KKPoker is delighted to announce Sharath Maddur as our second 2025 Vegas Dream package winner!
Sharath secured his dream of playing in the world's biggest live poker event in Las Vegas via the Canada-exclusive qualifier final after defeating KKPoker ambassador David Dongwoo Ko heads-up.
With a background in bullet chess and cybersecurity, Sharath's journey in poker over the past 10 years is fascinating. Read on to learn more about the new KK ELITE Team member.
"the perfect fit for my goals"
Congratulations, Sharath, on winning a US$12,000 Vegas Dream package! Can you share your poker journey and how you joined the KKPoker community?
"I started playing poker around 10 years ago, mostly focusing on tournaments. I was self-taught, learning by watching poker videos on YouTube. Eventually, I read 'Play Poker Like the Pros' by Phil Hellmuth and 'Power Hold’em Strategy' by Daniel Negreanu, which helped deepen my understanding of the game.
"A few years in, I transitioned into cash games to build a bankroll for larger tournaments. But truthfully, I remained a losing player for a while, mainly due to poor bankroll management.
"I joined KKPoker last year after hearing about satellites for live tournaments hosted in St. Mary’s, Fredericton. What really got me hooked was the abundance of small satellites that allowed me to build a bankroll from very low buy-ins—it was a perfect fit for my goals." said Sharath.
As well as winning a Vegas Dream package, Sharath has already qualified for Day 2 of the KKLIVE New Brunswick.
"We have a fantastic poker community here in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Lots of skilled players and regulars, and everyone is incredibly friendly and supportive. There are also several charity tournaments running each week that draw great turnouts."
What motivated you to enter the Vegas Dream event, and how did winning it impact your poker goals?
"Playing the Main Event has been a dream of mine. Every year, I’d look out for satellites that could give me a shot, and the ones on KKPoker caught my attention—the fields seemed smaller and more manageable. When I saw the satellite path I was instantly locked in. I started grinding the $20 satellites to rack up as many $300 tickets as I could.
"Before winning the package, my goal for the year was to build up enough bankroll to afford a Main Event seat. Now that I’ve secured it, my entire focus is on tournament prep—building stamina for long sessions, sharpening my math skills, and training my memory to adjust from online (where stats and BB stacks are visible) to live play (where it’s all on you)."
"I really started thinking about his range"
Walk us through one of the toughest hands you faced during the tournament and how you navigated through it. How did you approach heads-up play against KKPoker ambassador David Dongwoo Ko?
"I was chip leader for about an hour before late registration closed, and I felt confident until David late-registered and started doubling up, quickly knocking players out. When we were down to three, I still liked my chances. I’ve played a lot of high-stakes heads-up hyperturbo and SpinUp online, and I knew I’d have an edge if I reached heads-up with 20BB or more.
"The toughest hand came three-handed. I was chip leader with 30BB, while the other two had slightly less. I raised the button with JT, David flatted, and we saw a dry Ace-high flop. I missed completely, but c-bet small, and David called.
"The turn bricked. I meant to check but accidentally bet two-thirds pot—about 7BB. David instantly jammed, and I had to fold. That misclick made me the short stack at the table with two aggressive players—one being a seasoned pro. I took a deep breath, reset mentally, and decided to fight for every pot.
"Fortunately, David knocked out the other player, and I was heads-up with under 10BB versus his 60BB. I told myself I just needed one double-up. I carefully picked my spots, grinding back to 15BB.
"Then came my favorite hand of the tournament and honestly the turning point. I was in the Big Blind with T9, and David raised the button to 2BB. I called. The flop came QJ9—so I hit middle pair with a straight draw. He c-bet small 1.4BB, and I called. Then the turn was a J, which paired the board. Not ideal, but not terrible either.
"I checked, and he bet 2.3BB. If I called that, I’d be left with around 9BB on the river which felt super intentional. It looked like he was setting me up for a river shove. At that point, I really started thinking about his range. It felt super polarized, either he had a huge hand like trips, a straight, maybe even a boat… or he was going for a three-street bluff. Something about his sizing just screamed, “I’m jamming river no matter what.” Given his polarized range, I thought I'd just call and hope for good river...
"The 8 hits on the river which was the perfect card for me. Now I’ve got the straight, and I’m only losing to boats or K10. That’s a super narrow range. I checked, hoping he would shove and he did exactly that. I snapped it off, and he turned over A8. I doubled-up and for the first time, I felt like I could actually win this. I climbed up to 30BB against his 46BB and eventually took the lead. Once I had momentum, I went for the kill."
"PLEASE NO KING!"
Describe the moment you found out you won the Vegas Dream package. What was your initial reaction?
"I had AQ of spades in the Big Blind with around 35BB. David had about 16BB and min-raised the button. I 3-bet to 8BB, and he jammed. I snapped, silently praying not to see AK. He flipped over KQ offsuit—a dream spot for me!
"The flop came J84 rainbow and I was yelling, 'No king, no ten!'
"Turn was another 4, and I screamed again, 'PLEASE NO KING!'.
"The river was a 3. I slammed the desk, screamed, punched the air, and fell to the floor in disbelief and joy. It took me a while to even look back at the screen—when I did, that beautiful '1/20' message on KKPoker confirmed it.
"I’m excited to be part of the KK ELITE Team. I read the Elite Team blog from last year, and it looked like an unforgettable experience. This will actually be my first time playing the series in Las Vegas, so being part of a team like this makes it even more special."
How do you plan to prepare for the big event?
"I’m focusing first on the mental game—tilt control and staying sharp after taking tough beats or coolers. I’m also brushing up on my math so I can quickly calculate odds and stack depths live. Online poker makes this easier with on-screen tools, but live play demands a different kind of awareness and memory.
"I enjoy playing high-speed bullet chess. I’m a 1900-rated bullet player, and I think that kind of quick strategic thinking translates really well to poker.
"I work in Cybersecurity as an Ethical Hacker. The job involves analyzing systems, identifying vulnerabilities, and exploiting them, those kind of skills help in poker.
"To win the Main Event. I’m going to give it everything I’ve got. I’m preparing seriously and showing up with one goal: to run deep and take it down."
"practice solid bankroll management"
Finally, what advice would you offer to new players, and how can they maximize their KKPoker experience?
"The ability to review hands objectively is crucial. You can win a hand despite playing it poorly, or lose even though you played it perfectly. It’s important not to reinforce bad habits just because you won. Consistent decision-making based on solid fundamentals will always win out in the long run.
"Start small. Stick to lower stakes until you’re confident you’re beating the games. KKPoker offers tons of satellites that let you build your bankroll without much risk—take advantage of that. And above all, practice solid bankroll management. It’s everything."
Stay tuned to KKPoker for more exciting Vegas Dream winner announcements soon and more build-up as our winners prepare for their ultimate test this July.
Take your shot at becoming our next KK Elite Team member! Qualifier information for Canada players can be found here. Europe qualifier information here, and global player package information here.
