Late final 12 months, Jason Koon wrote a word not solely to himself, but additionally prompt “perhaps a few of it’s essential learn it too.”
The message was clear, don’t let darkness and self-loathing management your life. As an alternative, be form to your self and protecting transferring ahead. It was philosophical, nevertheless it wasn’t simply lip service. For anybody who is aware of him, Koon lives it on daily basis, not solely as one of many world’s greatest poker gamers, however as a faithful husband and father.
Since Koon shared his message with the world, he’s amassed greater than $6.9 million in earnings in response to the Hendon Mob. That features a half dozen six-figure scores and a pair of seven-figure wins, together with $3,393,656 for profitable the Triton Poker Tremendous Excessive Curler Collection Montenegro $150,000 NLH 8-Handed simply days earlier than the 2025 World Collection of Poker (WSOP) started.
Simply over two weeks later, he received once more, this time claiming his second gold bracelet. On June 11, Occasion #32: $50,000 Excessive Curler – which attracted 171 entries and awarded an $8,122,500 prize pool – noticed Koon overcome a stacked ultimate desk that included Viktor Blom, Brock Wilson, Ben Tollerene, and Andrew “Fortunate Chewy” Lichtenberger.
Last Desk Payouts
“It was superior. I solely play the massive ones, so if I used to be going to get fortunate to win one, it will be in a fairly prestigious occasion, however that was superb,” Koon instructed PokerNews. “It was a very stacked ultimate desk. It was grueling as a result of it was tremendous sizzling and excessive strain, and all of the issues I favored. The more durable the higher. I actually favored it.”
The win additionally bumped Koon as much as $66,082,381 in lifetime match earnings in response to the Hendon Mob, which moved him third on the all-time cash listing forward of Justin Bonomo ($65,611,097) and behind solely Bryn Kenney ($77,225,279) and Stephen Chidwick ($66,572,758).
“I do not actually take note of it,” mentioned Koon, who sits atop the Hendon Mob’s West Virginia all-time cash listing, simply $63 million forward of Taylor Wilson ($2,808,659). “I do know it is a kind of issues that it is fairly possible I will be up there till I cease taking part in as a result of I play all the massive giants, however I do play much less quantity than a variety of different gamers.”
PokerStars & the Poker Corridor of Fame
When Koon received his first bracelet on the 2021 WSOP in Occasion #11: $25,000 Heads-Up Championship, he received six straight matches – he bested Chris Brewer, Nicolai Morris, Johannes Becker, Jake Daniels, Henri Puustinen, and Gabor Szabo enroute to victory – to assert a $243,981 prime prize. He did so whereas sporting the patch of an internet website he’s since departed.
Not solely that, final November through the NAPT that was held simply down the road at Resorts World, Koon joined forces with PokerStars, turning into a member of their prestigious Crew Professional. It was a full-circle second for Koon, who first signed as much as play on-line poker at PokerStars nearly 20 years in the past to the day.
“I truthfully did not assume I’d do one other ambassadorship function,” Koon mentioned on the time. “I am actually loving being with my two boys and my spouse, and I nonetheless play poker a ton, you realize, I journey for the tremendous excessive rollers, and I play money video games a bunch with my pals right here in America. However, it wanted to be one thing that I’d do this was value my time, and I am already a fairly busy man.”
“The workforce at Stars, a variety of the folks right here I’ve identified for a decade or extra, and we now have simply aligned for thus many causes.”
He added: “The workforce at Stars, a variety of the folks right here I’ve identified for a decade or extra, and we now have simply aligned for thus many causes. One, being part of North American poker is so thrilling.”
Properly, that alignment paid massive dividends not just for Koon financially thank to his bracelet win, but additionally in publicity for PokerStars on poker’s grandest stage.
“See, you bought some promoting,” Koon joked when requested about his new sponsor’s religion in him. It was one other feather within the cap for PokerStars for the summer season after saying a take care of PokerGO through which the net website sponsored protection.
In different information, the 2025 nominees for the Poker Corridor of Fame had been lately launched and included Phil Galfond, Nick Schulman, and Scott Seiver, all first-time nominees after turning 40 and turning into eligible.
Why wasn’t Koon on the listing? Properly, he’s not 40, and least not fairly but. He’ll really hit the massive 4-0 on August 14, which means come subsequent summer season he’ll be eligible and no double be on the crowded listing of nominees.
“I’d like to be honored to be part of that,” Koon mentioned when requested if PHoF is on his thoughts. “You recognize, it isn’t one thing I’ve actually thought of as a chance, however the profession has gone fairly effectively, so we’ll see what the folks in there assume.”
In one other enjoyable story involving Koon, on Day 1 of Occasion #46: $250,000 Tremendous Excessive Curler, a match that drew 63 entries, he made a particular present to Seth Davies.
“I simply have this humorous denim jacket that is bought sharks throughout it, and Seth’s nickname is Shark, and each time he sees me sporting it, he is like, ‘Man, I’ve bought to get a shark jacket.’ And I instructed him I mentioned, ‘While you win a very massive match, I am going to purchase you the shark jacket.’ And he received a giant match final month, so I had to purchase him one.”
The large win Koon referenced was when Davies took down the Triton Poker Tremendous Excessive Curler Collection Montenegro $50,000 NLH 8-Handed for $1,490,741. Two days later, he’d end runner-up within the $200K Triton Invitational for what was then a career-high $4,190,000. Little did anybody know that lower than a month later, Davies would prime it by profitable the 2025 WSOP $250K Tremendous Excessive Curler for $4,752,551 and his first gold bracelet.
After his victory, Davies addressed the present, which is able to little question change into his fortunate jacket.
“He confirmed up in Korea and he had simply gotten that jacket. ‘Shark’ is the nickname that he type of gave me, and he let me borrow it. I could not put on it on the ultimate desk as a result of it was so sizzling up right here, I simply could not put on a jacket, however you realize that was tremendous cool and it really means quite a bit to me.”
Relating to the most popular poker gamers on this planet proper now, you’d be onerous pressed to seek out anybody on extra hearth than Koon and Davies – and the 12 months is barely half achieved!
For these questioning, here’s what Koon mentioned in full again on December 20, 2024:
The darkness you carry inside is mendacity. It’s tricked you into believing it’s a superpower. While you mess up, the disgrace and anger you are feeling in direction of your self burn a reminiscence into your thoughts in order that you’ll by no means repeat the identical mistake. Because of this, your self-loathing creates a mirage that its existence is part of who you’re, and you’ll’t be you with out it. It’s your secret weapon, your edge! The reality of all of it is it’s nothing greater than a parasite. Sucking you dry, stealing your presence, and forcing you to burn power that might be spent on constructing a flourishing existence for you and your family members. Combat the darkness, be form to your self, and hold transferring ahead.
For extra on Koon, comply with him on X at @JasonKoon.
Chad Holloway
PR & Media Supervisor
