Affiliate Interview Series -- Aleksey Batishev -- KazaK

**GPWA Gary** · 17 November 2009, 3:20 pm

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Age: 21
Hometown: Aktay, Kazakhstan
City currently residing in: Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Favorite food: Mom’s home cooking
One book everyone must read: Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Sites: www.PokerLove.Ru , www.BiGAFF.com

Most of your sites are dedicated to poker. Why did you decide to go in this direction?
Poker is a game that requires great skill, despite the fact that the rules of poker are elementary. In order to be successful at poker not only do you have to spend a lot of time playing, but you also need to have determination as well as mathematical, psychological and strategic skills.
When I was starting out, I thought that this was the most “honest?game, though I understood that all the games played against the house have their own positives and drawbacks.

What prompted you to join the online gambling industry? Why did you become an affiliate?
What were you doing before you became an online gambling affiliate? I played a lot of Starcraft and even won some local championships in Aktay and in Rostov. I also managed top Starcraft teams in Russia and Europe.

I came across a banner ad for a poker site on one of the Starcraft portals. I became a newsmaker on that site and once I had enough money I became an affiliate.

Who is the smiling dude in your avatar?
My avatar is “Bloody Harry?from a Japanese cartoon called GunGrave. I chose that avatar because that character is always happy, focused and has accomplished all that he wanted to in life. I consider myself to be the same way.

How did you choose your GPWA screen name?
My father’s and grandfather’s ancestors were Cossacks from Rostov-on-Don. My screen name has a lot of meaning to me because of that.

You are the moderator for the Russian-language forum in the GPWA. Have you enjoyed that experience? What have you learned so far from doing it?
What are your duties in that capacity? I’m proud that I’m a moderator and a part of GPWA. I try to help affiliates that are just starting out and I always recommend GPWA as a great way to meet people and get valuable information.

There are a lot of player forums out there; however, there are only a few really good affiliate portals. What I consider my foremost responsibilities are maintaining a great environment where people can interact and getting rid of spammers. On our forum people act in a civil and polite manner so my job is easy.

For me personally GPWA is not only a source of information, but also a source of networking and invaluable experience. I hope the portal and our Russian forum keep growing.

What is unique about how Russian-language speakers and affiliates approach affiliate marketing vs. the rest of the world?
In the Russian poker market, gray rakeback schemes work well, because Russians are pretty greedy. In this market the slogan “The more you play the more we pay?simply doesn’t work, so to get any results you need to completely dedicate yourself to online gaming.

How long was it before your sites started earning money?
It depends on what is meant by “earning,?but I was earning $100-200 in the very first month.

What prompted you to join the GPWA?
I was curious as to what GPWA was and why so many webmasters trust it. When I took a closer look it turned out to be a great portal.
After I got my GPWA Seal of Approval, I realized that it is very prestigious. The GPWA Seal of Approval draws a lot of players because they generally don’t like to take risks outside the casino.

What influence, if any, does feedback from GPWA members have on you as you develop and fine-tune your sites?
GPWA members have direct influence, because their suggestions are very good. You have to be a fool not to take advantage of the experience and expertise of such excellent webmasters.

Do you like to gamble? If so, what are your favorite games at a live casino, and what are your favorites online?
I play poker with friends and also online tournaments. I’m not a fan of casinos because I enjoy competition and interaction with other people. I don’t like to get money “for nothing.?br />
We know you’re a fan of the APCW . . . What do you think of their Web site? Is there anything of value for you there?
APCW is an interesting project, but my English is limited so sometimes that gets in the way. I do enjoy watching the videos and reading the posts. It’s too bad that there is no Russian version of the APCW, or at least translations of the most interesting articles from them.

What’s your favorite vacation spot? Why?
It doesn’t matter where, so much as with whom. It’s always great to be around friends ?that’s when you can really have a good time.

What does your family think about your work as an affiliate?
At the beginning they didn’t like it. They thought I was a player, but after I explained and showed them what I do they were OK with it. My mom was very worried when the government took away poker’s status as a sport.

You recently posted that you’re intrigued by forex affiliate marketing. Why are you intrigued?
Any plans to become involved in forex? Forex is interesting. I’ve spent some time exploring it, but without much success. The thing I like most about it is that it rewards those with knowledge and information.

What do you know now about the industry that you wish you’d known when you got started?
To be honest, when I started I knew absolutely nothing about the gaming industry. Once you start working, you start to understand how to attract players, how to talk to managers and make good first impressions.
Right now I have a large base of players, affiliates and poker managers.

If you had to pick 5 keys to success as an affiliate, what would they be and why?
Hard work, honesty, ability to communicate, tenacity and the ability to be self-taught.
I think these qualities are a necessity for anyone who wants to accomplish something, regardless of whether it’s an affiliate business or some other enterprise.

In your opinion, what makes a good affiliate manager?
I think that a good affiliate manager provides support to affiliates, offers quality advice to help them develop. In general I think affiliates and affiliate manager need to be friends, and if an affiliate runs into a problem the manager needs to be there to offer support. That would be my definition of a good affiliate manager.

If someone was cooking the perfect dinner for you, what would you want? And why?
As long as the person making me dinner did it with love, I wouldn’t care what it was. The fact that they put in so much effort would be the important thing for me.

What’s one gadget or toy you wouldn’t want to live without?
It would be very boring to live without a brain, but otherwise it’s probably my computer.

Finally, please tell us 3 things that nobody knows about you.
1) I weigh 220 lbs., I’m 6 ft. tall, I’m a big, healthy person and I don’t drink or smoke.
2) I lived in Kazakhstan for 18 years.
3) I want to hunt wild boar.

**Shaun O'neill** · 18 November 2009, 3:25 am

Nice to meet you Aleksey let go hunting for wild boar sometime sounds like fun.

Good interview.

Shaun

Originally Posted by garyt

Age: 21
Hometown: Aktay, Kazakhstan
City currently residing in: Rostov-on-Don, Russia
Favorite food: Mom’s home cooking
One book everyone must read: Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert T. Kiyosaki
Sites: www.PokerLove.Ru , www.BiGAFF.com

Most of your sites are dedicated to poker. Why did you decide to go in this direction?
Poker is a game that requires great skill, despite the fact that the rules of poker are elementary. In order to be successful at poker not only do you have to spend a lot of time playing, but you also need to have determination as well as mathematical, psychological and strategic skills.
When I was starting out, I thought that this was the most “honest?game, though I understood that all the games played against the house have their own positives and drawbacks.

What prompted you to join the online gambling industry? Why did you become an affiliate?
What were you doing before you became an online gambling affiliate? I played a lot of Starcraft and even won some local championships in Aktay and in Rostov. I also managed top Starcraft teams in Russia and Europe.

I came across a banner ad for a poker site on one of the Starcraft portals. I became a newsmaker on that site and once I had enough money I became an affiliate.

Who is the smiling dude in your avatar?
My avatar is “Bloody Harry?from a Japanese cartoon called GunGrave. I chose that avatar because that character is always happy, focused and has accomplished all that he wanted to in life. I consider myself to be the same way.

How did you choose your GPWA screen name?
My father’s and grandfather’s ancestors were Cossacks from Rostov-on-Don. My screen name has a lot of meaning to me because of that.

You are the moderator for the Russian-language forum in the GPWA. Have you enjoyed that experience? What have you learned so far from doing it?
What are your duties in that capacity? I’m proud that I’m a moderator and a part of GPWA. I try to help affiliates that are just starting out and I always recommend GPWA as a great way to meet people and get valuable information.

There are a lot of player forums out there; however, there are only a few really good affiliate portals. What I consider my foremost responsibilities are maintaining a great environment where people can interact and getting rid of spammers. On our forum people act in a civil and polite manner so my job is easy.

For me personally GPWA is not only a source of information, but also a source of networking and invaluable experience. I hope the portal and our Russian forum keep growing.

What is unique about how Russian-language speakers and affiliates approach affiliate marketing vs. the rest of the world?
In the Russian poker market, gray rakeback schemes work well, because Russians are pretty greedy. In this market the slogan “The more you play the more we pay?simply doesn’t work, so to get any results you need to completely dedicate yourself to online gaming.

How long was it before your sites started earning money?
It depends on what is meant by “earning,?but I was earning $100-200 in the very first month.

What prompted you to join the GPWA?
I was curious as to what GPWA was and why so many webmasters trust it. When I took a closer look it turned out to be a great portal.
After I got my GPWA Seal of Approval, I realized that it is very prestigious. The GPWA Seal of Approval draws a lot of players because they generally don’t like to take risks outside the casino.

What influence, if any, does feedback from GPWA members have on you as you develop and fine-tune your sites?
GPWA members have direct influence, because their suggestions are very good. You have to be a fool not to take advantage of the experience and expertise of such excellent webmasters.

Do you like to gamble? If so, what are your favorite games at a live casino, and what are your favorites online?
I play poker with friends and also online tournaments. I’m not a fan of casinos because I enjoy competition and interaction with other people. I don’t like to get money “for nothing.?br />
We know you’re a fan of the APCW . . . What do you think of their Web site? Is there anything of value for you there?
APCW is an interesting project, but my English is limited so sometimes that gets in the way. I do enjoy watching the videos and reading the posts. It’s too bad that there is no Russian version of the APCW, or at least translations of the most interesting articles from them.

What’s your favorite vacation spot? Why?
It doesn’t matter where, so much as with whom. It’s always great to be around friends ?that’s when you can really have a good time.

What does your family think about your work as an affiliate?
At the beginning they didn’t like it. They thought I was a player, but after I explained and showed them what I do they were OK with it. My mom was very worried when the government took away poker’s status as a sport.

You recently posted that you’re intrigued by forex affiliate marketing. Why are you intrigued?
Any plans to become involved in forex? Forex is interesting. I’ve spent some time exploring it, but without much success. The thing I like most about it is that it rewards those with knowledge and information.

What do you know now about the industry that you wish you’d known when you got started?
To be honest, when I started I knew absolutely nothing about the gaming industry. Once you start working, you start to understand how to attract players, how to talk to managers and make good first impressions.
Right now I have a large base of players, affiliates and poker managers.

If you had to pick 5 keys to success as an affiliate, what would they be and why?
Hard work, honesty, ability to communicate, tenacity and the ability to be self-taught.
I think these qualities are a necessity for anyone who wants to accomplish something, regardless of whether it’s an affiliate business or some other enterprise.

In your opinion, what makes a good affiliate manager?
I think that a good affiliate manager provides support to affiliates, offers quality advice to help them develop. In general I think affiliates and affiliate manager need to be friends, and if an affiliate runs into a problem the manager needs to be there to offer support. That would be my definition of a good affiliate manager.

If someone was cooking the perfect dinner for you, what would you want? And why?
As long as the person making me dinner did it with love, I wouldn’t care what it was. The fact that they put in so much effort would be the important thing for me.

What’s one gadget or toy you wouldn’t want to live without?
It would be very boring to live without a brain, but otherwise it’s probably my computer.

Finally, please tell us 3 things that nobody knows about you.
1) I weigh 220 lbs., I’m 6 ft. tall, I’m a big, healthy person and I don’t drink or smoke.
2) I lived in Kazakhstan for 18 years.
3) I want to hunt wild boar.

**thepokerkeep** · 18 November 2009, 5:07 am

Great interview.
Very well spoken for someone who struggles with the English language.

If you had to pick 5 keys to success as an affiliate, what would they be and why?
Hard work, honesty, ability to communicate, tenacity and the ability to be self-taught.
I think these qualities are a necessity for anyone who wants to accomplish something, regardless of whether it’s an affiliate business or some other enterprise.

Valuable advice for anyone thinking about getting into the business!

**Ricko** · 18 November 2009, 5:42 am

Great interview Aleksey
I couldn't agree more

In your opinion, what makes a good affiliate manager?
I think that a good affiliate manager provides support to affiliates, offers quality advice to help them develop. In general I think affiliates and affiliate manager need to be friends, and if an affiliate runs into a problem the manager needs to be there to offer support. That would be my definition of a good affiliate manager.

**ecobika** · 19 November 2009, 1:56 am

absolutely disagree, a good affiliate manager is a person, who speaks the least possible (too many blabla and newsletters are absolutely no use), but pays the more possible and most importantly, pays the revenue in time. Theoretically you can have "good affiliate manager" in your words but zero revenue with him/her.

**Isabella** · 19 November 2009, 2:00 am

Hi Alexey!

Great interview!

Isabella

**GFPC** · 19 November 2009, 2:05 am

Very good interview mate. I loved this interview..

Terry hit it right on.... and great points about affiliate managers..

I absolutely agree....

thanks for sharing mate.

Steve

**TanyaEverest** · 19 November 2009, 10:35 am

Great interview, Aleksey! One question-why haven't you hunted wild boar yet if you want to? Not enough time? Location? You got me curious as to why you haven't tried it yet!

**ironman2000** · 19 November 2009, 11:17 am

Wonderful Interview Aleksey....................

I totally agree with your points about what an affiliate manager should be and I try my very best to be that way also.

I also make sure that all my affiliates are paid their well earned commission every month without delay .......................ecobika

To be their as an affiliate manager & friend is a very important to me and all my affiliates fully appreciate that fact as well.

Have a wonderful weekend to all and keep in touch..............I am always here for you.

Keith

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