Jonathan Tamayo is an American professional poker player from Humble, Texas, who is famous for winning the Main Event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in 2024. At that time, he had more than a decade's experience in the poker vertical, and winning the tournament marked his best live cash accomplishment for the mind-blowing prize of $10m.

Considering that he is one of the best poker players in the United States, many fans are interested about Jonathan Tamayo net worth, age, ethnicity and how he was able to win one of the most prestigious tournaments within the annual WSOP poker series.

Jonathan Tamayo age and poker skills

WSOP fans may quickly recognize the name Jonathan Tamayo from several deep runs and high-stakes tournaments. Still, the Jonathan Tamayo poker journey began with tournaments with smaller stakes before his unquestionable triumph at the WSOP Main Event in 2024.

Despite his worldwide popularity, questions about Jonathan Tamayo age often intrigue poker fans across the globe. Some aficionados and poker fans speculate that he may be in the mid-to-late 30s. While some media outlets suggest that Tamayo was 38 years old when he won the WSOP Main Event, others claim that he was 39. Still, no public data confirms the poker player's exact date of birth.

Ahead of the start of his poker career, Tamayo studied hotel management at Cornell University in New York. While he participated in poker tournaments starting from 2006, his big break came during the 40th World Series of Poker in 2009. According to data from The Hendon Mob, at the time, Jonathan Tamayo ranked 21st at the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em, collecting a hefty prize of $352,832.

Tamayo has a lot of skills that make him stand out from his competitors. Notably, he has proven his resilience, calm demeanor, as well as hand-reading skills. All of those traits, combined with his adaptability, strategic patience and ability to withstand pressure even during high-stakes tournaments, make him an outstanding poker player.

Jonathan Tamayo ethnicity often sparks debate among poker fans. Considering that there are no direct confirmations that Jonathan Tamayo poker Filipino roots are part of his ethnicity, his surname, according to some poker fans, suggests Asian or Latino roots.

Jonathan Tamayo biography at a glance

• Name: Jonathan Tamayo
• Born: Unknown
• Lives in: Humble, Texas, United States
• Best live cash: $10m
• Total live poker earnings: $12.5m
• WSOP Bracelets: 1
• WSOP Rings: 4
• WPT Cashes: 4
• Skill traits: adaptable, patient, respectful, calm, disciplined

The rise of Jonathan Tamayo to poker fame

Jonathan Tamayo poker results reveal that he has triumphed by taking first place on several occasions, winning WSOP Circuit tournaments. However, his biggest live cash remains the 55th World Series of Poker $10,000 No Limit Hold'em – Main Event World Championship win.

Taking the top spot, Tamayo emerged as the winner, defeating a pool of 10,112 entrants. The total prize pool for the WSOP Main Event in 2024 was the mind-blowing $94m, with the top 9 players taking home sums of one million dollars or more.

The heads-up play was between Tamayo and Jordan Griff, an amateur player. During the final hand, the former held the chip lead with 359.5m, while his opponent had 247.5m chips. While Tamayo held eight of diamonds and a three of spades, Griff's hand was nine of hearts and six of clubs. With 30m chips on the pot, the flop saw nine of diamonds, a three of diamonds and an eight of clubs appear.

To win the 2024 World Series of Poker's Main Event, Jonathan Tamayo defeated a pool of more than 10,000 players.

After the flop cards were revealed, Tamayo had two pairs and bet 10m. Griff's response was a raise to 40m. It didn't take long for Jonathan Tamayo to respond to his opponent by going all in. Holding a single pair, Griff responded to Tamayo.

On the turn, an Ace of clubs appeared, while the river card was a five of diamonds. Eliminating Griff, Tamayo emerged as the winner of the 2024 WSOP Main Event for the mind-blowing top prize of $10m and the coveted WSOP bracelet.

While Tamayo emerged as the winner, Griff also took home a hefty prize of $6m for taking second place. Niklas Astedt was the player who ranked third and took home $4m, while Jason Sagle was fourth and won $3m. During the 2024 WSOP Main Event, Boris Anzhelov Angelov ranked fifth for a $2.5m payout.

The 2024 WSOP Main Event win sparks controversy

Jonathan Tamayo poker fans undoubtedly cheered him during the 2024 WSOP Main Event. As exciting as his triumph was, it also sparked controversy and debate, ultimately resulting in changes to the rules for this year's WSOP tournaments.

The scandal that put a stain on Tamayo's win revolved around him consulting with his coaches during the final table at the WSOP Main Event last year. Footage of the event shows one of the poker pro's entourage, Dominik Nitsche, using a laptop on the rails.

It's no surprise that the use of any devices with AI-powered software that can run simulations is prohibited during WSOP tournaments. However, previously, there were no rules against such devices being brought by coaches or other people cheering poker players on the rails.

It's worth noting that Jonathan Tamayo did not break any rules by consulting with his coaches and supporters between hands. But the controversy surrounding the use of the laptop exploded online with many poker players deeming those actions as unethical.

The laptop may have had running software that provided hints for Tamayo's post-hand play. Again, while that's not against the rules, some poker fans and experts speculated that such information provided strategic advantage for Tamayo.

One of Jonathan Tamayo's coaches was seen using a laptop during the 2024 WSOP Main Event, raising concerns and prompting changes to the rules applicable to the players and their supporters in cheering sections.

After last year's Main Event controversy, the WSOP announced changes to its rules ahead of the start of this year's tournaments. Per the new rules, players won't be permitted to use any electronic devices that may provide real-time assistance or access such information from coaches during tournaments, the Las Vegas Review-Journalreported.

Jack Effel, the Senior Vice President of Poker Operations and WSOP for Caesars Entertainment, explained: "We definitely went back to our desks and re-evaluated and (decided) maybe these tools aren’t so good, maybe they’re not so safe in these environments, and we weren’t the only ones kind of experiencing some issues with them."

Moreover, Effel said: "We wanted to add some tighter protective measures to ensure that players couldn’t easily access that information during the events to give them an advantage over another player. I think that’s going to elevate and help create a better experience."

Jonathan Tamayo net worth and total live earnings

Tracking Jonathan Tamayo net worth online confirms his exceptional poker skills and reputation as one of the best US-based players. His unique playstyle, analytical mindset, ability to make calculated decisions and reading opponents helped him amass more than $10m in lifetime poker earnings.

But what is Jonathan Tamayo net worth? Jonathan Tamayo Hendon profile closely tracks his tournament participation and cashes. Based on this data, his total lifetime earnings are estimated at $12,511,066.

Most recently, Tamayo participated in the 56th WSOP's $800 No Limit Hold'em - Deepstack - 8-Handed tournament earlier this month. He ranked 85th for a prize of $3,699.

Overall, Jonathan Tamayo has participated in more than 160 tournaments throughout his professional career. Of that total, he triumphed in first place six times and ranked second and third on two occasions. Considering Tamayo's career spanning more than a decade and his solid dedication and skills, it is likely for him to triumph once again.

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