Imagine this:

You’ve got $1,400 to your name. Twins on the way. You’re NOT a household name. And you’re trying to make it in the most brutal game on earth: tournament poker. Most people fold. Jesse Lonis didn’t.

In this episode of the Table 1 Podcast, Jesse drops a heater of a story. It's got all the hits:

🧓 Playing on Grandma’s Full Tilt account
🏀 Streetball mindset from the Bronx
💔 Getting kicked out of college
💰 Turning $1,400 into $250K when everything was on the line
🍼 Becoming a dad of twins and leveling up instantly

Oh — and $21M in live earnings later, he’s still real, raw, and building his brand without faking a damn thing.

This episode is grit + heart + humor in podcast form. You’ll walk away inspired, entertained, and probably Googling “Vanilla Gorilla Poker” just to see him in action.

👇 Hit play. You won’t regret it.

But before we start, We’re GIVING AWAY $175 per week in August! And all you’ve gotta do is play poker.

📺 Enjoy the Full episode → From Broke In The Bronx To High Roller Beast 🦍 Jesse Lonis Tells All!

Or listen on Spotify

Show Notes:
0:00 – Poker Needs More Characters
5:00 – Upbringing: From Alaska to Upstate NY
10:00 – Basketball in the Bronx, Getting Jumped in College
15:00 – Turning Stone Poker Loop
20:00 – Limit Hold'em Rescue Mission
25:00 – First Tournament Spark
30:00 – $1,400 to $250K with Twins on the Way
35:00 – WSOP Breakout Year
40:00 – First High Roller, First Backer
45:00 – $1.6M Makeup, $5M Heater
50:00 – Crushing Live Poker with Intuition
55:00 – Social Media Strategy & Brand Building
1:00:00 – GPI POY, Travel, & Family Balance
1:05:00 – Managing Variance with a Backer
1:10:00 – WSOP High Roller Swings
1:15:00 – Dangerous at 25/50 PLO Online
1:20:00 – Building a Brand Without Being Fake
1:25:00 – Family Life, Future Plans & Closing Thoughts

📌 Subscribe for more high-stakes poker stories & interviews! (And so we keep making these!)

Cheers,

Art and Justin

PS: Want to play high stakes poker in a game that prioritizes fun? Play with us at Table 1