Jonathan Tamayo won the World Series of Poker main event on Wednesday night, coming back from seventh place at the final table to become the first player to claim victory from that position since Pius Heinz in 2011.
Tamayo, 38, of Humble, Texas, earned $10 million and a gold championship bracelet.
“What the hell just happened?” Tamayo asked after his victory in Las Vegas.
Jordan Griff of Scottsdale, Arizona, came in second, earning $6 million. Third place finisher Niklas Astedt of Sweden earned $4 million.
“Everyone who’s good at poker plays this tournament, and I somehow won it and I still can’t believe it,” Tamayo said. “A lot of us start out playing for the money and when we get good, we start playing for the prestige. This is both.”
Tamayo’s previous best finish at the event was in 2009, when he finished 21st for $352,832. After Wednesday’s victory, his career earnings stand at $12.3 million.
Tamayo shared a house during the tournament with his friend Joe McKeehen, who won the event in 2015.
“Not in real life. My roommate’s picture is right there, from 2015. We both have banners now,” he said.
Unlike Tamayo, Griff is not a full-time poker player and works mostly as a data and analytics supply chain manager. His live tournament winnings prior to Wednesday totaled $47,192.
“That’s a lot of money,” Griff said when asked about his plans for his prize. “I’m having a baby in two months, so I need to get some baby stuff.”
This year, a whopping 10,112 players took part in the event, raising a record $94 million.