The “All-In Flipament” has proven to be lucky for the Texas-based poker pro
Jonathan Tamayo, the defending World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion, has locked up his seat in this year’s $10,000 tournament in unconventional fashion. Instead of buying in directly, Tamayo secured his spot through a $160 online satellite event known as an “All-In Flipament.”
The Flipament format is exactly what it sounds like: all players are automatically all-in, and the hand plays out without any decision-making. It’s a pure gamble, but one that paid off for Tamayo. The event requires 64 entries to run, and on Sunday, the Texas-based pro tweeted that he’d won the 3:00 p.m. edition. Just like that, Tamayo found himself registered for poker’s biggest stage without touching his bankroll.
The path from a small buy-in satellite to the Main Event spotlight is nothing new at the WSOP. Many players have used this route to chase poker glory, dating back to Tom McEvoy in 1983 and, more famously, Chris Moneymaker in 2003. Moneymaker’s run helped ignite a global poker boom, showing that anyone with a few bucks and some luck could dream big.
Those who care to play the @WSOPOnlinePoker $160 All-In Flipaments for a $10,000 @WSOP Main Event seat
The next three are running today at 3pm, 11pm, then 7am Monday Vegas time.
64 players need to register or they don’t run.
You don’t need to be logged in at the time of the…
— Kevin Mathers (@Kevmath) June 22, 2025
Tamayo, however, is already at the top. He triumphed over the largest WSOP Main Event field in history in 2024 to win $10 million. Now, he’s aiming for a rare repeat without even paying the full price to enter.
Since the 2025 series began, Tamayo has already picked up a couple of cashes, including an 85th-place finish in the $800 Deepstack for $3,699. He’s also been active in other Las Vegas summer tournaments at the Aria and Wynn.
Tamayo will share more about his title defense and poker life beyond the felt during his upcoming appearance on the “Life Outside Poker” podcast, airing on June 24 at 8:00 AM PT.
