'Running Man' Kim Jong-kook Plays It Safe, then Wins Big ― "Don't Waste Your Luck on the Small Stuff"

Kim Jong-kook clinched the final win.

The March 1 episode of SBS’s R"Running Man" launched the “Tazza: 2026 The Hustlers’ Revival” race.

The Tazza universe returned for the day. In this race, the member with the most caramels at the end would win. Everyone hustled through missions to stack up their caramels.

The final mission was a “nunchi” card game. In a big round with 166 caramels on the line, Yoo Jae-suk and Ji Seok-jin faced off. Yoo Jae-suk bet without even looking at his cards and edged out Ji Seok-jin by just two points, putting himself within reach of the win. Ji Seok-jin, who went All In, went bankrupt and drew sighs.

With Ji Seok-jin out, HAHA and Ji Ye-eun jumped in. Ji Ye-eun bet boldly without checking her card, and her fearless streak pushed the others to back off one by one. She swept up over 90 caramels in the first round and kept playing with no hesitation.

Yang Se-chan fired back: “We can’t let a rookie topple us veterans,” and went All In. HAHA dove into the pot with him. The result? HAHA’s bet hit, and he scooped up 172 caramels.

As the game went on, Yang Se-chan, Song Ji-hyo, and Ji Ye-eun went bankrupt in succession, leaving Yoo Jae-suk, Kim Jong-kook, and HAHA as the final three.

Kim Jong-kook had been making relatively safe bets. His luck finally kicked in at the very end, and in a round where everyone went All In, he won and took the overall victory.

“Don’t waste your everyday luck on the small stuff, everyone. This is how you should live,” Kim Jong-kook said, brimming with confidence. Yoo Jae-suk, who lost the win right at the finish line, sighed, “I always miss the win at the very end.”

HAHA couldn’t repay his debts till the end. He and Ji Seok-jin―who moved like a team with him all day―were picked for the penalty. As punishment, Yang Se-chan took them on a “Seoul tour,” making them scream and cracking everyone up. 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kim Hyo-jung)