Brian Kim

Brian Kim was born in Diamond Bar, California, and also lists Walnut, California as his hometown. He later moved to Sydney, Australia. He began playing poker at the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles, the world's largest cardroom. His first recorded live cash dates back to October 2010, but it wasn't until 2022 that he significantly increased his tournament volume. Kim has cashed in the WSOP Main Event multiple times prior to his final table run, including in 2012, 2018, and 2021.

Kim's first major WSOP success came in 2022. He finished 23rd in the $10,000 Main Event for $323,100 out of 8,663 players. Later that year, he won his first WSOP bracelet in an online $5,300 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller event on WSOP.com for $119,000. In 2024, he reached the final table of the WSOP Main Event in Las Vegas, entering as the second-largest stack with 94,600,000 chips, trailing only Jordan Griff. On Day 1b, he doubled his stack to 122,200; after a rollercoaster run, he bagged 9,975,000 on Day 6, then 42,400,000 on Day 7, and 94,600,000 on Day 8. At the final table, he exited in seventh place after a dramatic hand against Niklas Astedt. With blinds at 1,000,000/2,000,000, Boris Angelov raised to 4,600,000; Kim three-bet to 11,800,000 from the small blind; Astedt cold four-bet to 19,000,000 from the big blind. Angelov folded, Kim five-bet all-in for 53,900,000 with K♣6♣, and Astedt called with 10♦10♠. Astedt flopped a set of tens, Kim turned a flush draw, but the river bricked, awarding Kim $1,500,000 for seventh place.

Kim became a regular on the Triton Poker Super High Roller circuit, posting numerous deep runs:

• March 2023: Fourth place in a $30,000 event in Vietnam ($441,000) and 14th in the $100,000 Main Event ($216,000).
• May 2023: Runner-up in a $50,000 event in Cyprus ($920,000), plus other cashes totaling over $1.1 million for the series, including 18th in a $25,000 event ($49,700).
• July 2023: Cashed in London, including 22nd in the $125,000 Main Event ($207,500).
• March 2024: Third place in a $50,000 event in Jeju ($954,000) and 15th in a $30,000 event ($82,000).
• May 2024: Runner-up in a $25,000 event in Montenegro ($609,000) and 15th in a $100,000 event ($168,000).
• November 2024: Won the $25,000 WPT Global Ultimate Slam in Monte Carlo for $941,000 (also listed as a Triton event).
• 2025: Eighth place in a $30,000 event in Jeju for $144,000. In total, Kim has accumulated over $11 million in live tournament earnings, ranking among the top American players.

• 2025: Second place in the €50,000 Super High Roller Second Chance at EPT Monte-Carlo (€521,000).
• 2025: 21st in the $200,000 Triton Invitational in Montenegro ($311,000).
• 2025: 14th in a $10,000 PGT Last Chance event ($22,200).
• 2022: Won a $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em event at Aria Las Vegas for $101,200 (PokerGO Tour).
• 2022: 42nd in the Wynn Millions $10,000 Main Event ($48,665).
• 2022: 10th in the $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Handed event at WSOP ($9,357).
• 2021: Cashed in the WSOP Main Event.

Kim is a coach at GTO LAB, specializing in ICM and final table strategy. He teaches alternative postflop lines, short-stack Future Game Simulation, and BvB play under ICM pressure, drawing from his experience in WSOP, WPT, and Triton events. His technically precise approach combines solver theory with live reads, making him a respected figure in high-stakes tournament poker.

Kim is known for his aggressive yet calculated style, particularly effective in high-pressure, high-ICM situations. He employs a wide range of postflop tactics, including turn donk bets and check-raise constructions, to exploit opponent weaknesses. His deep runs in both WSOP and Triton events demonstrate his adaptability across different formats and buy-in levels.