Jesse Lonis Wins WSOP $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller

In June 2018, Jesse Lonis achieved his first live tournament cash, securing ninth place in a $250 buy-in event at New York’s Turning Stone Casino and Resort. This initial victory propelled him forward, and over the course of five years, Lonis has emerged as a prominent figure in the world of poker. He now boasts two World Series of Poker bracelets and an impressive career tournament earnings exceeding $5.6 million.

Lonis’s most recent triumph in the 2023 WSOP $50,000 pot-limit Omaha high roller event stands as his greatest achievement to date. The 27-year-old poker professional emerged victorious in a competitive field of 200 entries, earning his second bracelet and a career-best payday of $2,303,017. Lonis had previously secured his first bracelet in a $1,000 buy-in online event during the 2022 WSOP Online series. This victory granted him $73,371 and the coveted bracelet.

Notably, the $50,000 buy-in event marked Lonis’s first-ever participation in such a high-stakes tournament. On the first day, he took to Twitter to express his enthusiasm for a strong start in the highest buy-in event of his career.

In an astonishing turn of events, Lonis clinched the title less than 48 hours after his social media post. The tournament spanned three days, and the impressive field generated a substantial prize pool of $9,550,000, distributed among the top 30 finishers. As expected, numerous renowned players made deep runs in the event, including two-time bracelet winner Robert Cowen (20th), World Poker Tour champion Matthew Wantman (13th), bracelet winner Eelis Parssinen (12th), leading contender in the 2023 WSOP Player of the Year race Ian Matakis (9th), bracelet winner Isaac Haxton (7th), and Adam Hendrix (5th).

Before cashing in this event, Haxton already held the top ranking in the Card Player Player of the Year. His earnings of $329,142 and acquisition of 383 POY points in this tournament further solidified his lead over second-ranked Nacho Barbero. In 2023, Haxton has already secured six titles, reached 15 final tables, and accumulated over $7.8 million in POY earnings. Additionally, he currently holds the second position in the 2023 PokerGO Tour race following his impressive performance in this event.

Lonis displayed exceptional skill by eliminating all players at the unofficial final table of nine contenders. After busting Haxton with a set of jacks, Lonis commanded over one-third of the total chips in play when the game transitioned to five-handed action.

By making a flush that eliminated Jonas Kronwitter in third place ($1,037,441), Lonis entered heads-up play with a nearly 3:1 chip advantage over bracelet winner Tyler Smith. In the final hand of the tournament, Lonis aggressively raised with J♥10♦7♣4♠. Smith called all-in with A♣K♠9♠7♥. The board ran out A♦Q♥4♥J♦5♥, granting Lonis a winning hand of jacks up and securing him both the pot and the championship. Smith earned $1,423,372 as the runner-up, marking his largest tournament score to date.

As the champion, Lonis received 1,530 POY points. This victory marked his second title and fifth final-table finish of the year, accumulating nearly $3.1 million in earnings. Consequently, he climbed to 26th place in the overall POY standings, presented by Global Poker.

Final Table Results