Seat 1: Gab Yong Kim, 41, Seoul, South Korea – 9,565,000

Matt Hansen

Prague has treated Gab Yong Kim exceptionally well. The 41-year-old from Seoul is the oldest player on the EPT Main Event final table, a feat that he’d already come close to achieving in 2019. Back then, Kim fell in 9th place and settled for €74,770, but that wouldn’t be his swan song at the festival.

Before EPT Prague 2019 closed shop, Kim would register to the €2,200 deep stack event and take it down for €92,560. That had stood as Kim’s career-best score until the next poker trip to Prague. The Czech capital has now played host to Kim’s top three performances at a live poker table.

But it’s not only the live felt where the South Korean grinder excels. Kim’s online resume also features a plethora of impressive cashes, including a six-figure result at PokerStars.

Kim is a poker veteran with more than 15 years of experience, and now he’s become the first player from South Korea to reach the EPT Main Event final table. Already sitting inside his nation’s all-time top 10 on the money list, Kim can move as high as into second place should he go all the way.

His girlfriend Vivian Im is a renowned poker player herself, ranking 15th among South Koreans. With more than $1m combined earnings and another massive payout already locked up, the “poker power couple” term might soon apply to the two not only in Korea but beyond.