Winning in poker is something that we see everyday. Poker, just like any other game, has a winner. But what makes a victory sweeter in poker (apart from the prize money, of course!) is winning a given game in style.
And that’s exactly what Jesse Lonis did recently at Event #2: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em of the 2024 U.S. Poker Open. He lifted the eagle-inspired trophy in style with a straight flush as the winning hand. He continued his domination at the 2024 U.S Poker Open and cashed three more events, which included his cashes in Event #3 – $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em (4th for $79,800), Event #6 – $15,100 No-Limit Hold’em (7th for $37,200), and Event #8 – $25,200 No-Limit Hold’em (7th for $52,000).
Along with his latest win and two more titles won earlier this year, Jesse has caught the attention of poker enthusiasts far and wide, telling the world out loud that he is also a part of the race to be the biggest name in the poker world.
Who is Jesse Lonis?
Jesse Lonis is a 29 year-old pro with two WSOP bracelets and several PGT titles. He was born on September 30, 1996 and reportedly grew up in Utica, New York. He was first introduced to poker by his grandmother, who happened to be a Full Tilt Poker micro-stakes crusher. She raised him when he was young, like 10 or 11 years old.
Eventually, after turning 18, he would occasionally visit the Turning Stone Casino. Similarly, he also started playing the game in college, without having much money at the time. Gradually, he began playing cash games. He continued to play cash games only for a good six or seven years before transitioning to tournament poker in 2020.
The rise of Jesse Lonis
Jesse Lonis gradually came to be known and started making headlines in 2021. He scored his first cash in 2018 with a third place finish in the $ 20 No Limit Hold’em PM at 2018 Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel Recurring Tournaments, Niagara Falls. He won his first World Series of Poker Circuit ring in a $400 event at Thunder Valley for $11,000 in 2020 and made several final table finishes that year. Since then there has been no looking back.
Anyone who followed tournament poker in 2021 has most likely heard his name at least once. During that year, Jesse reportedly added an impressive $864,486 in tournament earnings to his bankroll according to The Hendon Mob.
While he was crawling his way in the tournament scene, the 2021 WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open $3,500 Championship turned out to be his breakout. He finished fifth at the event out of 1,573 entries and pocketed $223,895 for his efforts
From there he continued to soar upwards and higher and has not looked back ever since. In 2021, he recorded many other notable scores such as finishing third in the Wynn Signature Series $1,100 NLH for $89,486, besting the Venetian $1,600 PLO Championship for $81,485, and a runner-up finish at the Wynn Summer Classic $1,600 PLO Bounty for $28,159.
All of these shiny scores gave Jesse just the right momentum going into the 2021 WSOP. And in no time, he was there closely chasing his first bracelet. After giving a tough fight to six-time WSOP bracelet winner Jeremy Ausmus in Event #3: $1,000 NLH Covid-19 Relief Charity Event, Jesse finished runner-up for $30,086.
He then continued his momentum in 2022 and 2023. In the year 2022, he scored an nine cashes and his first WSOP bracelet (online), which came for his victory in Event #8: $1,000 NLH 6-Max ($73,370). 2023 was in incredible year for him as he registered an impressive 58 cashes during the year. His career-defining moment came when he won Event #71: $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller at the 2023 World Series of Poker for his second bracelet and $2,303,017, which remains his best score till date.
Jesse Lonis’ recent endeavors
Most recently, Jesse Lonis caught everyone’s attention by taking down Event #2: $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em of the 2024 U.S. Poker Open. It wasn’t just an ordinary victory for the 29-year-old. He single-handedly eliminated all six final table opponents before finally going heads-up as the chip lead into the heads-up.
He eventually beat fellow countryman Aram Zobian in the heads-up to clinch his third PGT title for a handsome $252,450 first-place prize. The event had a total of 99 entrants who generated the prize pool of $990,000. Apart from the title, Jesse also claimed a bumper prize, a massive number of GPI leaderboard points, and the cool eagle-themed trophy.
Notably, this is Jesse’s third PokerGO Tour (PGT) career title along with being his third title of the year. Earlier on March 13, Jesse took down a $10,500 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller at Wynn Las Vegas for $193,140, followed by a $320 No-Limit Hold’em WSOP Super Circuit Online event win for $23,170. He also clinched his second WSOPC ring with this event. Additionally, he also has ten final table finishes this year.
Jesse Lonis Stats
Jesse Lonis flaunts total live earnings of $8,185,765, with the biggest being $2,303,017, which he bagged along with a WSOP bracelet after taking down $50,000 Pot Limit Omaha – High Roller – 8-Handed (Bracelet Event 71) at 2023 WSOP.
He currently ranks 184th on the All-time Money list according to Hendon Mob and 87th on USA’s All Time Money List. Talking of GPI rankings, Jesse sits at the third position with 3,769.96 points to his credit. Notably, he has maintained the third spot for close to seven weeks now. Besides, he ranks second on GPI rankings for the USA.
Meanwhile, he leads the Player of the Year (PoY) 2024 ranking with the topmost spot. Jesse has been dominating the PoY 2024 ranking for two weeks straight.
What’s ahead?
This high-stakes pro certainly seems to be in great form, and if that continues it won’t be surprising to see him grab a WSOP bracelet or two at the upcoming 2024 WSOP this May. Additionally, the fact that there are several other tournament series happening in and around Las Vegas serves as a platter of opportunities for this young pro to strengthen his mark in the poker world, and keep him moving to newer heights.
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