Meet the Charlotte banker on "Deal or No Deal Island"
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(L-R) La Shell Wooten, Courtney Kim, Parvati Shallow, Phillip Solomon, Maria-Grace Cook, Alexis Lete, Seychelle Cordero, Storm Wilson, Charles Carlson, Sydnee Peck. Photo: Monty Brinton/NBC
Courtney Kim, a corporate banker and competitive poker player, is currently competing on NBC's "Deal or No Deal Island."
Why it matters: The Charlottean and Winston-Salem native has a chance to win several million dollars.
- "I'm a banker, and I'm actually risk-avoidant, but that's one of the things poker has taught me the most — to be okay and comfortable with risk," Kim tells Axios.
How it works: The show invites 13 players to compete in various physical and strategic challenges each week to find hidden briefcases worth over $200 million.
- Each week, a player faces the banker in a game of "Deal or No Deal," during which they try to avoid getting eliminated.
- Hosted by Joe Manganiello, the cast features contestants with a range of skills and reality TV experience — from veterans like Parvati Shallow from "Survivor" and Will Kirby from "Big Brother" to newcomers like Kim.
- "Deal or No Deal Island" airs new episodes every Tuesday at 9pm on NBC and Peacock.
Context: Kim was approached by a "Deal or No Deal Island" producer because of her back-to-back World Series of Poker wins and a viral video that caught their attention.
- She says she wasn't sure at first if she wanted to compete in a reality TV competition. "I got a one in 13 chance of winning a couple million dollars," Kim tells Axios. "That doesn't always come along in your lifetime."
Flashback: Kim says her grandfather was a big poker player — and that prompted her to study the sport.
- "One day, I was like, 'I'm good at math. I'm good at games. I'm gonna go try this out,'" and she spontaneously drove to Cherokee, North Carolina, to compete in the World Series of Poker.
- It was her first poker tournament and she went home with $11,000 and the championship ring. Then, she decided to test her luck and skills in another tournament in Chicago and won again.
The big picture: 2024 was the year of reality TV in Charlotte — from a local "Survivor" winner, to "Love is Blind" madness, Charlotteans have appeared and starred in several popular shows.
- This year, we've already reported about multiple local Realtors being featured on "House Hunters" episodes. Plus, you might spot film crews at your favorite local restaurant as local restaurateurs Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown film their own show.