Defending Champ Jonathan Tamayo Wins Lucky Flip for WSOP Main Event Seat
Reigning World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion Jonathan Tamayo flipped his way into this year's championship event, meaning he won't even have to put up the $10,000 buy-in to defend his title.
Tamayo announced on Sunday that he won a WSOP Online $160 All-In Flipament, a flip-and-go-style event that puts players all-in blind and that needs 64 players to run, according to Kevin Mathers.
Tamayo demonstrated his luck a year ago when he navigated the largest WSOP Main Event field in history to win $10 million. The longtime poker pro from Texas proved luck is still on his side in 2025.
"I won the 3pm one it seems," Tamayo wrote on X.
Jonathan Tamayo Wins Record-Breaking 2024 WSOP Main Event ($10,000,000)
Tamayo Wins $160 Satellite
The Main Event has a rich history of players satelliting in for a fraction of the buy-in, pitting hometown hopefuls and online recreationals against deep-pocketed pros and experienced players.
In 1983, Tom McEvoy won the WSOP Main Event for $540,000 (defeating Doyle Brunson in the process) after winning a $38 satellite, making him the first satellite world champion.
Twenty years later, Chris Moneymaker won the 2003 Main Event after entering via satellite in one of the pivotal events that ignited the Poker Boom.
There are plenty of opportunities for players to satellite into poker's most prestigious event, including through the $160 All-In Flipaments. Those run daily on WSOP Online, which is available in Nevada, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Ontario.
Tamayo has cashed two events since the start of the 2025 WSOP, including an 85th-place finish in the $800 Deepstack event for $3,699. He has also cashed events at the Aria Poker Classic and the Wynn Summer Classic.
Tamayo is an upcoming guest on the PokerNews Life Outside Poker podcast. The interview with Tamayo, which covers his Main Event win and more, will air on Tuesday, June 24 at 8 a.m. Pacific Time.
