KKPoker welcomed WPT Main Event champion David Ko as an ambassador in June 2024, and since then, he has continued his poker adventures at the online tables and live poker events!
In July, David traveled to Las Vegas alongside the KKPoker Vegas Dream winners to join the KK ELITE Team, experienced victory on his first trip to Barcelona, and discussed how mindset is key to success in poker.
In his latest blog, David details his final trips in 2024, including the return of KKLIVE Montreal, KKPoker's premier live poker event, and achieved victory in one of his bucket-list poker series in Florida.
Read on to learn more and see David's poker goals for 2025!
Finishing 2024 with Two Major Series
Hey guys, David Ko here!
I wrapped up 2024 by competing in two major poker series: the Hard Rock Poker Open at Seminole Hard Rock and the WPT World Championship series at Wynn Las Vegas.
Both events were exceptional, featuring massive fields, higher buy-ins, and enormous prize pools.
At Seminole, the series got off to a great start for me!
I won a $400 NLH Turbo event, earning $9,600 and a very cool trophy. The trophy, designed as a guitar pick, had been on my wishlist for a long time since I play guitar as a hobby.
Main Event Hand Review
In the $3,500 Main Event, I made an intriguing play:
Preflop: UTG+1 opened for 2bb, and I defended the big blind with A♠6♣ (25bb effective stack).
Flop (5.5bb): T♠9♠5♣ – We both checked.
Turn (5.5bb): 6♦ – I decided to lead for 1.8bb, and my opponent called.
River (9.1bb): 5♠ – I checked, and my opponent bet 5bb.
With this sizing, my opponent is mainly representing overpairs or strong Tx hands, as they would have used larger bets with flushes, trips, or full houses. I decided to punish the thin value bet with an all-in raise for 23bb. I felt super good about my blockers: the 6♦ blocked hands like 56s and 66, while the A♠ blocked the nut flush.
After tanking for three minutes, my opponent made the call with 4♦5♦, and I lost the pot. In hindsight, I regret my turn bet—I should have checked more often in that spot. However, I stand by my river bluff, even though I misjudged my opponent's strength. Sometimes we run into it, but we still have to go for it!
KKLIVE MONTREAL
Before heading down to Florida, I made a stop at KKLIVE Montreal.
I qualified for the Live Day 2 of the Main Event via the KKPoker online Day 1s and covered my travel expenses through the generous KKPoker travel allowance for Canada players! The event kicked off with everyone already in the money at the start of Day 2, which made for an exciting atmosphere.
Although I didn't manage to make a deep run, I was thrilled to cash this event for the second year in a row. The vibes at KKLIVE are always incredible, with a great mix of fun and competition. It's always a pleasure to play here and connect with some of the best people in poker. Looking forward to the next one in New Brunswick in April 2025!
A RETURN TO VEGAS
I ended my year at the WPT World Championship series in Las Vegas, where I was invited to play with complimentary accommodation at Encore. The hotel was both luxurious and conveniently close to the tournament room.
Despite struggling to cash in the $1,100 Prime and $10k Championship events, I managed a deep run in the $3k NLH, finishing 19th for $18,734. Unfortunately, my tournament ended on a sour note, losing a massive pot with A♠A♥ against 7♠7♥.
GOALS
And with that, my 2024 poker year came to an end. It had its highs and lows, but it was an unforgettable year. I won 6 trophies and 12 final tables, cashing for US$778,535 in tournaments.
I'm grateful for the opportunities and excited for what 2025 will bring!
1. This year, I will be traveling around the world to compete in some of the best live poker tournaments. When I'm not at a series, you'll find me grinding cash games, sit & go's, and MTTs on KKPoker to stay sharp and maintain volume.
2. Although I didn't make a WSOP final table in 2024, I'm determined to change that this year. My ultimate goal is to win a bracelet in Vegas and make 2025 another memorable year.
3. In 2024, I learned valuable lessons from mistakes in game selection and travel planning. This year, I'm taking a more strategic approach to scheduling tournaments. I've also discovered some incredible opportunities to combine traveling and competing, and I'm excited to explore new cities while chasing success in the tournament series!
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