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.

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 (defeatingDoyle 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.

Connor Richards is a Senior Editor U.S. for PokerNews and host of the Life Outside Poker podcast. Connor has been nominated for three Global Poker Awards for his writing.

FAQ

Can you play poker with 1 deck?

Can you play poker with 1 deck? The standard 52-card pack, sometimes with the addition of one or two jokers, is used. Poker is a one-pack game, but today, in virtually all games played in clubs and among the best players, two packs of contrasting colors are utilized in order to speed up the game.

What is the Big Bass Bonanza random Wild feature in the free spins?

What is the Big Bass Bonanza random Wild feature in the free spins? If a single wild appears without money fish symbols, then it might randomly spawn a money fish symbol.

Can you play WPT global on phone?

Can you play WPT global on phone? Create an account to join the WPT Global poker community. Choose your poker nickname, fill in a few details and verify your email, then you’re all set. Download poker to your PC, Mac, mobile or tablet and start playing the games you love in minutes.

What are the Big Bass Bonanza multipliers for each retriggered 10 free spins round?

What are the Big Bass Bonanza multipliers for each retriggered 10 free spins round? The first retrigger gives the wild a 2x multiplier, the second retrigger gives a 3x multiplier, and the third retrigger gives a 10x multiplier on your wild.

How do you become a WPT player?

How do you become a WPT player? Players can qualify for the WPT at the local casino where the event is held. In addition, online poker operators including partypoker offer satellites to many WPT events. Players can also qualify for free via the Club WPT app and will be able to qualify in the future at WPT Global.

This site only collects related articles. Viewing the original, please copy and open the following link:Defending Champ Jonathan Tamayo Wins Lucky Flip for WSOP Main Event Seat

WPT Global
news poker-players
Recommended Articles