He started playing poker to fight an addiction and reached the point where he says that poker is his life. He believes in luck but also has a strategy for winning pots and jackpots, he loves the thrill of a live poker game and shares wisdom that reminds us of Kurt Vonnegut’s legendary advise to wear sunscreen. Meet KIMILSUNG, the Bluff Room Poker player who hit the Bad Beat Jackpot twice in only three months.

BR: Hi, KIMILSUNG, and thank you for agreeing to the interview. We’ll very much enjoy getting to know more about you. The first question that pops into our minds is how and when did you start playing poker?

KIMILSUNG: I started playing in 2008. At the time I was working through a program and my sponsor suggested replacing my problem addiction with a new hobby.

BR: It’s usually the other way around – but we’re glad to see this has worked for you. Are you a recreational player or you take the game more seriously and play professionally?
KIMILSUNG: I’m a serious recreational player. I love the action. I hate to wait. When I walk into a poker room, I own it. I control the game. You might say that poker is my life.

BR: We’re glad to know that someone whose life is all poker choses to play in our poker room! How did you find out about Bluff Room Poker?
KIMILSUNG: My friend Fralle told me about Bluff Room Poker and I’ve been playing there ever since.

BR: What are, according to you, the best features of Bluff Room?
KIMILSUNG: I’m a big fan of the Bad Beat Jackpot (laughs).

BR: We figured – during the last three months you managed to win a share of our Bad Bead Jackpot twice. Tell us more about this – how did it happen, how it made you feel?
KIMILSUNG: The first time I won a share of the Bad Beat Jackpot, I didn’t even realize it had happened until after my session. I looked at my cashier screen, and there was so much money there! Thinking back and analyzing my session, I realized that it was almost mathematically impossible for me to have won that much money. Most importantly, I didn’t remember winning any pots of that size! I had to contact the helpful Bluff Room live support to confirm that I did win a share of the Bad Beat Jackpot. It felt exciting!
The second time, I was obviously more experienced with winning Bad Beat Jackpots. After studying my previous win, I was able to feel it was coming even before the cards were dealt. It’s like there was a voice in my head, screaming in a whisper: “PREPARE YOURSELF KIMILSUNG”. I was prepared. As a result, my victory was slightly less exciting, but still gratifying nonetheless.

BR: Well, we were definitely excited to see you won again – we actually get excited about every big win of our players. But back to online poker, what factors do you consider when choosing an online poker room? What makes a poker room a good one?
KIMILSUNG: For me, as much as I love poker online, nothing beats the live poker experience. The closer a site comes to replicating a live cardroom, the better! The sound of the chips, the smell of the air, the sweat on my brow. Wondering who the lineup is? Where the action spots are? That’s poker, folks.

BR: What is your game of choice? What limits do you play?
KIMILSUNG: I typically play the fast-paced action-packed full ring no-limit holdem games on Bluff Room, at limits ranging from .5/1 to 3/6.

BR: You mentioned before that you are very serious about your game so do you set yourself poker goals?
KIMILSUNG: I definitely set goals for every session. For instance, last night my goal was to get dealt pocket aces five times. It’s good to push yourself; it’s how you improve as a player.

BR: What are the qualities one must have to be a successful poker player?
KIMILSUNG: It’s important to mix up your game. For example, I love to limp and trap people before the flop. Also, it’s important to buy in for the maximum. When you’re in the chip lead, it’s easy to bully the table into making mistakes with aggressive play. The chip lead also allows you to make aggressive calls that other players might shy away from.

BR: According to you, how important is luck in a game of poker? Do you consider yourself lucky?
KIMILSUNG: Luck is a very important element of poker. Luck determines who wins and who loses in the short-term. As the long-term is really just a handful of short-terms, it follows that luck mostly determines who wins and loses in the long-term too.
On the other hand, there is less luck involved with Bad Beat Jackpots. It’s obvious which hands can win or lose the Bad Beat Jackpot. Pocket pairs and suited connectors are hands you don’t want to fold before the flop — for any price. This is because the implied odds you get to create a Bad Beat Jackpot with these hands makes up for slightly unprofitable decisions before the flop.
Also, it’s important to never fold after the flop if your hand could potentially trigger a Bad Beat Jackpot.

BR: Do you think education (e.g. reading strategic articles, analyzing your hand histories, watching educational poker videos, etc.) is important for poker players? Or should one improve their game simply by playing more?
KIMILSUNG: If you simply copy the strategies everyone else is using from videos and articles, you end up creating a style that’s easy to exploit. I think it’s far more important to put in the hours playing and developing your own personal style. This way you’ll be a true loose cannon and nobody will know what to expect from you at the tables!

BR: And last but not least, is there any advice you would like to give to the other Bluff Room players?
KIMILSUNG: Consume a multivitamin before your next session. It’s important to take every edge you can get.

BR: That’s actually great advice. Thank you!

To see the hands, in which KIMILSUNG won shares of the Bad Beat Jackpot, see our previous blog posts:

KIMILSUNG wins $13,033.55 from the Bad Beat Jackpot

Bluff Room Player Hits the Bad Beat Jackpot for the 2nd time