As the curtain falls on 2024, live tournament poker has delivered some extraordinary performances and record breaking wins. The top five earners combined for over $59 million in prize money, with players from Spain, Finland, Argentina, and the United States all making the list.
Leading the pack is Adrian Mateos, who topped the charts with over $13 million in winnings, followed closely by Finland’s Patrik Antonius and Argentina’s Alejandro Lococo.
1. Adrian Mateos: $13,109,217
In 2024, Adrian Mateos confirmed his status as one of the best live tournament poker players on the planet. Even before the year got going, many considered him the top NL live tournament player in the world.
He began strong at EPT Paris with a pair of runner up finishes and a sixth place. A couple of weeks later at the Triton Super High Roller Series in Jeju, he won a $38,000 No Limit Hold’em event for $1.2 million, then added a third place for $381,000.
EPT Monte Carlo went well and he followed up with another win among five cashes in Montenegro when the Triton circus moved on. He also captured his fifth WCOOP title and finished October as world number one on the Global Poker Index.
For context, Mateos’s 2024 earnings alone would place him at 108th on the all time winners list, right in front of Shaun Deeb.
2. Patrik Antonius: $12,488,048
Patrik Antonius had an outstanding 2024, accumulating $12,488,048 in live tournament winnings. The Finnish poker legend is on something of a career revival, with all of his legendary skills on full display.
The year started with four cashes at the Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju, one netting him $1.7 million for fourth in the $100K Main Event. A month later, the Monaco resident headed home for EPT Monte Carlo and picked up his first win since 2022.
Antonius then made his way to Montenegro for the next Triton stop, where he scored eight cashes against the best in the world. Even with only two top ten finishes, this was still a seven figure score for the trip.
EPT Barcelona netted the Finn more than $600K before a return to the Monte Carlo Casino for Triton. He won the $200K Triton Invitational for a $5,130,000 payday.
The year ended with a seventh place in the $100K WSOP Paradise for $354,440, leaving him as the second most successful live tournament player of 2024.
3. Alejandro Andres Lococo: $12,287,737
Alejandro Andres Lococo finished 2024 with total live tournament earnings of $12,287,737. His standout moment came at WSOP Paradise, where he won the $500,000 No Limit Hold’em Triton Million for $12 million.
That single score made up most of his annual earnings, but it’s not the whole story. Lococo has proven himself on many occasions throughout his eight year live career. Some readers might remember his seventh place in the 2021 WSOP Main Event, and he also has around $3 million in live earnings outside of this monster win.
Throughout the year, Lococo demonstrated consistency across various tournaments, often placing well at events like the WSOP and EPT. As he looks ahead, Alejandro Lococo is a player to watch as he continues to rise through the ranks.
4. Alex Foxen: $11,593,726
Alex Foxen had an exceptional 2024, amassing $11,593,726 from 61 cashes. The American pro is one of the busiest high stakes regs around and has established himself as one of the best in the world.
His first win came only 18 days into 2024 and by the end of January he was almost $1 million up. The summer WSOP in Las Vegas produced plenty of cashes but no single six figure score.
The tide turned at WSOP Europe in Rozvadov and several PokerGO Tour events. Foxen picked up a bracelet in the WSOP Online before heading to Europe for the Triton Super High Roller Series Monte Carlo.
His second cash of the event was a win for $1,470,000 in a $50,000 buy in event, defeating Aleksejs Ponakovs heads up. He then added $816,000 from his next two cashes before heading to the Bahamas.
WSOP Paradise delivered $2,795,000 from sixth in the $500K Triton Million, followed by a win in the $100K Triton Main Event for $3,850,000. Four more cashes in the Caribbean capped off one of the best years by any poker player in recent memory.
5. Jonathan Tamayo: $10,298,455
Jonathan Tamayo had a dream 2024 with total live tournament earnings reaching $10,298,455. The American made headlines in the summer after taking down the WSOP Main Event, a score that catapulted him into 113th place on the all time winner’s list.
A third place in a PokerGO Tour event in April for $180,000 was a nice warm up before the WSOP a month later. Other than that score and the Main Event win, Tamayo had only $150,000 in career earnings heading into the summer. The Main Event victory changed everything overnight.
