WSOP 2024: Jonathan Tamayo Wins the 2024 World Series of Poker Main Event for $10 Million

The final day of the 2024 World Series of Poker had one major question on everyone’s mind; who will win the Main Event? The online phenom with over $50 million in lifetime cashes? The grinder who has a nearly two decade career in poker? Or the unknown Illinois sensation that bulldozed his way through the poker gauntlet with no fear? That bracelet, along with four others, found new homes in the Paris and Horseshoe casinos in Las Vegas, as the WSOP draws to a close for 2024.

Jonathan Tamayo Ships Main Event

Daniel Weinman’s reign as the winner of the largest WSOP Main Event of all time lasted just one year, as on Day 51 of the 2024 World Series of Poker, long-time tournament grinder Jonathan Tamayo took claim to that moniker, along with a $10,000,000 payday after a wild and swingy battle against online poker icon Niklas “lena900” Astedt and relative unknown Jordan Griff.

“What in the world just happened?” Tamayo exclaimed to PokerNews after his victory. Tamayo, who ironically calls Humble, Texas home, had five a modest cashes in this year’s series leading up to the Main Event, with the highlight a 44th place performance in Event #12: $1,500 6-Handed No-Limit Hold’em for $9,718.  Tamayo had plenty of pedigree prior to this victory, however, with $2.3 million in tournament earnings over a span of 18 years. The man who self-describes himself as “Defensive Coordinator of the 2015 Main Event Champion” on X joined that very man and his roommate during this year’s series, Joe McKeehen, in the hallowed halls of Main Event champions. 

Compared to last year’s final three, this year’s trio started matters considerably shallower, and it didn’t take long for the first major confrontation to take place. Just nine hands into the day and with the big blind up to 4 million, Astedt min-raised on the button, and Griff three-bet to 28 million. Astedt called, then called another 25 million chip barrel from Griff on a 10♣ 9♦ 3♦ flop. The J♣ hit the turn, and Griff ripped it for 160 million. 

Astedt, who was covered by just 500,000, tanked for a while, taking his sunglasses off to study the board, before slamming in a call with K♠ J♦. Griff had the goods with 9♠ 9♣ for a set, however, and the Swedish poker phenom couldn’t find a queen on the K♥ river, sending Griff into the arms of his railbirds. Astedt had to settle for a consolation prize of $4,000,000, more than doubling his live tournament earnings but still dwarfed by his lifetime online tournament earnings of $48,785,444.

Despite the monster pot, Griff gave up the chip lead just two hands later, as his attempted three-barrel bluff failed to shake Tamayo off of top pair. Tamayo spent the next 21 hands grinding Griff down, but Griff struck back in Hand #194. Tamayo three-bet a min-raise from Griff to 36 million, and Griff called that bet, and 26 million more after the Q♦ 6♠ 5♣ flop. Tamayo checked the J♦ turn, then tank-called Griff’s jam for 97.5 million with A♣ J♣. Griff held two pair with J♥ 6♥, however, and faded the K♣ river to retake the chip lead.

Tamayo would bounce back just seven hands later, winning an all-in preflop flip with K♥ 10♠ for his last 155 million, flopping a king-straight against the 7♠ 7♣  of Griff. Not to be outdone, Griff won a flip of his own for his last 233 million in Level 44, with his 6♠ 6♣ flopping a set and leaving Tamayo’s A♣ 8♥ drawing dead on the turn.

At the shortest stack he had been all day, Tamayo didn’t crumble, instead finding another double five hands later. Tamayo’s 8♦ 7♠ found top pair on an 7♦ 4♠ 3♣ flop, and he committed his last 133.5 million. Griff had put him at risk with the 5♦ 4♥ and failed to catch up on the 3♦ turn and 9♦ river to even the stacks once again.

Hand #235 of the final table started innocuously enough, with Tamayo opening to 12.5 million and Griff defending his big blind. Tamayo bet 10 million on a 9♦ 8♣ 3♦ flop after Griff checked, only to be faced with a check-raise to 40 million. Tamayo elected to three-bet jam, and Griff didn’t take too long to commit his last 230 million with 9♥ 6♣ for top pair. Tamayo had the octo-crab, 8♦ 3♠, and had a 72 percent chance to end matters with eights and treys. The A♣ turn was safe for Tamayo, who only had to fade an ace, nine or six to enter poker history. Griff would be left wanting after the 5♦ fell on the river, and Tamayo secured an eight-figure payday among his raucous rail.

Outlasting 10,110 players before being ousted is by far a career highlight for Griff, an Illinois native with just eight lifetime cashes on his Hendon Mob totaling $47,192 prior to his runner-up performance. His fearlessness in clashing with the pros at the final table kept him in contention all the way to the very end, and the $6 million consolation prize should help ease the pain of falling one spot shy of the Main Event bracelet.

Congratulations to Jonathan Tamayo and his victory over the record-breaking 10,112 Main Event field! With another record-setting WSOP in the books, the brand’s attention will turn back to the World Series of Poker Circuit, along with the recently announced WSOP Paradise with a record-setting $50 million Guaranteed Main Event. Will next year’s Main Event find a way to expand even further? It would be wise not to bet against the massive throngs of poker aficionados to make it a three-peat in the history books in 2025.

Livingston Nets Second Bracelet in $3k PLO

In Event #97: $3,000 6-Handed Pot-Limit Omaga, Alex Livingston earned his second WSOP gold bracelet and $390,621 after a marathon heads-up showdown with Francisco Benitez. For nearly four hours, the duo traded the chip lead and had a plethora of double-ups and drama along the way. Finally, the escalating blinds ate into their stacks and Livingston was the benefactor of good fortune, running hot at the right time to add another WSOP bracelet to an impressive resume at the series that includes a third-place finish in the 2019 WSOP Main Event.

Liang Shocks Nguyen to Win Lucky 7’s 

Five players returned to play down to a champion in Event #93: $777 Lucky Sevens No-Limit Hold’em, and Duc Nguyen returned with a monster chip lead and dispatched the first three players, leaving himself heads up with Michael Liang with a 4:1 chip advantage. Liang responded with a swift series of doubles over the next hour, and spiked a lucky king on the turn to crack Nguyen’s jacks and earn his first WSOP gold bracelet and a fitting $777,777 payday.

Wu Ships The Closer in Style

It’s not often the final hand of a WSOP event results in a double knockout, but that was the case in Event #98: $1,500 The Closer. Mario Colavita had his last chips in with A♠ 10♠, while Bogdan Munteanu committed his with the K♦ Q♣. They were up against it, however, as Wu held A♦ A♥ and found a dream spot to close out The Closer. A dry 2♥ 8♣ 4♦ 6♣ 4♠ runout left Wu’s opponents dead on the turn, and Wu earned his first WSOP gold bracelet with nary a sweat.

Adomkevici Wins Final Bracelet of 2024 WSOP in $1k Super Turbo

The final event of the 2024 WSOP was a one-day speed race; Event #99: $1,000 Super Turbo No-Limit Hold’em. The name was a bit of a misnomer, however, as it took nearly 16 hours for Aneris Adomkevici to top a field of 1,544 entries for his first WSOP gold bracelet and $201,355. Mark Newhouse managed to reach heads-up with Adomkevici, but the already staggeringly high blinds meant luck would be a factor. Adomkevicius would net the spoils of victory after winning a flip on the last hand for 60 percent of the chips in play, and Newhouse, a former November Nine participant, was denied his first bracelet.

With thanks to PokerGO for their official WSOP photography. The 2024 World Series of Poker is available to watch exclusively on PokerGO. Subscribe today and watch all the drama play out in Las Vegas!

This article originally appeared on PokerStake.com