KKPoker is excited to announce Abat Nagimetov as a double Vegas Dream package winner!

Hailing from Kazakhstan, Abat is no stranger to success on KKPoker, as last year he qualified via the online satellites to win an OLA POKER TOUR TAIPEI Main Event ticket.

Now he will visit Las Vegas with $2,000 in tournament buy-ins and $4,000 travel allowance as part of the KK ELITE Team, alongside fellow winners such as Sharath Maddur and Kaan Becer.

Abat’s story is unique! He started with a bluff during a job interview and eventually built a professional poker career, featuring worldwide travel, major live-event experiences, and now a trip to Las Vegas.

And through it all, KKPoker has helped him on that journey. From online satellites and Flash-NLH grinding to live event pathways and Vegas Dream opportunities, Abat’s path is another reminder that poker careers can begin in the most unexpected ways.

However, poker has never been just about results for Abat. His story is one of reinvention, self-education, psychology, philosophy, travel, and countless unforgettable moments across both online and live poker.

Learning Poker in 24 Hours!

Abat’s introduction to poker is unlike that of almost any other professional player.

Long before he was grinding online or travelling across Asia for live poker games, he worked as a sports journalist in Kazakhstan, mainly covering football for magazines and newspapers.

Then one unexpected opportunity completely changed the direction of his life.

“My introduction to poker happened more than 10 years ago. Before I started playing poker, I worked as a journalist for Kazakhstani magazines and newspapers. I wrote mostly about football,” said Abat.

A friend told him about a new poker magazine opening in Kazakhstan, backed by the Sports Poker Federation, and despite having absolutely no poker experience, Abat decided to apply for the editor role anyway.

“But the problem was, I didn’t know how to play poker and had never played any card games before 😅.

“So, I went to the interview, where I confidently told my new boss that I knew how to play poker and could easily become the editor of your poker magazine. And they hired me! ”

There was only one problem. Abat had exactly one day to learn poker!

“I had to go back to work the very next day! So, in just 24 hours, I had to learn how to play poker and understand the basic principles of the game 😆.

“First, I went to Wikipedia and learned the rules and rankings of poker hands. Then I downloaded and read Roy Rounder’s small 30-page book, ‘Poker Math Made Easy,’ ”

Abat then downloaded a poker app, played freerolls, and absorbed as much as possible before arriving back at work the next day.

“Thus, in just 24 hours, I learned the basics of poker 👌”

From Journalism to Professional Poker

What began as improvisation quickly became obsession.

“Within a week of discovering poker, I was confidently writing articles and interviewing Kazakhstani poker champions, each time learning more about the game and educating myself 😁”

However, after only a year, the poker magazine and federation shut down after changes to gambling laws in Kazakhstan, but by then, poker had already taken over his life.

“After I lost my job as a journalist, I started playing non-stop online 24/7. I quickly built up a solid base of several hundred thousand hands, and soon became a professional poker player making a living from the game.”

More than a decade later, that unexpected interview has now led him to the biggest live poker stage in the world.

“I’ve never regretted my chosen path. As you can see, I’m now flying to Las Vegas this summer to play at the biggest live poker event. It’s every poker player’s dream, and KKPoker made it happen for me!”

Why KKPoker Changed His Game

Abat openly credits KKPoker with helping elevate his understanding of poker in recent years.

“For a long time, I played poker at the same weak level. However, a few years ago, I downloaded KKPoker on my phone and immediately experienced a dramatic leap in my gameplay!

“My favorite game is Flash-NLH. The game is fast, dynamic, and exciting, with every hand, you find yourself at a new table with different opponents!”

But for Abat, KKPoker became more than just a place to grind hands. He speaks passionately about KKPoker’s missions, creative promotions, avatars, achievements, and gamified experience.

“I really love how the KKPoker team always comes up with new, creative promotions with captivating animations.

“For example, right now KKPoker is running Micro Monsters, where you have to collect swords and defeat monsters! Just think! I haven’t seen such creative promotions on any other poker platform!”

He also highlighted the educational opportunities KKPoker provided through coaching and training initiatives.

“Last year, they offered training at a poker school with renowned poker coaches. I was one of the winners and became a student of one of the invited poker coaches.”

One of the funniest parts of Abat’s poker story involves the KKPoker club he created.

“I loved playing on KKPoker so much that I eventually opened my own club in the app and invited my friends.”

That club ID? 696969. Naturally, his friends immediately jumped to conclusions. “My friends still joke about me and call me crazy. They think it’s because of the sex position.”

But according to Abat, the explanation is purely poker related.

“69 suited is actually my favorite starting hand in Hold’em, and I always play it.

“69 suited is best played in deep stacks, when players at the table have more than 200 big blinds. And if played aggressively, like premium hands like AA or KK, 69 suited can make a lot of money.”

KKLIVE and the Road to Live Events

In recent years, Abat has travelled extensively in poker, much of it made possible by KKPoker satellites and live-event promotions.

“I’ve already qualified for the EAPT tournament series in Georgia through KKPoker satellites, and I also went to Taipei last December for the OLA Poker Tour.”

Now, Vegas Dream has added another major destination to that growing list. “This summer, I’m going to fulfill my dream of seeing Las Vegas and playing poker!”

Abat strongly believes the combination of online and live poker is the best way for players to improve.

“This is great because it is this poker training formula of combining online and offline that gives the best results for improving your skills.”

And with future OLA Poker Tour satellites planned on KKPoker, he already has more trips in mind.

“KKPoker will be hosting satellites for the OLA Poker Tour in Rozvadov in September. I haven’t played in the Czech Republic yet, so I might try to qualify for Rozvadov this fall.”

Poker, Psychology and Personal Growth

One of the most fascinating parts of Abat’s interview is how deeply he thinks about poker psychology.

A former competitive swimmer and lifelong chess player, he sees direct connections between personality, strategy, and behaviour.

“I usually joke that I had to learn to play poker to feel confident not only at sea but also on land.

“Did you know that a person’s poker playing style can reveal their character and abilities, as well as the depth and complexity of their mental makeup?!”

He believes poker styles often mirror a person’s personality traits away from the table too.

“I’ve noticed this since my chess days in middle school. My quietest and most reserved classmates preferred to play the same boring and calm chess openings. And the most notorious bullies and hooligans weren’t afraid to play the sharpest and most attacking chess openings! This applies to poker too 🤔”

“I’m currently playing live poker in Cambodia. Recently, I found myself at the same poker table with a chess grandmaster. We got talking, and he admitted that he doesn’t like the sharp Sicilian Defence in chess, preferring more sedate openings. Well, his poker style turned out to be exactly the same – he played extremely tight and conservatively!“

But Abat’s most thought-provoking theory goes even further. He believes becoming more aggressive at the poker table eventually changed his mindset in everyday life as well.

“The most interesting thing happens to a person when they begin to radically change their poker playing style!

“If a calm, quiet person begins to artificially adopt an aggressive style of play, abandoning the more relaxed play that is inherent to their nature, it can affect their character, their subsequent life, and even the events that occur in their life. This is not mysticism, but the absolute truth.

“I’ve learned this from personal experience. I’m a calm person by nature, and for a long time I played tight, cautious, and breakeven poker. But in recent years, after I started actively playing on KKPoker and learning a more correct and profitable aggressive style of poker, I began to feel more confident in other areas of my life, not just at the poker table. Shifting my poker playing style to a more aggressive approach has had a profound impact on my entire life!”

The Philosophy of Variance

Despite travelling the world playing poker, Abat approaches both winning and losing with remarkable calmness.

“In poker, as in life, when the game at the table ends, all the chips of various values and colors, be they dull, worn-out one-dollar bills or shiny, bright $1,000 bills, end up in one dark drawer.

“There is some life wisdom in this.”

That perspective helps him handle the emotional swings of poker variance. Recently, after a losing session in Cambodia, a dealer asked why he never seemed upset after losses. His answer perfectly summarised his mindset.

“Because I don’t get happy when I win.” 😁

Sleeping Through a Poker Hand

Poker is serious, but Abat also insists it produces some of the funniest moments imaginable.

His best story might also be one of the most ridiculous. After grinding long live cash game sessions at poker festivals around the world, exhaustion finally caught up with him.

“Don’t think that poker is a brutal game with no room for humor. On the contrary, funny situations often occur at live poker tables! The thing I remember most was falling asleep during a hand and sleeping for a whole 7 minutes! 😜

“I often play live cash games and travel for festivals. These typically feature poker marathons and leaderboards for the longest consecutive hours played. And so, in one of the countries, already tired of playing every day for 12-13 hours non-stop, I fell asleep at the table😅“

The problem was, nobody realised.

Because Abat was wearing mirrored glasses, the entire table assumed he was simply deep in thought facing a difficult decision.

“I thought to myself that I’d long ago thrown away my cards, and everyone was waiting for the next player’s decision at the table. So I continued to sleep, sitting in my usual position, leaning on my arms, in the stance of a thinking person.

“Several long minutes passed like this. Every now and then, I’d wake up, but when I opened my eyes, I’d notice the same flop and turn cards were on the board, so I’d close them and go back to sleep. Soon, the poker dealer set the hourglass, but I continued to sleep, wondering in my sleep what kind of fool was holding up the game and disrespecting the other players at the table?!“

Eventually, the dealer’s timer expired.

“Looking down, I saw with horror and shame that I had two cards that I still hadn’t folded!”

Even now, Abat still laughs about the silence and respect the table showed during the entire situation.

“With a calm expression, I folded my cards, as if I’d actually been pondering a difficult decision for so long, and not actually sleeping. I never had the courage to admit to the other players at the table that I’d actually fallen asleep. Perhaps some of those players will read this interview, and the mystery of that long hand will now be solved!

“Not a single player even tried to speak to me out loud or rush me in any way, that’s how much authority I had at that table! I was flattered by the respect the players showed me by simply silently observing the situation, thus allowing me to continue sleeping ha.”

Advice for New Poker Players

After years of online grinding, live poker travel, and continuous study, Abat’s advice for newer players is direct.

“Don’t rush into live play!”

He believes the strongest foundation always starts online.

“Therefore, you should first play several hundred thousand hands on KKPoker before attempting live tournaments and cash games.”

Furthermore, Abat believes that experienced players can improve the fastest when combining both formats.

“You’ll see the greatest improvement in your learning and understanding of the game when you combine online play on KKPoker with participation in live events.”

One Vegas Dream

Abat Nagimetov’s story is unlike almost any other in poker.

What started with a bluff during a job interview eventually became a professional poker career, worldwide travel, major live event experiences, and now a trip to Las Vegas as part of the KK ELITE Team.

From online satellites and Flash-NLH to live event pathways and KKPoker Vegas Dream opportunities, Abat’s story is another reminder that poker careers can begin in the most unexpected ways.