Samer Kourkis

Samer Kourkis, widely known by his online handle "Braminc," began his poker career in the online sit-n-go world. He rose through the ranks to become one of the best players in high-stakes six and nine-man sit-n-go tournaments on Full Tilt Poker. After Black Friday (April 15, 2011), Kourkis left the United States for Lebanon, where he continued his sit-n-go career on PokerStars, amassing hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits.

Kourkis is recognized for his deep understanding of the Independent Chip Model (ICM), a framework for assigning dollar values to chips in tournament settings. In a 2012 interview with Card Player magazine, he discussed how ICM shapes solid sit-n-go strategy, emphasizing that chips are not linearly related to prize money. His insights have helped many players improve their bubble play and final-table decisions.

Kourkis worked as an instructor for CardRunners, where he produced training content on heads-up hyper turbos. In a 2014 live-play video, he discussed variance, three-betting, defending, and other key concepts while two-tabling $15 heads-up hyper turbos on PokerStars. His instructional material has been widely accessed by players seeking to improve their sit-n-go and heads-up skills.

Kourkis is known for a disciplined, mathematically grounded approach to single-table tournaments. His ability to apply ICM pressure and make precise bubble decisions set him apart from his peers. Despite a low public profile, he is considered a pioneer in high-stakes sit-n-go play and a respected voice in poker strategy education.