Jesse Lonis Has 14.1 Million Chips and Nobody's Talking About Him

I was supposed to write about Jarred Graham as the credentialed underdog staring up at Evan Krentzman. That was the pitch. A one-bracelet Australian with $666K in lifetime earnings, chasing a second title while a first-time finalist sits above him.

Then the final table formed, and the narrative evaporated.

Graham didn't make it. Krentzman did — with 4.65 million chips and his first WSOP final table appearance. But the actual story of this $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha final table is sitting in Seat 1 with roughly three times Krentzman's stack.

Jesse Lonis has 14.16 million chips, two bracelets, three rings, 28 career final tables, and $10.56 million in lifetime earnings — and he's somehow the least-discussed player at this table.

The Stack Gap Is Absurd

Lonis's 14.16 million is more than the next two stacks combined. Krentzman and Stephen Hubbard — 4.65 million and 4.5 million respectively — are in a race for second place that's really a race for the right to get heads-up against a buzzsaw. Justin Scott sits at 1.8 million.

Seven players remain. One of them has more chips than the other six put together.

The Counter-Argument

Sure — PLO is volatile. Stacks move fast. A single cooler can halve a 14-million stack before the dealer finishes pushing the pot. That's fair. But Lonis isn't some deep-stacked tourist running hot. He's a two-time bracelet winner who's been to 28 final tables and cashed over $10.5 million. He's played from the front before.

Krentzman has $1.64 million in career earnings and zero bracelets. Hubbard has $490K and zero. These are capable players having great tournaments. Lonis is a proven closer in his best format with a stack that lets him apply maximum pressure in every pot.

My Read

The sexy narrative was Graham-vs.-Krentzman, experience versus fresh blood. That story busted before the final table cards went in the air. What's left is simpler and less cinematic: Jesse Lonis, massive chip lead, short-handed PLO, bracelet number three on the line.

Sometimes the favorite is just the favorite.