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- Jonathan Tamayo wins World Series of Poker main event (newsbreak.com)
In an unprecedented turnout of over 10,000 entrants, Jonathan Tamayo emerged victorious in the 2024 World Series of Poker main event in Las Vegas, winning the sought-after bracelet and a $10 million top prize. The Texas-born professional poker player managed a stunning comeback from seventh place at the final table, mimicking Pius Heinz’s 2011 win from the same starting position.
Speaking after the win, Tamayo expressed his disbelief, acknowledging the high level of competition. “A lot of us start playing for the money and then aim for the prestige,” he shared, overwhelmed by the victory that brought him both.
The trio of finalists was determined after an intense day of gameplay on Tuesday, leading to the dramatic final showdown on Wednesday. During the final phase, Jordan Griff, an amateur player, knocked out online poker star Niklas “Lena900” Astedt. The head-to-head battle between Tamayo and Griff culminated when Tamayo held an 8-3 off suit and flopped two pairs, outplaying Griff’s 9-6 off suit hand.
Before this triumph, Tamayo had four WSOP circuit event wins and a best-ever finish of 21st in the 2009 main event, earning $352,832. This win was his first main event bracelet and dramatically increased his live earnings from $2.3 million to $12.3 million.
Each finalist this year earned at least $1 million, with Griff and Astedt taking home significant sums of $6 million and $4 million, respectively. The defending champion, Daniel Weinman, finished in the 1,357th position, securing the minimum cash payout of $15,000.
The 55th World Series of Poker main event hosted by Caesars Entertainment broke records this year with a $10,000 buy-in freezeout generating a massive $94,041,600 total prize pool from 10,112 entries. The event also achieved a record in daily registrations with 5,014 players entering on July 6.
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- Jonathan Tamayo wins World Series of Poker main event (newsbreak.com)