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Folding Queens Worked Out For The New WSOP 2024 ME Champion, Jonathan Tamayo

Jonathan Tamayo, the 38-year-old from Humble, Texas, has added his name to the poker history. He was crowned the 2024 Champion at the World Series of Poker Main Event (2024). The budding golfer defeated Jordon Griff in a super-engaging heads-up match. Tamayo was in disbelief after emerging as the last player standing from a record field of 10,112, lifting the diamond-encrusted gold bracelet.

2015 Main Event Champion Joe McKeehen, who had experienced this all before, was on Tamayo’s rail throughout the final table, offering advice. They shared a house during the WSOP, now boasting the distinction of having two Main Event champions. WSOP VP, Jack Effel honored McKeehen by presenting Tamayo with his new bracelet.

The Main Event is the tournament where stars are made. Chris Moneymaker was an accountant before his 2003 win, Greg Raymer was an attorney, and Joe Hachem was a chiropractor. The Main Event turned them into household names.

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ALSO READ: Jonathan Tamayo Net Worth

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Griff, a supply chain manager from Schaumburg, Illinois, nearly pulled off his own Cinderella story. Entering the Main Event with less than $50,000 in live earnings, his best previous cash was $18,000. Tamayo, a four-time WSOP Circuit ring winner with over $2 Million in live earnings, had finished 21st in the 2009 Main Event.

Griff was last entering Day 8 and needed a two-outer on the river to stay alive, but he made it to second place, taking home $6,000,000 to his pregnant wife. Three players returned at 2 p.m. to battle for the championship: Swedish online legend Niklas Astedt led with 223,000,000 chips, followed by Tamayo with 197,000,000 and Griff with 187,000,000. Griff pulled even with Astedt early on with pocket deuces against ace-high.

Griff and Astedt were virtually tied when Griff moved all in for 159,000,000 on the turn, sending Astedt into a tank. Astedt eventually called with top pair and a straight draw, but Griff had a set of nines. Astedt missed the river, and Griff, who covered Astedt by just 500,000, sent him to the rail in third place.

Griff led Tamayo 432,500,000 to 174,500,000 at the start of heads-up play. Griff’s aggressive play continued, but Tamayo called with ace-six on an ace-high board, winning a big pot and taking the chip lead.

Tamayo expanded his lead until Griff moved all-in on a queen-jack-high board. Tamayo called with ace-jack, but Griff held jacks and sixes, doubling up to retake the lead.

Jonathan Tamayo is the 2024 World Champion!

Tamayo takes home the $10,000,000 top prize in the largest WSOP Main Event in history!

Congratulations to Jonathan Tamayo, your 2024 Main Event Champion! #wsop2024 pic.twitter.com/qnsKNwjILa

— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 18, 2024

Griff had Tamayo all-in with pocket sevens against king-ten. The flop brought Tamayo a straight, doubling him up to 314,000,000 and a narrow lead. Another coin flip saw Griff all-in with sixes against Tamayo’s ace-eight. Griff flopped a set of sixes, reclaiming the lead.

Tamayo then called Griff’s all-in with top pair of sevens against Griff’s pair of fours and a straight draw. Tamayo dodged the turn and river to double up, moving over 400,000,000.

On the 235th hand of the final table, Tamayo bet 10,000,000 on a nine-high flop. Griff raised to 40,000,000, Tamayo moved all in, and Griff called with top pair. Tamayo showed eight-three for two pair, holding on to win the hand and the championship.

The final hand was ironic. After folding queens earlier, Tamayo won with eight-three. “That’s going to be a fun one. I’m happy to never live that one down now,” he said.

Tamayo and McKeehen shared a house this summer and will forever be linked as world champions. “What in the world just happened?” Tamayo asked. He had just won the biggest tournament in poker. And no, it wasn’t all a dream.

Image Source: Alicia Skillman /PokerNews.com

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