Jonathan Tamayo has simple advice for those looking to follow him as World Series of Poker main event champion.
“Fold queens. Play 8-3 off (suit),” Tamayo said with a laugh.
After making headlines for the controversial decision to fold pocket queens pre-flop earlier in the main event, Tamayo outlasted the largest field in World Series of Poker history to win $10 million.
The 38-year-old from Humble, Texas, emerged from a field of 10,112 entrants after beating Jordan Griff head-to-head.
“You just sit down Day 1 and you’re just like, ‘OK, eventually I’m going to bust this tournament, it’s not going to be pretty, I’m not going to feel great,’ and I’m going to go on with life and mentally prepare yourself for it,” Tamayo said, as captured by Card Player TV. “I can’t believe I didn’t bust the Main Event.”
Tamayo’s run to the bracelet may be most remembered for a decision he made before the final table (nine players) even started.
With just one elimination remaining to secure those final group, with each of the nine receiving at least $1 million in prize money, Tamayo received a strong starting hand of pocket queens.
After the big stack raised to $3.2 million with ace-six off suit, Tamayo, sitting with $31 million in chips, opted to fold his hand.
This decision stunned many since pocket queens is the third-best starting hand and Tamayo, with roughly $28 million left after a potential call, wasn’t pot-committed at that moment.
He opted for the conservative play, though, which may have been influenced by him knowing he could make the final table and an extra $200,000 if he outlasted one more player.
That decision paid off as another player exited, allowing him to enter the nine-player table with the seventh-most chips.
Tamayo then shrewdly worked his way through the field, winning the tournament when his eight-three off suit flopped two pair.
“Everybody who’s great at poker plays this tournament, and I somehow won it and I still can’t believe it,” Tamayo said, per ESPN. “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.”