You’ll Never Guess Jonathan Tamayo’s First Purchase with $10M Main Event Score

What would you do for those who gained $10 million? Would you splash out on a luxurious automotive, improve your own home, or take the final word trip? For 2024 World Sequence of Poker Foremost Occasion champion Jonathan Tamayo, none of these indulgences topped his record.

In the course of the World Poker Tour World Championships, Tamayo sat down with PokerNews and shared the inside track on a few of his purchases up to now. He additionally mirrored on his time because the reigning Poker World Champion, “solver-gate”, and gave his opinion on the WSOP’s new digital machine guidelines.

What Did Tamayo Splurge On?

With eight figures within the financial institution (okay, possibly not fairly eight after taxes), what does a world champion of poker do with their newfound wealth? Again in poker’s early days, a big portion of that fortune might need gone in direction of a few of life’s vices, and Tamayo’s expertise was no exception—although maybe not fairly to the extremes of a few of poker’s extra legendary figures.

“The very first thing I purchased was a 10-pound field of Jelly Bellies. All lemon,” Tamayo confessed. “So, there’s diabetes for you.”

“I’ve a automotive that runs. It’s a 2019 Honda, and it runs fantastic.”

That little splurge value him lower than $100, however he didn’t cease there. He additionally determined to improve his {golfing} equipment with a brand new set of golf equipment, ringing in at round $4,000.

“I used to be already going to interchange my driver and my bag with my golf golf equipment,” Tamayo defined. “At that time, I mentioned let’s simply do the entire set as a result of among the golf equipment, the irons, I have a tendency to not change out that always. You need not. They’re seven years outdated, and my swing has modified…That was 4 grand.”

Relating to big-ticket objects, Tamayo retains issues grounded. “I’ve a automotive that runs. It’s a 2019 Honda, and it runs fantastic. I don’t want a brand new automotive. I inform folks, I may be wealthy now, however I’m not ‘4 Ferraris’ wealthy.”

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What’s Tamayo Been Up To?

For most individuals, profitable the Foremost Occasion would imply abandoning the routines of on a regular basis life, however for Tamayo, it was essential to remain grounded.

“So proper after, I went again to refereeing highschool soccer in Texas as a result of that is what I do,” Tamayo defined. “You’ll be able to’t depart your crew excessive and dry with that. I stayed the season, and I am nonetheless going to do it as a result of I would like one thing else to do as a result of I’ve much more time on my palms.”

“One among my mates advised me it is sort of cool to know you proper now”

The transition to post-Foremost Occasion life introduced different modifications, significantly to his poker routine. “The hours of money that I used to be enjoying, mid-stakes money, simply is not a factor anymore. I need not do it,” he admitted.

“The opposite adjustment is how do I research now? As a result of now learning is totally different. Like, the community is totally different now. And simply not being complacent since you all the time attempt to get to the highest of the mountain, however you by no means suppose you will get there. And now you are there—for my targets, at the least.”

Whereas the status of profitable poker’s largest match is simple, Tamayo was candid concerning the sudden challenges of being within the highlight. “Profitable the principle; it isn’t a practical objective for anyone. However now I am there. So the eye is an adjustment as a result of often, I am the quiet one on the desk. So, like, no person even knew I existed half the time.”

“We’re not going to golf equipment and strip golf equipment and stuff like that. However one in all my mates advised me it is sort of cool to know you proper now, which is a bizarre factor to say.”

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Tamayo In Favor of New WSOP Guidelines

Tamayo’s triumph did include a wave of controversy. As he was on the WSOP Foremost Occasion remaining desk, he ran forwards and backwards to his rail, the place his crew had solvers operating. Whereas Tamayo did not break any guidelines per se, many argued that it was a foul search for poker and gave a foul picture to the sport.

To keep away from this situation sooner or later, the WSOP applied a brand new rule relating to real-time help. Rule 63b reads:

“I am fantastic with any modifications, mainly. It’s clear now what you possibly can and may’t do.”

“Gamers and spectators usually are not allowed to make use of charts, apps, or another type of digital help within the match room. Failure to stick to this coverage will lead to a penalty as much as disqualification for the participant and removing from the match room for the spectator. Spectators are additionally prohibited from offering reside help or teaching. Failure to stick to this rule will lead to a penalty for the participant and removing from the rail for the spectator. Non-players on the rail should adhere to the **WSOP Phrases & Situations, together with no viewing of reside streams on an digital machine.”

If this rule had been in place in the course of the 2024 WSOP Foremost Occasion remaining desk, Tamayo’s rail would have been faraway from the match space.

Reflecting on the controversy and the rule change, Tamayo was pragmatic. “Given the anger afterwards, it is most likely a superb factor,” he admitted.

“I am a type of who suppose, give us the foundations of the sport, and we work round these guidelines so that they are clear. Within the NFL, earlier than the fourth-down fumble rule, the Raiders had been capable of fumble the ball down the sphere for a landing. They closed that loophole. I am fantastic with any modifications, mainly. It’s clear now what you possibly can and may’t do. And it’s the identical for everyone. It’s the identical for everyone yearly. So long as it’s the identical for everyone, I don’t have an issue with no matter they do.”

How Has Tamayo Carried out on the Tables Since?

Since turning into the “Ten Million Greenback Man,” Tamayo’s match outcomes have been modest within the months that adopted.

In August, he secured a Tenth-place end in a $600 occasion on the Seminole Laborious Rock Poker Open (SHRPO), including $1,870 to his bankroll. Per week later, he bolstered his reside earnings with a $13,450 payday at Champion Membership Houston, his native cardroom.

October introduced a $3,000 money from a smaller occasion, nevertheless it was Tamayo’s deep run within the $5,300 NAPT Foremost Occasion that stood out, incomes him a stable $26,000 payout.

On the WPTWC, Tamayo has simply notched his first money of the sequence within the $3K NLH occasion. He was among the many 195 gamers to advance to Day 2, securing a min-cash of $6,515. He entered the subsequent stage in 58th place on the chip leaderboard, the place $702,844 from the $4,317,500 prize pool has been put aside for the winner.

Keep up to date on Tamayo’s journey by following WPT reside reporting.

Calum has been part of the PokerNews group since September 2021 after working within the UK power sector. He performed his first hand of poker in 2017 and instantly fell in love with the sport.

Calum has written for varied poker retailers however discovered his house at PokerNews, the place he has contributed to numerous articles and reside updates, offering insights and reporting on main poker occasions, together with the World Sequence of Poker (WSOP).