- ABC News
- July 18, 2024
Out of a record field of more than 10,000 players, professional Jonathan Tamayo finally reached the pinnacle of poker Wednesday night, capturing the 2024 World Series of Poker main event bracelet and this year's $10 million grand prize in Las Vegas. The Texas native entered the final table in seventh place and fought his way to the top to become the first player to win from that position since Pius Heinz in 2011. "Everybody who's great at poker plays this tournament, and I somehow won it and I still can't believe it," Tamayo said moments after winning. "A lot of us start playing it for the money and then when we get good, we start playing it for the prestige. This is both." The final table of nine whittled down to three players after a full day of play Tuesday. When play resumed Wednesday, amateur Jordan Griff eliminated online poker great Niklas "Lena900" Astedt after he flopped a set of 9s. From there, Tamayo and Griff battled it out heads up. On the final hand, Tamayo had...