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Jonathan Tamayo wins WSOP 2024 Main Event
On July 17, 2024, the biggest Main Event in the history of the WSOP ended. The incredible prize of $10,000,000 and the glory of the first place went to the American Jonathan Tamayo. Find all the details in our article.
World Poker Champion 2024
The most important poker tournament of the year has come to an end. For the second year in a row, the title stayed at home.
Jonathan Tamayo (Texas, USA) took first place in a record field of 10,122 players in the 2024 WSOP Main Event, collecting $10,000,000.
Jonathan is 38 years old and used to believe that his best moments in poker had already passed. Now the player is more interested in fantasy sports and only plays small tournaments at home and some World Series events.
Tamayo could have been eliminated on the fourth day of play (out of 10). There, he met 10BB in an AQ spot against JJ. The ace on the turn saved him to keep fighting for the 10 million prize. At the final table Jonathan also won several hands that he started losing.
Interestingly, Jonathan won the affection of the poker community. The fans wanted to see him at the final table, and he even went so far as to fold QQ preflop with a 20BB stack in response to a mini-raise from Joe Serock, who was the chip leader.
Final table
| Player | Country | First cash | Total Profit | Best cash* | Stack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Griff | USA | 2019 | $47,192 | $18,104 | 90 BB |
| Brian Kim | USA | 2010 | $7,332,360 | $954,000 | 59 BB |
| Niklas "lena900" Astedt | Sweden | 2009 | $3,031,190 | $380,245 | 59 BB |
| Joe Serock | USA | 2007 | $4,576,760 | $804,191 | 52 BB |
| Jason Sagle | Canada | 1997 | $1,685,165 | $600,455 | 42 BB |
| Boris Angelov | Bulgary | 2021 | $903,109 | $663,565 | 33 BB |
| Jonathan Tamayo | USA | 2006 | $2,301,219 | $352,832 | 17 BB |
| Malo Latinois | France | 2022 | $96,515 | $52,951 | 16 BB |
| Andrés Gonzáles | Spain | 2012 | $825,119 | $500,602 | 11 BB |
*Before this final
The TOP 9 was composed of players from six countries, including four representatives of the United States, highlighting among them the amateur of the finalists: Jordan Griff. The players left the tournament in the following order:
Malo Latinois (France), $1,000,000
Malo has a fascinating educational background (technical studies and an MBA) and work experience as a consultant in the energy sector. He decided to become a professional poker player two years ago, and this was his first visit to Las Vegas.
The Frenchman lost a lot of chips in the 30th hand of the finals and bet all his stack with AK from UTG. The chip leader Griff called with 33, and an A came on the flop, but the turn was one of the 3 remaining in the deck.
Joe Serock (USA), $1,250,000
Joe is an experienced player; he has been frequenting the tables for over 20 years. The World Series broadcasts encouraged him to play. Last year, he won a bracelet in an Omaha online tournament, and in 2021, he got his best payout by receiving $804k for his fifth place in the GGPoker WSOP Online Main. He was the best WPT player in 2012.
Serock, with the fifth stack in chips, decided to make a squeeze push from the big blind with AJ against Griff and Astedt, but the Swede showed two queens.
Brian Kim (USA), $1,500,000
Like Tamayo, Kim already had experience with deep runs in the Main Event, as she ranked 23rd in 2022.
Brian failed to take advantage of his large stack. For a long time, the cards did not accompany him, and then he lost a big QQ vs. KK pot against Gonzalez. He then decided on a risky 5-bet all-on with K6 against Astedt, but the Swede did not fold his TT and got a set on the flop.
Andrés González (Spain), $2,000,000
The only Spanish-speaking representative at the final table was a player from Spain. González has played professionally for 12 years but only recently decided to play live. This year, he held good positions at the Wynn Summer Classic, and at this WSOP, he finished third in a $1,500 tournament.
Andrés survived with the lowest stack for a long time and even doubled his stack in the TOP 6, but a few hands later, Niklas took all his chips by winning AQ against JJ with an ace on the flop.
Boris Angelov (Bulgaria), $2,500,000
Boris got to know poker 10 years ago. His first tournaments were 2€ Spins. Two years later, he started winning big. In 2022, he started playing live, and in May of this year, he took the second position in the Main Event of the WPT Monte Carlo.
Angelov was eliminated six hands after the Spaniard, losing a lot of chips against Tamayo without showdown, and then 66 against K6 when two kings came to the board.
Jason Sagle (Canada), $3,000,000
At 44, Sagle was the oldest player in the final. He owes his poker career to his grandmother, who taught him the game's rules. The Canadian wanted to be a policeman and changed his career many times. Although he had decided to give up poker last year, he decided to go to Las Vegas.
In the decisive hand, the river was crucial for Sagle: he started with JJ against the Swede with A3, and the board showed a 4 on the flop, a 5 on the turn, and a 2 on the river to complete a straight.
Niklas Astedt (Sweden), $4,000,000
The nickname "lena900" is known to all online poker fans, especially those who play tournaments. Niklas is the absolute leader in terms of online winnings, with more than $48M. He rarely plays live tournaments.
Many at the final table favored Astedt. The Swede fueled this by eliminating four opponents and reaching the top three as the chip leader.
However, 20 minutes after the start of the 10th Day of play, the game advanced to the heads-up with Niklas's elimination. The Swede's KJ failed to resist Griff's 99, which got a set on the flop.
Heads-Up
Tamayo's opponent, Jordan Griff, was the only amateur in the top nine of the tournament. He started playing poker in 2015 while studying at the university and works as a supply manager.
After eliminating the Swede, Jordan had a 2:1 advantage. In the following hours, the players' stack changed many times.
The 235th hand of the final table and the 65th of the heads-up was the final.
Jonathan made two pairs with 83 on a 983 board and went all-in. His opponent was all-in with 96 and could not improve his hand on the following streets.
Who is Jonathan Tamayo?
Like many Americans, Jonathan learned about poker in college while majoring in the hotel business.
The first peak of his career was between 2008 and 2013:
- Reached a heads-up in a WSOP tournament for the first time (2nd place in a $1,500 Limit/No Limit Hold'em)
- He won the WSOPC West Palm Beach Main Event
- He finished 21st in the 2009 WSOP Main Event. This was his best cash out for $352,832
"I thought I would never make it this far in a Main Event again. I was taught that a person only gets one chance in his life. And if you don't take advantage of it, it won't come back.”
Jonathan mostly plays at home in Houston and travels frequently to Las Vegas in the summer, which wasn't an impediment to earning six figures the previous years, including his second WSOPC ring.
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