Jonathan Tamayo Wins First WSOP Circuit Gold Bracelet
Want to know what happened in Event #5 here in New Orleans? We'll let WSOP's Nolan Dalla give you the gist:
Then, there was Jonathan Tamayo. He is perhaps best known for his 21st-place finish in the 2009 Main Event. He also cashed in the 2010 championship, finishing in the top 350. Tamayo bested . . . talented adversaries en route to his first live major tournament victory.
Tamayo received $28,168 in prize money, plus the gold ring. He also made a giant leap forward in his quest to qualify for the WSOP Circuit National Championship. But the first thing Tamayo said following his victory was how thrilled he was to finally get the monkey of non-victories off his back.
Indeed, Tamayo had come close to victory several times before – mostly notably in a Circuit event held at Caesars Palace, where he finished third. Tamayo also finished fourth in a gold bracelet event at the WSOP.
With this feat, Tamayo now has six WSOP Circuit cashes to go with his 13 WSOP (Las Vegas) in-the-money finishes. His earnings in WSOP events now exceed $700,000. Not bad for a college graduate to had trouble finding a decent-paying job a few years ago, and instead decided to start playing poker seriously to earn income.
Tamayo, now age 26, lives in Humble, TX, which is north of Houston. He earned a degree in hotel management from Cornell University.
WSOP Circuit Harrah’s New Orleans Event #5 No-Limit Hold’em
| Buy-in | Entrants | Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $300+$55 | 440 | $132,000 |
| Place | Player | Hometown | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan Tamayo | Humble, TX | $28,168 |
| 2 | Robert Cole | Cypress, TX | $17,407 |
| 3 | Christy Pham | Lake Mary, FL | $12,719 |
| 4 | Justin Fossen | Pearl, MS | $9,444 |
| 5 | Dennis Crowley | Pearland, TX | $7,121 |
| 6 | David Smith | Walls, MS | $5,450 |
| 7 | John Dolan | Bonita Springs, FL | $4,233 |
| 8 | Thomas Manning | Waco, TX | $3,334 |
| 9 | Gloria Whimper | Conyers, GA | $2,663 |