Reigning GPI Player of the Year and current frontrunner for 2025 Jesse Lonis has taken a high-stakes gamble off the felt - betting on himself to win the WSOP Main Event at outrageous 500-to-1 (+50,000) odds. The $2,000 prop bet, made with none other than poker superstar Mikita Badziakouski (currently fifth on the all-time money list), could net Lonis a cool $1 million if he takes down poker's biggest title.
Lonis broke the news on X, revealing the terms of the deal and the mindset behind the wager. "If I lose 2k, I won't remember in a couple of days. If I win the bet, I'll remember the rest of my life," he posted.
A Friendly Table Talk Turns Serious
The bet came together during a $15K event at PokerGO Studio, where Lonis and Badziakouski happened to share the same table. As Lonis told PokerNews, the idea sparked from chatter about odds available online.
"I played the 15K last night and Mikita was at the table. We were talking about the 16-to-1 BetOnline was offering, and some of the players asked what I'd realistically book on myself.
Mikita asked if I'd take 300 to 1, and I said the lowest I'd go is 500 to 1. He goes, ‘Alright.' I asked, ‘You want to book it? Want to do a couple thousand for fun?' He thought about it, and when I went on break, he told me he was in."
Far removed from the 16-to-1 (+1600) online markets, this wager gives Lonis the potential for a seven-figure side payout. And as of Day 2d dinner break, the two-time WSOP bracelet winner is off to a solid start - sitting with 120,000 chips (100 big blinds) and eyeing a deep run.
"I just want to give him a sweat," Lonis joked. "I just want to be there on Day 5 so he can feel a little pain."
Defending Champ Weighs In
Few understand the scale of the WSOP Main Event grind like 2024 champion Jonathan Tamayo. When asked for his take on Lonis' long-shot bet, he didn't sugarcoat it.
"That wager is insane," Tamayo said. "Unless he has like six starting stacks. Maybe. But I don't know. It's crazy."
Tamayo, who has already ruled out a successful title defense this year, knows firsthand just how steep the climb is.
"I'm definitely not defending this year," he admitted. "I looked at my starting stack of 60,000 chips and thought, ‘You have to turn that into just over 600 million to win the Main Event.' Once you realize that, you understand how absurd it is. But there's always a shot."
If Lonis does run the gauntlet and ships the Main Event, the bracelet won't be his only prize. He'll also collect one of the most memorable side bets in WSOP history!
Source:
https://www.pokernews.com/tours/wsop/2025-wsop/news/jesse-lonis-500-to-1-wsop-main-event-bet-48091.htm
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