A little gambling was always a part of life for Jonathan Gilliam. He first learned how to play poker during sessions at family get-togethers, which helped foster a love of the game. Even as a kid, Gilliam was winning in his family’s Friday night home games.
Fast forward a few decades later and the winning continues. Gilliam recently grabbed one of poker’s biggest trophies. He scored his first World Series of Poker bracelet bracelet as part of the WSOP Online at GGPoker.
The 37-year-old poker player from Virginia in the United States, regularly travels for some of the larger GG events. That paid off when he won the $1,000 Ultra Deepstack for $149,520 on Sept. 3 while playing in Canada.
“Winning a bracelet has been surreal because that’s the pinnacle of why I started playing and to achieve that as a rec player is phenomenal,” he says, “The moment I won I was actually playing on my phone alone far from home. So there was a lonely feeling and I couldn’t immediately celebrate. I only texted my wife and a few close buddies.”
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Marines, poker, and business
As a child, Gilliam spent time in numerous locations. His family moved around a lot and his mother was murdered when he was 11. His grandparents stepped in and raised him in a small town near Lynchburg, Virginia.
The poker life came with some twists and turns for Gilliam. At age 18, he immediately joined the U.S. Marine Corps. His work didn’t leave much time for poker, but Gilliam occasionally found some time to play online. He didn’t play much live poker throughout his military career however.
After 10 years in the service, Gilliam was stationed in Baltimore, Maryland. The state legalized poker around the same time and Gilliam gave it a shot at the Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore.
“I got my first real taste of tournaments at the first WSOP Circuit series in Maryland in 2015,” he says. “I made a deep run in the Main Event and finished fourth. Ever since then I’ve been hooked.”
That finish brought a score of $69,536 and he now has career live tournament winnings of more than $500,000. However, Gilliam has never been a full-time player, preferring running a business as his main source of income to support his family.
The same year he began playing tournaments, Gilliam left the Marines and began refurbishing military trucks for marketing purposes. His company’s biggest client is the Mission BBQ restaurant chain and Gilliam builds all the military trucks seen outside each restaurant.
Got em for my 1st bracelet!! 🍻 pic.twitter.com/Yui2DmGRH2
— Jonathan Gilliam (@Milo_Poker) September 10, 2022
Life on the farm boosts poker skills
Playing tournament poker was a big part of Gilliam’s life until the pandemic. Live games evaporated in Maryland and he eventually turned to traveling to play online occasionally. COVID also brought another change for Gilliam and his family.
“My wife and six kids decided to follow our dream and buy a farm in Virginia,” he says. “Taking care of our horses, animals, and our ventures is fun. It has definitely cut into how many live tournaments I have played the last couple years, but it has allowed me to study more online and play better than I ever have.”
That paid off in the WSOP Online and Gilliam is now a bracelet winner and pocketed a nice chunk of cash as well. He says the biggest moment in the tournament was actually registering to play.
“That Saturday I had plans that evening and I knew I couldn’t play, but tickets were sold out when I got to the event and I was like, ‘Shoot let me check the lobby,’” he says. “I max late-regged and the rest is history.”
Another one! 🍻 chopped it for more then played it out!!! pic.twitter.com/HtAS2M7U8c
— Jonathan Gilliam (@Milo_Poker) September 12, 2022
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Poker life and the importance of family
The winning continued a few days later. He chopped a Sunday high roller event at GG for another $41,717. At the live poker tables, Gilliam’s play is limited because of the reduced number of tournaments available on the East Coast since the pandemic.
However, when not traveling to play major online series, live tournaments close to home are part of his schedule. Gilliam also enjoys golf, riding ATVs and horses, and target shooting.
Family is also a huge part of his life. That expanded in 2019 when his sister passed away and Gilliam adopted her two children. The farm has made for a nice place to raise a family.
With a nice six-figure score now under his belt, what’s planned for the winnings? His wife Tabitha has been a huge supporter and will definitely be a big part of his plans.
“Not exactly sure what I’ll do with the money yet, but most likely pay off debt and buy my wife a new Ford Bronco or camper,” he says. “She is honestly my biggest fan and supporter, and I couldn’t do any of it without her.
“Tournament schedules are tough and for me to jump on a plane to fly out to Vegas or wherever and leave her with six kids to take care of is hard! Her love and faith in me is really what motivates me to try my best.”
* Photo courtesy WPT