn money for a car, if that's no secret? No secret. At first, by gaming, then I had a sponsorship package, and simultaneously got an offer from Kaspersky Lab, we made an advertisement with them and they paid me good money for it. And poker.

[reads aloud] Are you going to play Starcraft 2? No. Every action must have a meaning. What's the meaning for me to play Starcraft 2? I won't have any success with it. If only for fun… But I don't enjoy Starcraft games that much.

[reads aloud] If you weren't involved with esports but instead with some business and you'd have as much money as now, would you want to be involved in esports anyway? Esports is something that I have no attraction to at all, no warm feelings towards it, it's just money, international trips, learning a foreign language, talking to people, and nothing more. When I'm playing I don't experience any positive moments or joy anymore, it's been like that for a very long time now. But at first of course that was my major motivation.

[reads aloud] How much time do I plan to play Quake and what will I do after esports is over? I plan to keep playing next year, we'll see how many tournaments will be happening. I need a good motivation, then there won’t be any obstacles for me. And after esports I don't know what I will do. I'm playing poker now and I will continue playing poker. But of course my age is already reaching a threshold when you need to start a family, so maybe I will start a family. Maybe I will get involved with some business, of course as far as money is concerned it's a matter of luck. Even if people have a few higher education diplomas it's nothing, because let's say that you earn 5000$. In the morning you need to go to work, in the evening you go from work, and it will be happening in an endless loop. I don't think that it's a life that I want to live, working from morning till evening for another person because of my law education. I want to depend on myself first and foremost and to earn more money than that.

[reads aloud] In one of your distant interviews you said that money doesn't matter, only winning matters. Do priorities change with time? Of course, they do. If a guy is 15 years old, why would he need money? He doesn't need a car, he doesn't think about an apartment yet, if he wants clothes his parents buy them. At such an age you don't really think about money. But when you become an adult and start needing money, then you'll have to think about it. Right, Alexey? [referring to Cypher] Are you thinking about money at 19? [smiles] Or rather in terms of how much money you've got... [turns to the interviewer] Miker, do you think about money?

Miker: Naturally. Life forces me to think about it.

Cooller: Really? So that's it, Miker has a business already, a good business, good luck to you and I hope you'll be growing and getting more money.

[reads aloud] When you were starting out to play poker did you read some manuals or did you rely on getting experience? Strangely I didn't read any books, I just played, played, played. Self-control is very important, I'm talking about controlling your own emotions, then experience, precise shedule, and self-confidence. In the long run you can always get something. Of course if you went to play poker this evening you may be out of luck and lose out, but if you've been playing for about a year then luck plays less part in your game.

[reads aloud] Cypher the poor thing, why do you keep teasing him? I'm not teasing him. Maybe I'm joking a bit, but within reasonable limits.

[reads aloud] How's the weather in Sweden, any snow? No snow here. The weather is absolutely lame, it's cold, it's raining, in short, it's like Moscow. After Dubai I understood that sun is very important in life and it plays a big role in your moral condition and in your mood. So at this moment I just hate Moscow, because to wake up and to see rain, slush, cold, and darkness all the time... I think it's anatomy. The endorphine level and such.

Miker: Do you want to move somewhere else?

Cooller: It's a good idea, but it confuses me to be honest. To move you need financial foundation, and you need to be able to socialize. Theoretically I can speak English. So where would I live? How would I earn money? In short, there are many questions, I thought about it and decided that Moscow is still my home city. I don't know what will happen in future.

[reads aloud] How do you evaluate stermy's skill? It's normal high level, top5 of the world, no problems. But something is missing in him. The very best players have something special to them, something personal. Like Rapha. They all are so individual, they've got their tricks, like self-confidence, moral condition, or belief in god. Anything at all, but they do have it. And stermy, well, he is ordinary. He plays a lot and prepares hard for tournaments, and he thinks that it's a warranty of success. But I understood long ago that the most important thing is mental attitude towards the game, your moral condition and your nerves.

[reads aloud] At this moment do you see yourself as the top of the world? Yes, of course, I do. But top5 is not enough.

[reads aloud] Whom would you want to play the most in a tournament? I think Rapha, I haven't played him yet at tournaments and I think we'd create a good game. About av3k, I just kind of threw a game to him, not just lost but almost presented it as a gift, knowing that at that time I was stronger than him. It was a matter of luck and lack of warmup, that's it.

[reads aloud] How much did you lose in poker before you learnt to earn with it? About 2000-3000$ I lost, and then started to climb up. I just started to play from NL100 at once, because I didn't see any sense in micro limits. Besides, I had enough money to start from NL100, and I had connections to the guys who were already playing professionally and they helped me a little with software and strategy and such.

[reads aloud] Are you going to play until the major victory? What are you goals? My goal is to win a tournament in March in Quake Live.

[reads aloud] What's your favorite gaming system from childhood, NES or Sega? Sega. I had sega and played lots of it. Mortal Combat, Crazy Frogs or something like that.

[reads aloud] Take off the hat. Why the hell should I take off my hat? [laughes] Do you want to look at my hair? So what, it's going to be crumpled… It's just cold here, that's why I'm wearing a hat today, not trying to be stylish and such.

[reads aloud] What would you want Quake to be, how would you change it? I don't want to fantasize, I don't know what I'd like to change. Possibly I'd want to add new maps and more tournaments, serious tournaments, so that they would be real events, and not like this weird Dreamhack... Not enough money here, and you sort of don't strive too hard to win.

[reads aloud] How much did you practice? I have an opinion that professional players have a basic level of skill that has to be not developed, but just supported. I always had such a problem that I would participate in a tournament, let's say I would win a tournament, then I'd come back to Moscow, and it was over. I would completely forget about Quake for two weeks, and after that I'd have to start all over. Remebering my movement anew, sharpening my timing, raising aim percentages and such. But after Dubai when I came back I just played a few games per day when I had time, and that was it. And I did that up until Dreamhack. During the very last days I played more, of course, to sharpen particular aspects of my game, but nothing more than that.

[reads aloud] What do you think happened to Cypher from 2008? It's a very interesting question. Why not ask Cypher himself. Alexey, tell us why you're playing worse in comparison with 2008? [listens to Cypher] He says it's the circumstances. The dude is growing up, his priorities change... Actually he was the favourite of this tournament anyway, but this tournament is single elimination. [listens to Cypher more] Alexey is telling us that he was well prepared for this tournament and played well on the whole, but lack of mental focus spoilt his game a little. And of course, luck factor... I am starting to think more and more that luck factor became very big in Quake Live. But he says that he'll show his abilities later, true, he's just 19. What kind of age is that, it's youth.

[reads aloud] What is the meaning of life? It's going to be a final question, ladies and gentlemen. The question is very specific, and I think that each person makes this conclusion on his own, so I will speak only about my own point of view. I think that the meaning of life is in living it with quality firstly, and secondly to be a kind and decent person. To be a well-off person in order to create babies, give them life. It is the meaning of life, too, in my opinion, to give life to other people. To bring them up well, to share your experience with them, and all that. Miker, would you sign under my words?

Miker: Yes, most of them.

Cooller: Good. There are more things to say, but right now I don't feel like going further into this topic. Ok guys, I hope that you'll keep following my career, I'm grateful for your attention and all the interesting questions, I hope we spent this time well. Thanx go to goodgame for making this happen.

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