News From an $0.80 Venom Vault Ticket to $42,700: John Kim Wins Mini Phil’s Thrill at ACR Poker Owen Gaines Owen Gaines is a professional poker player and author who has played an estimated ten million hands and written four poker strategy books. August 17, 2026 A Venom Vault prize led to a Survivor Flip, the Survivor Flip produced a $2,650 seat, and Chicago player John Kim, known on ACR Poker as DotardEatLysol, turned that path into a first-place finish in the August 9 Mini Phil’s Thrill.One Venom Vault prize. One $0.80 Survivor Flip ticket. One $2,650 seat. One Mini Phil’s Thrill win worth $42,700.01.That was the path for 47-year-old Chicago player John Kim, who plays on ACR Poker as DotardEatLysol. The August 9 Mini Phil’s Thrill drew 61 entries and built a $152,500 prize pool, with seven players paid. Playing as DotardEatLysol, Kim finished first and collected $42,700.01 – by far the biggest score of his poker career.And now the run does not have to live only in a result screenshot. ACR Poker’s new Final Table Replayer brings completed final tables to the website with hole cards revealed when a replay is available. You can watch the entire Mini Phil’s Thrill final table here. A Moneymaker-Era Player Who Never Expected a Score Like ThisJohn Kim’s poker story started where so many did: with Chris Moneymaker’s 2003 Main Event win. More than two decades later, he still works full time as a sales consultant and plays poker around the rest of his life. “I got into poker when pretty much half the poker community did - when Chris Moneymaker won. So over 20 years now.” Kim has been playing online since the Full Tilt days and joined ACR Poker in 2021. Before this Sunday, his biggest online score was about $1,400 in a $21 Hyper, a mark he said he had reached a couple of times. He also described himself as most comfortable in smaller fields. The $0.80 Ticket That Changed the Entire WeekThe route into the tournament began inside the Venom Vault promotion. The current Vault awards guaranteed prizes that include Venom Survivor Flip Step tickets ranging from $0.80 to $350. Kim’s prize was at the very bottom of that range: an 80-cent Survivor Flip ticket.From there he entered the Survivor Flips path. ACR Poker describes Survivor Flips as fast all-in Sit & Go’s that begin when eight seats fill, with ticket levels starting at $0.80. He survived his way from that tiny ticket into a $2,650 tournament ticket – then used it to play Mini Phil’s Thrill. “When I won the 80-cent flip and turned that into a $2,650 ticket, I really felt like I had a chance once I entered the tournament.” For Kim, the ticket was not just a freeroll into a high-stakes event. It arrived during a difficult stretch away from the table, and he said the timing made the opportunity feel different from the start. “So many things had gone wrong up to this point, and I really felt like this was going to be the turning point.” MINI PHIL’S THRILL - AUGUST 9 RESULT SNAPSHOT Mini Phil’s Thrill - August 9 Result SnapshotDetailResultTournament ID35624347Buy-in$2,500 + $150 ($2,650 total)Entries61Prize pool$152,500Places paid7First prize$42,700.01Winner / screen nameJohn Kim / DotardEatLysol The Plan: Wait for Premiums, Build Before Registration ClosedKim did not enter a $2,650 field trying to prove he belonged by playing every pot. His opening plan was simple: wait for premium hands early, build a stack before late registration ended, and avoid unnecessary collisions with players who appeared willing to fire multiple entries and play wider ranges. “I went into the tournament with a basic strategy of waiting for premiums in the beginning and trying to accumulate as many chips as I could before registration ended.” Kim was also willing to take on variance while re-entry remained available. As he put it, if he was going to tangle with the wider and more aggressive players, he wanted to do it with real strength. “I wasn’t afraid to get it in there in the beginning because I knew if I didn’t, I would’ve had a hard time.” Starstruck – Until the Field Started Getting SmallerThe field also contained exactly the kind of names that can make a recreational player glance twice at the table list. Kim said he kept track of Chris Moneymaker, Alex Foxen and Kristin Foxen – and was perfectly happy to see other tables do the work of eliminating them. “I was starstruck, so I kept an eye on Chris Moneymaker, Alex Foxen and Kristin Foxen and just prayed to the poker gods they would get eliminated.” Once the tournament reached seven-handed play, Kim’s nerves started to turn into belief. He had built a chip lead and, for the first time, he was no longer thinking only about surviving the payout bubble. “Once it got to seven-handed I felt like I could take it down since I had a chip lead.” Nine Left, Seven Paid – and Aces on the ButtonThe hand Kim remembers as the turning point came with nine players remaining and only seven getting paid. He had about 680,000 chips, second in the standings. The player immediately to his left had roughly 700,000 and covered him.A short stack in middle position moved all in for just under 70,000. On the button, he looked down at A-A and chose to flat-call. His private thought was almost unthinkable in a normal spot: if the chip leader did something extreme behind him, he might even consider folding aces to protect a cash that meant an enormous amount in his life.Then the chip leader shoved the full 700,000. “My entire body started shaking. The min-cash was life-saving to me, but I made the call.” The chip leader showed 6-6. The exact board cards and suits were not included in the interview, but the result was: the aces held and his stack jumped to roughly 1.5 million. THE BUBBLE HAND - WHAT WE KNOW The Bubble Hand - What We KnowDetailWhat We KnowPlayers remaining9, with 7 paidWinner’s stackAbout 680,000, second in chipsChip leader to his leftAbout 700,000Short-stack shoveJust under 70,000 from middle positionWinner’s handA-A (suits not provided)Chip leader’s hand6-6 (suits not provided)DecisionFlat-call with A-A, then call the chip leader’s shoveOutcomeA-A held; stack grew to about 1.5 million From Cashing to Actually Having FunFor Kim, the final table brought a mix of relief, disbelief and practical pressure. At first, he was focused on the size of the payouts and what even a lower finish could mean. Once he settled in, he said he stopped thinking about the money every second and started picking his spots like a poker player again. “When I was at the final table there were so many emotions. First, the fact that I was cashing in a tournament with substantial payouts - to me - that would really help in my current state. But after I got comfortable, I started playing poker and picking my spots.” Three-handed, another psychological switch flipped. “When it got down to three and the best player on the planet was eliminated, I was just having fun for the first time in the tournament!” That fun ended with the best possible result: first place and $42,700.01. Watch the Entire Final Table With Hole Cards RevealedThe result screen tells you the finish. The replay shows the decisions that produced it. ACR Poker’s website Final Table Replayer lets players revisit completed final-table action with hole cards revealed when a replay is available, making this run something players can study hand by hand instead of seeing only the final payout. WATCH THE ENTIRE FINAL TABLE REPLAY For this tournament, the replay covers the full final table – the pressure spots, the pay jumps, the three-handed phase and the hands that carried Kim all the way to the title.The Winnings Have a Job Before the Next Tournament DoesOne of the interview questions was whether Kim planned to use the money to take a shot at the Venom. His answer went somewhere much more immediate.Kim said his car had recently been repossessed and that he had moved into a family member’s home. His first priorities are getting transportation back, finding a place of his own and taking care of his three dogs. “My car was recently repossessed, so that’s the first thing. I ended up having to move into a family member’s place, so I’m going to find a place to live. I have three dogs that are like my kids, and I’m so happy I can provide for them again.” Kim repeatedly came back to the same idea: the score mattered because it gave him room to take care of the people and animals he loves. Poker supplied the swing; the money supplied something much more concrete. “This win really catapulted me out of there. Being able to take care of loved ones is always priority.” A Tiny Ticket, a Huge SundayThe Venom Vault runs through August 30, with guaranteed prizes that can include Survivor Flip Step tickets beginning at $0.80. Survivor Flips are also part of the current Venom Fever qualification lineup, while Mini Phil’s Thrill remains one of ACR Poker’s weekly high-stakes Sunday events.Most $0.80 tickets do not end with a five-figure victory. This one did. It went from the Vault, through the flips, into a $2,650 tournament and finally to the top of the payout screen.For Kim, that was more than a poker story. It was the Sunday when a tiny ticket finally gave him some room to breathe.