Petko was born in Burgas, Bulgaria, where he began playing backgammon at the age of 11.
He had high-level training within the Bulgarian Merchant Navy, where he served as an officer on large crude oil carriers.
Subsequently, he and his family moved to the USA, where both he and his wife pursue successful academic and professional careers.
Since playing on the ABT Tour in 2001, Petko has steadily built his reputation through both top level play and for perfect sportsmanship, resulting in his being voted into the Giants List several times, with current status #6.
Petko won the Masters Tournaments in Pittsburgh (twice), Michigan and Charlotte (twice), and the Super Jackpot in Las Vegas.
In 2013, he won the 2nd IBC, took third place in the Monte Carlo World Championship, and won the 2nd Giants Invitational Tournament with a 2.52 PR over eight nine-point matches.
In 2014 he joined the World Team for the Nordic Open, and won the Masters Jackpot in Illinois.
In 2017 and 2019 he was a finalist in the Monte Carlo World Championships.
Petko’s GridGammon nickname is Bulgari.
Don’t let Petko’s warm and friendly demeanor fool you: He is a fierce competitor with great insight into the game and its players.