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

What would you do should you gained $10 million? Would you splash out on a luxurious automotive, improve your house, or take the last word trip? For 2024 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Jonathan Tamayo, none of these indulgences topped his listing.

Through the World Poker Tour World Championships, Tamayo sat down with PokerNews and shared the inside track on a few of his purchases so far. He additionally mirrored on his time because the reigning Poker World Champion, “solver-gate“, and gave his opinion on the WSOP’s new electronic device rules.

What Did Tamayo Splurge On?

With eight figures within the financial institution (okay, perhaps 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 may need gone in the 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 superb.”

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 exchange 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 usually. You needn’t. They’re seven years previous, and my swing has modified…That was 4 grand.”

In the case of big-ticket gadgets, Tamayo retains issues grounded. “I’ve a automotive that runs. It’s a 2019 Honda, and it runs superb. I don’t want a brand new automotive. I inform individuals, I could 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 Essential Occasion would imply abandoning the routines of on a regular basis life, however for Tamayo, it was vital 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 may’t go away your crew excessive and dry with that. I stayed the season, and I am nonetheless going to do it as a result of I want one thing else to do as a result of I’ve much more time on my fingers.”

“One in every of my mates advised me it is type of cool to know you proper now”

The transition to post-Essential Occasion life introduced different modifications, notably to his poker routine. “The hours of money that I used to be taking part in, mid-stakes money, simply is not a factor anymore. I needn’t do it,” he admitted.

“The opposite adjustment is how do I research now? As a result of now finding out is completely different. Like, the community is completely 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 assume you will get there. And now you are there—for my targets, at the least.”

Whereas the status of profitable poker’s greatest match is simple, Tamayo was candid in regards to the sudden challenges of being within the highlight. “Successful the primary; it is not a sensible purpose 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 every of my mates advised me it is type 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 Essential Occasion closing desk, he ran backwards and forwards to his rail, the place his crew had solvers working. 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 subject sooner or later, the WSOP carried out a brand new rule concerning real-time help. Rule 63b reads:

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

“Gamers and spectators are usually not allowed to make use of charts, apps, or some other 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 dwell 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 dwell streams on an digital system.”

If this rule had been in place in the course of the 2024 WSOP Essential Occasion closing 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 in all probability an excellent factor,” he admitted.

“I am a kind of who assume, 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 have been capable of fumble the ball down the sphere for a landing. They closed that loophole. I am superb with any modifications, mainly. It’s clear now what you possibly can and might’t do. And it’s the identical for everyone. It’s the identical for everyone yearly. So long as it’s the similar for everyone, I don’t have an issue with no matter they do.”

How Has Tamayo Carried out on the Tables Since?

Since changing 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. Every week later, he bolstered his dwell earnings with a $13,450 payday at Champion Membership Houston, his native cardroom.

October introduced a $3,000 money from a smaller occasion, however it was Tamayo’s deep run within the $5,300 NAPT Main Event that stood out, incomes him a strong $26,000 payout.

On the WPTWC, Tamayo has simply notched his first money of the collection 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 live reporting.

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

Calum has written for varied poker shops however discovered his residence at PokerNews, the place he has contributed to varied articles and dwell updates, offering insights and reporting on main poker occasions, together with the World Collection of Poker (WSOP).