Main Event mania moments

2024 Main Event bracelet
Mo Afdhal
Mo Afdhal
Posted on: July 21, 2024 06:30 PDT

The Main Event at the World Series of Poker remains, without question, the biggest stage in the poker world. After 2023 saw the end of long-standing entry record from Jamie Gold's winning year, the poker world showed up in 2024 to break the record all over again. 

10,112 souls ponied up the $10,000 buy-in and at the end of more than two weeks of grueling play, Jonathan Tamayo stood alone, victorious. 

Tamayo outlasted the field and maneuvered his way through with a final table stacked with fierce competition to win the $10,000,000 top prize. 

Jonathan Tamayo by Matthew Berglund Poker's newest World Champion, Jonathan Tamayo
Matthew Berglund

The final table isn't the only portion of the Main Event worth paying attention to. The early days see storylines form around the everyman player, as well as the professionals. Stories like Jim Reid's deep run with the whole of the RecPoker community behind him. Or Lonny Eisenberg, the garage game hero firefighter from Illinois. Then there's Joshua Suyat and Sarah Lee, the married duo from Las Vegas that both made it deep.