Following two intense weeks of poker action, a champion was announced on Wednesday night at the record-breaking $10,000 event. World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas The American player Jonathan Tamayo from Humble, Texas, triumphed over a total of 10,112 competitors to earn the top prize of $10 million along with a gold bracelet.
The event produced the largest live poker tournament The prize pool reached an unprecedented $94 million this year, and Joe McKeehen, who won the Main Event in 2015, was on hand to present the bracelet to his longtime friend, Tamayo. As the newly crowned champion, entered the final table Having entered the final day in seventh chip position, he managed to secure his place as one of the last three players standing on Wednesday.
"We always give it our best shot, but it really comes down to the odds,\" he shared with PokerGO after his remarkable victory. \"We never expect this to be our reality, and I'm fully embracing this moment. This perspective feels quite nice, to be honest. Every great poker player competes in this tournament, and somehow I came out on top – I still find it hard to believe.\"
This victory marks the second consecutive year that an American has claimed the title, following Daniel Weinman's win in 2023. Tamayo's career tournament earnings now exceed $12.3 million, and he has secured his first WSOP bracelet. In a previous Main Event in 2009, he finished in 21st place, earning $352,000.
Graduate of Cornell University with a major in hotel management, Tamayo's journey in poker led him to this success. In the final standings, American player Jordan Griff finished in second place, taking home $6 million, while Swedish professional Niklas Astedt secured third place with a $4 million prize. The payouts for the final table are as follows. online poker Sean Chaffin is a dedicated freelance writer based in Ruidoso, New Mexico, covering a variety of topics including poker, gambling, and the casino industry. You can follow his updates on Twitter at @PokerTraditions or reach out via email at seanchaffin@sbcglobal.net.
- Jonathan Tamayo (USA) – $10,000,000
- Jordan Griff (USA) – $6,000,000
- Niklas Astedt (Sweden) – $4,000,000
- Jason Sagle (Canada) – $3,000,000
- Boris Angelov (Bulgaria) – $2,500,000
- Andres Gonzalez (Spain) – $2,000,000
- Brian Kim (USA) – $1,500,000
- Joe Serock (USA) – $1,250,000
- Malo Latinois (France) – $1,000,000