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Jason Koon Wins WSOP High Roller to Overtake Justin Bonomo on All-Time List
From Triton Poker Series events to World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, Jason Koon can do no wrong. The latest victory for the West Virginian came in Las Vegas, Nevada, as he took down the $50,000-entry WSOP High Roller Event #32 without any fuss, leading from start to finish at the final table to bank a $1.9 million top prize.
The modern poker great Jason Koon won his second WSOP title last night in Las Vegas as he conquered the $50,000 High Roller at the 56th annual WSOP, scooping yet another seven-figure score and the second bracelet of his career. Triumphing against Andrew ‘Chewy’ Lichtenberger heads-up, Koon’s victory elevated him to $66 million in live tournament earnings and vaulted him above Justin Bonomo in The Hendon Mob’s All-Time Money List.
WSOP Event #32 NLHE High Roller Final Table Results:
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1st | Jason Koon | United States | $1,968,927 |
| 2nd | Andrew Lichtenberger | United States | $1,312,610 |
| 3rd | Ben Tollerene | United States | $914,634 |
| 4th | Brock Wilson | United States | $650,074 |
| 5th | Sergey Lebedev | United Kingdom | $471,473 |
| 6th | Viktor Blom | Sweden | $349,068 |
| 7th | Reagan Silber | United States | $263,944 |
| 8th | Aliaksei Boika | Belarus | $203,919 |
Final Table Thrills
Coming into the final table, the seven opponents behind Jason Koon stared up at a man with a chip mountain. With over double his nearest rival, Koon had the whip hand and so it proved throughout the final table. Not that the eventual winner did all the delivering as Andrew Lichtenberger started the slaying, chopping down Aliaksei Boika when the Belarussian’s pocket aces were cracked by Chewy’s king-jack which made a Broadway straight, sending Boika home with $203,919.
Soon, seven became six. Reagan Silber was all-in with ace-king and once again, the best hand lost, as Sergey Lebedev’s king-queen got there on the A-J-9-2-6 board, making a flush on the turn. Silber’s score of $263,944 was followed by Viktor Blom winning $349,068 in sixth place. The Swedish superstar, who has regularly reached final tables this WSOP without winning gold, was shot down with ace-six by Koon’s ace-ten.
Sergey Lebedev was the next to depart, busting for $471,473 when his ace-eight busted to Lichtenberger’s ace-queen. Amazingly, Brock Wilson went exactly the same way. Ace-eight into the ace-queen of Chewy and a runout that showed him the door, albeit with a higher score of $650,074 in fourth place.
Party of Three
With three players left, all three were big friends, with Koon previously claiming that Ben Tollerene has been a mentor to him throughout his career. Indeed, at the Triton Poker Tour event where Koon won his record-extending 11th title, he beat Tollerene heads-up and – one place earlier this time – saw his friend taken out again. Tollerene called off his stack correctly with ace-ten when Lichtenberger shoved with ten-seven, but a seven on the flop changed everything and Tollerene departed with the third-best score of $914,634.
Down to the final two, there were still two seven-figure scores to pay out from a prize pool $8.1 million in the 171-entry event. Lichtenberger took the lead, a flush outranking a straight to give him a slim advantage. But it was only a temporary blip for Koon, who reestablished his lead then bullied Lichtenberger to short stack.
When Chewy shoved for just 3.4 million with ace-ten, Koon was priced in to call with king-queen and a board of K-J-2-8-7 rewarded his previous ability to build a stack. While Lichtenberger left with the runner-up prize of $1,312,610, Koon won his second WSOP bracelet and $1,968,927.
The Champion in His Own Words
After winning, Koon was emotional in recounting the drama that had just taken place. “I’ve dedicated my entire life to being very good at this game,” he told reporters. “Every person in here is trying to win. It’s not like these guys have been around for two or three years. You’re talking to guys who have multiple decades of resumes and somehow we’re still here and we’re playing the biggest game and winning. It’s amazing.”
Crediting Lichtenberger and Tollerene as ‘the best players in the world’, Koon said it was a tough game for them all.
“It’s hot, it’s bright, the pressure is high, the stakes are high.” He said.
After such a big win, Koon made the smart move of thanking his wife Bianca for her unwavering support. “It’s all possible because of her. On days when poker is slow for me, I am all in as being a dad and try to pick up the slack the best that I can. Without her, I couldn’t do any of this.”
Jason Koon won his first WSOP title in 2021 in the $25k Heads-Up Championship, winning $243,981. Jason Koon’s second WSOP bracelet today was worth eight times the amount and further seals his place in poker history.
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