The poker community might be waiting with bated breath for a WSOP Main Event champion to be crowned but there’s been another big winner in recent days. That winner is Jonathan Jaffe and he’s the new WPT Alpha8 champion.
Jaffe topped a field of 45 entrants to win the latest WPT in Las Vegas. Overcoming that many players when someone needs to beat over 10,000 to win the WSOP Main Event might not seem like something to crow about.
However, that overlooks the fact this tournament cost $111,111 to enter and featured some of the world’s best poker players. That’s why Jaffe’s performance and $1,537,000 payday is impressive, even if we’re in the lead up to a WSOP Main Event champion being crowned.
Pros ante up for charity in WPT Alpha8
Jaffe and the other 44 entrants anted up in the $111,111 WPT Alpha8 on Saturday for two reasons:
- to win some money and a World Poker Tour title
- to help raise money for the One Drop Foundation
The WPT and One Drop joined forces in February 2023 with the intention of hosting a new series of charity tournaments. The latest WPT Alpha8 for One Drop took place at the Wynn Las Vegas and $315,00 from the buy-ins was donated to charity.
Once other costs had been covered, the final seven players each picked up a share of $4.6 million. Isaac Haxton made it through the masses but fell one spot short of the final table. However, he still picked up $222,600 for his seventh-place finish.
Jaffe had a solid stack with six left, but winning was far from a foregone conclusion. Indeed, with poker pros such as Dan Smith and Iaron Lightbourne still in contention, anything was possible.
Jonathan Jaffe wins another WPT title
Fortunately for Jaffe, the cards were on his side. That fact, plus some perfectly timed bets and bluffs, helped the American pick up his 11th career win.
WPT Alpha8 for One Drop Las Vegas result
- Jonathan Jaffe – $1,537,600
- Taylor von Kriegenbergh – $1,042,100
- Dan Smith – $701,700
- Aleksejs Ponakovs – $485,200
- Michael Lim – $350,100
- Iaron Lightbourne – $273,200
- Isaac Haxton – $222,600
Most of Jaffe’s wins have been on the World Poker Tour, including high rollers and the 2014 WPT Montreal main event. However, the latest victory will go down as his best so far.
For beating a stacked final table, including Taylor von Kriegenbergh heads-up, Jaffe secured his biggest payday. Following the July 16 win, Jaffe told the WPT’s media team he was “feeling good” but, like a true pro, he was waiting to process it properly so he could stay in “poker mode” over the summer.
As for the WPT and One Drop, they’ll be back together again for an event in December. Continuing the good work they started last year, the WPT’s finest have added a Big One for One Drop to the season-ending World Championship at the Wynn Las Vegas.
