KKPoker is thrilled to announce that Ilija Savevski, a shining example of our commitment to promoting talented poker players, has secured a Vegas Dream package and a place on the prestigious KK Elite Team!
The current #1 ranked Macedonian player on the Hendon Mob battled to win a $13,500 package via the KKPoker Vegas Dream Final tournament.
Since 2010, Ilija has earned over $1.2M in combined online and live poker cashes and will be one of the most experienced poker players on the 2024 KK Elite Team, which will compete in Las Vegas at the world's biggest poker series.
KKPoker spoke to Ilija to learn more about his fascinating poker journey, which took him from playing $1 buy-in online tournaments to winning one of the most coveted prizes in live poker. Ilija also shares his thoughts on poker study, how to progress in poker, and how a top professional prepares ahead of competing in huge poker events.
Table of Content
FROM $1 TO OVER $1M!
ILIJA'S EPIC GOLDEN POKER EXPERIENCE
EMPOWERING THE POKER COMMUNITY
JOIN ILIJA IN LAS VEGAS
FROM $1 TO OVER $1M!
In May 2017, Ilija secured his first recorded live cash in style by winning a €100 buy-in tournament at a local casino in Austria for a bankroll boosting €1,290.
Having played online poker for over 7 years before his first live victory, Ilija was no stranger to the tournament grind, but it wasn't until 2021 that he found his breakthrough live poker moment.
"I've been playing poker for around 18 years, but more seriously in the last 3-4 years. After a very successful 2022, I quit my 9-5 job as a software developer and focused more on poker," said Ilija.
A second-place finish in the 2021 WSOPC Mini Main Event at the King's Resort in Rozvadov, home of the recent SPT presented by KKPoker, earned Ilija a massive €68,000. Just two months later, he returned to King's Resort to play the €10,000 buy-in WSOPE Main Event, having qualified for his seat. Ilija had no expectations, but his run to the final table was better than he imagined.
"I played the WSOPE Main Event that year by winning a ticket via a previous tournament, so my goal was just to enjoy playing and do my best.
"Even deep on Day 4, when I was getting huge pay jumps with other players busting, I was just focused on playing hand by hand and not looking at the prizes. In the end, it was a little bitter coming so close to the €1.2M winner's prize, but also sweet because it was way more than I expected going into the tournament."
Ilija's 8th-place finish earned him €125,000, almost double his previous best live poker tournament win, and marked a stepping stone to achieving a goal all poker players dream of.
EPIC GOLDEN POKER MOMENT
Ilija continued his poker grind, both online and live, and in October 2022, he returned to Rozavadov to make another WSOPE Final Table. This time, he would make poker history by winning the €1,350 No-Limit Hold'em - Mini Main Event for a fantastic €255,000 and a WSOP Gold Bracelet.
"Actually, winning the tournament and the bracelet was a feeling I can't describe; it has been my dream since I started playing poker," said Ilija.
In the summer of 2023, Ilija made his first trip to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker and secured 7 cashes during his trip, including a 19th-place finish in the $3,000 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout Event.
Having secured a $13,500 KKPoker Vegas Dream package, Ilija will return to Las Vegas in 2024 as part of the KK Elite Team.
"It's an honor to be part of the KK Elite Team. KKPoker is a site that is developing fast, and it's good to be a part of that since the platform's early years. This is my second year in Las Vegas, and I will be more prepared than last year in terms of playing better tournaments, making better schedules, and taking more breaks when I don't feel at my best."
"I will study a lot in the month before the trip. I'm currently trying to eat healthier and exercise because the physical condition is also important while playing poker for such a long time almost every day."
"My goal this year is like any other poker trip; I'm going to focus only on playing my best game and not on results. I can only hope that results will come with playing my A-game, but if I do play my best and they don't come, I will still be happy that I did my best. The variance in Vegas is very high because the fields are big."
EMPOWERING EUROPE'S POKER COMMUNITY
Ilija is a member of the growing KKPoker player community in Europe, especially in Macedonia, a nation also home to recent KKPoker March Millions champion Oliver 'The Ant' Mihajlovski, who also discussed his victory and poker aspirations in an exclusive interview.
"I joined the KKPoker community when my friends from the Poker Club Strela in Macedonia invited me to be a special bounty guest in one tournament," said Ilija.
"And like everyone else, I played the Vegas Dream event to win the Las Vegas package!"
During the summer event in Las Vegas, Ilija will be supported by several members of the KKPoker player community who have confirmed their plans to travel and enjoy the poker festivities.
Ilija has shown how a poker enthusiast with many years of recreational experience can one day turn his poker dream into reality.
"When I started playing poker seriously, I studied a lot with solvers and tried to learn the game as much as I could in theory. Then, I tried to adapt to specific opponents and find how to deviate from the theory properly. It is intimidating, of course, because if it were easy, anybody could do it and win, so at first, it takes a lot of work and effort to start thinking properly."
"In the Vegas Dream final, one hand came to my mind during Heads-up where I was betting with the nut flush draw. My opponent was calling me with a worse flush draw, but he hit a pair on the river, which was good enough to take a big chip lead. In heads-up play, I try to adapt to my opponent, see how tight or aggressive they are, and adjust my strategy accordingly."
Ilija's tips for new and recreational poker players: "First of all, it's important to understand the game has lots of variance, and the best players can't win every time."
"Every new player has to learn the theory first. Psychology is also important to notice which players will play tight and which will play loose and adapt to them. The third and most important is discipline. Stick to your studied game plan even if it doesn't bring results for a long time, and believe that what you have will eventually bring results."
"I would suggest new players play responsibly, don't use the money they can't afford to lose, work on their game before they jump into bigger buy-in tournaments, and most of all, enjoy the game and the process of developing into better players."
JOIN ILIJA IN LAS VEGAS
Your final chance to win an epic VEGAS DREAM package is coming very soon!
Qualify to play the final $13,500 Vegas Dream Main on 4 May 00:00 & 12:00 GMT.
Step 1 and Step 2 satellites run daily, with buy-in from just $1!
Register now for a chance to make your VEGAS DREAM a reality.
