“JAKoon1985” / “King of Triton”
Nationality🇺🇸 American
HometownWeston, West Virginia
ResidesVancouver, Canada
EPT Titles0
Triton Titles12
WSOP Cashes62
Jason Koon: The King of Triton Who Beat the Odds From West Virginia
Jason Koon is one of the greatest poker players alive, with $70,242,655 in live tournament earnings, third on The Hendon Mob all-time money list: and a record 12 Triton Super High Roller titles, five more than any other player in history. Born on August 14, 1985, in Weston, West Virginia, Koon grew up in poverty in one of America’s poorest states, was the first in his family to attend college, discovered poker by accident after a sports injury ended his athletics career, and built himself into a high-roller circuit dominant from nothing. He holds two WSOP bracelets, has cashed for seven figures 17 times since 2016, and is the PokerStars Global Ambassador as of 2024.
Jason Koon (born August 14, 1985) is an American professional poker player from Weston, West Virginia, currently residing in Vancouver, Canada, and the third-highest earner in live tournament history with $70,242,655 in recorded cashes. He holds a record 12 Triton Super High Roller titles, five more than any other player, and over $35 million in Triton earnings alone. He won two WSOP bracelets: the 2021 $25,000 Heads-Up NLH Championship ($243,981) and the 2025 $50,000 High Roller ($1,968,927). Koon is known for a hybrid approach that combines deep GTO foundations with live tell reading, exceptional physical and mental preparation including a ketogenic diet and biohacking protocols, and a level of consistency rarely seen at the highest buy-in levels: his largest single cash of $3,579,836 represents just 5% of his total career earnings. He is a former partypoker and GGPoker ambassador, a RunItOnce coach, and the first Poker Hall of Fame, eligible player from his generation to turn 40, an induction widely considered imminent.
Jason Koon’s Personal Life
Koon was born and raised in Weston, a town of fewer than 3,000 people in rural West Virginia. His childhood was shaped by hardship. “As a kid it was frustrating,” he told PokerNews in 2025. “My dad went to prison when I was eight years old. I never saw him again, and I remember as a kid being like, ‘I want out of this so bad, but there’s no way I’m ever going to make it out.'” After his father left, his family moved to a small farmhouse in Lewis County. Despite the circumstances, Koon has said he never felt freer than in those years, spending time fishing at the local lake, living close to nature, and developing the discipline and self-reliance that would later define his approach to poker. He was made fun of at school for being poor in a state that is, by his own description, the poorest in the country.
He was the first person in his family to attend college. He graduated from Lewis County High School in 2003 and enrolled at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, where he earned a Master’s in Business Administration and Finance, and joined the track and field team. He met his future wife Bianca Armstrong there, they bonded over shared athletic backgrounds and dated for three years before getting engaged. They married on October 26, 2019, at the Redwood Cathedral in Ventana, Big Sur, California. Their first child was born in September 2021.
Koon moved to Vancouver, Canada, after Black Friday in 2011 to continue playing online poker without US restrictions. He found Vancouver well-suited to his lifestyle: outdoor activities like hiking and fishing close to nature, a world away from the casino circuit he was rapidly ascending. He has lived there since, while traveling the world for the biggest high-roller events. His passion project, which he has described in recent interviews, is philanthropy focused on West Virginia’s opioid crisis: “My passion project would be philanthropy based in West Virginia.”
Jason Koon’s Beginning in Poker
Koon discovered poker entirely by accident. He had no interest in cards growing up, his family never played, and had focused his energy entirely on track and field. When a hip injury in college ended his athletic ambitions and left him with $115,000 in medical and tuition debt, his roommate introduced him to Texas Hold’em to pass the time. “I realized pretty quickly that it was a game of skills,” he told SomuchPoker, “and if I worked hard, I could make a lot of money.”
He made his first online deposit in 2006, had a rough start, and then rebuilt. Playing under the aliases “JAKoon1985” on PokerStars and “NovaSky” on Full Tilt, he ground his way up from small-stakes MTTs and heads-up Sit-and-Gos. His breakout online moment came in April 2009, when he won the SCOOP $2,150 NLHE event for $302,000. That same year, he quit his job selling group insurance for Sunlife Financial to go professional full time. His first live cash had come in 2008 at a Deep Stack Extravaganza in Las Vegas for $1,976.
His live results escalated quickly. In 2010, he finished fourth in the WPT Festa al Lago for $225,680, his first major live score. In 2011, he chopped an FTOPS event with 11,343 runners for $458,550, and finished 2nd in the Bellagio Cup. In 2013, he won the L.A. Poker Classic $50,000 Turbo High Roller for $436,344. But it was 2016 that permanently shifted his trajectory. Winning the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open for exactly $1,000,000, defeating close friend and former roommate Seth Davies heads-up: was his first seven-figure live score. From there, he moved aggressively into the super high-roller circuit. By 2018, he was winning Triton titles in Montenegro and posting back-to-back seven-figure scores across three continents. Since 2016, he has cashed for seven figures 17 times.
Jason Koon’s Strategies and Playing Style
Koon approaches poker as an elite athlete approaches competition, with structured preparation, physical optimization, and a deep refusal to leave anything to chance. He maintains a ketogenic diet, brings his own food (avocados, nuts) to long tournament days, follows strict sleep protocols, and uses visualization techniques before sessions. “It’s really important that you take a couple of seconds, take some deep breaths, move your body a little bit, and get the blood flowing,” he has advised aspiring players. He explores biohacking applied to cognitive performance, ketosis, jet lag management, pre-session rituals: and has discussed these techniques publicly on the Ben Greenfield Life podcast.
His game is built on a GTO foundation combined with live tell reading, a hybrid he has described explicitly: “One of Koon’s biggest strengths is his hybrid strategy. He doesn’t merely rely on math and theoretical knowledge; he has also underlined the importance of live tells in several interviews.” The GTO layer gives him structural soundness in all formats; the live tell layer gives him edges that purely solver-based players cannot access. He has published blog posts explaining the decision architecture at elite levels, making clear that the slow pace of high-stakes play reflects the depth of reasoning required rather than any absence of skill.
His study setup evolved over time. Early in his career, he lived with Ben Tollerene, one of the greatest online players of all time, which accelerated his technical development. He also worked extensively on mindset with David Benefield and credits his wife Bianca’s discipline and emotional control as a transformative influence on his off-table stability. He now studies in a close group that includes Seth Davies and Stephen Chidwick. His coaching work through RunItOnce documents his philosophy of long-term development, selectivity, and avoiding ego-driven mistakes. His philanthropy instinct: giving back to West Virginia, runs parallel to his poker career as a motivation beyond money.
Jason Koon’s Greatest Achievements in Poker
Koon’s career defines consistency at the highest level. His largest single cash of $3,579,836 is roughly 5% of his total earnings, a ratio that speaks to hundreds of significant scores rather than one or two outsized results. He has won in No-Limit Hold’em, Short Deck, PLO, and heads-up formats, on every continent that hosts major poker.
Jason Koon in WSOP
Koon has two WSOP bracelets across 62 career cashes for over $7.6 million in WSOP earnings:
– **2021:** $25,000 Heads-Up NLH Championship, $243,981 (defeated Gabor Szabo in the final)
– **2025:** $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller, $1,968,927 (defeated Andrew Lichtenberger heads-up)
On winning his first bracelet after years as the best player without one: “It’s one of those things when you’re on an airplane and a person is like, ‘Do you have a bracelet?’ I’m just like, ‘Nope.’ At least I can finally say yes to that.”
Other Major Achievements
– 12 Triton Super High Roller titles (all-time record, 5 more than any other player)
– Over $35 million in Triton earnings alone
– 2018 Triton Montenegro HK$1,000,000 Short Deck, $3,579,836 (career-best cash)
– 2025 Triton Montenegro $150,000 NLH 8-Handed, $3,393,656
– 2023 Triton Cyprus $100,000 Main Event, $2,451,082
– 2022 High Stakes Duel III vs Phil Hellmuth, $1,600,000 (won by default after no challengers came forward for Round 6)
– 2022 Poker Masters $50,000 NLH Event, $666,000
– 2017 PCA $100,000 Super High Roller, $1,650,300
– 2016 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open, $1,000,000 (first seven-figure live score)
– 2025 Game of Gold (GGPoker reality show): participant
– #1 on West Virginia all-time money list
– Poker Hall of Fame eligible as of August 2025 (turned 40); widely considered a top induction candidate
Top 10 Career Cashes
| Rank | Event | Year | Finish | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Triton Montenegro HK$1,000,000 Short Deck | 2018 | 1st | $3,579,836 |
| 2 | Triton Montenegro $150,000 NLH 8-Handed | 2025 | 1st | $3,393,656 |
| 3 | Triton Cyprus $100,000 NLH Main Event | 2023 | 1st | $2,451,082 |
| 4 | Super High Roller Bowl IV | 2018 | 3rd | $2,100,000 |
| 5 | WSOP $50,000 NLH High Roller | 2025 | 1st | $1,968,927 |
| 6 | Triton Madrid €125,000 NLH | 2022 | 1st | $1,863,228 |
| 7 | High Stakes Duel III Round 5 vs Hellmuth | 2022 | Win | $1,600,000 |
| 8 | PCA $100,000 Super High Roller | 2017 | 1st | $1,650,300 |
| 9 | Triton London £50,000 NLH 8-Handed | 2019 | 2nd | $1,165,000 |
| 10 | WPT Tournament of Champions $100,000 HR | 2018 | 1st | $1,000,000+ |
Jason Koon’s Notable TV Show Appearances
High Stakes Poker, Season 8 (2021, PokerGO)
Koon made his High Stakes Poker debut on January 13, 2021, filling the seat vacated by Jean-Robert Bellande in Episode 5 of Season 8. He bought in for $300,000 at $400/$800 No-Limit Hold’em, joining Tom Dwan, Rick Salomon, Nick Petrangelo, Brandon Steven, and Michael Schwimer.
High Stakes Duel III vs Phil Hellmuth (2022, PokerGO)
Koon faced Phil Hellmuth in Round 5 of High Stakes Duel III in December 2022, winning $1,600,000. When no challenger stepped forward for Round 6, Koon was declared the champion by default in January 2023, one of the more unusual championship wins in poker TV history.
Poker After Dark (2021, PokerGO)
Koon appeared on Poker After Dark playing a $300/$600 NLHE-PLO mixed cash game, one of the format experiments that marked PokerGO’s revived version of the classic show.
Game of Gold (2023, GGPoker)
In November 2023, Koon was one of the first 16 contestants on GGPoker’s reality television show Game of Gold, which blended poker competition with reality TV format for a global online audience.
FAQ about Jason Koon
What are Jason Koon’s career earnings?
Jason Koon’s live tournament earnings total $70,242,655, placing him third on The Hendon Mob all-time money list. His largest single cash is $3,579,836, from winning the 2018 Triton Montenegro HK$1,000,000 Short Deck event. Over $35 million of his total earnings, roughly half his career, came from Triton events alone.
How many WSOP bracelets does Jason Koon have?
Jason Koon has two WSOP bracelets. His first came in 2021 in the $25,000 Heads-Up NLH Championship for $243,981. His second came in 2025 in the $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller for $1,968,927, which also moved him to third on the all-time money list.
What is Jason Koon known for?
Koon is known primarily as the King of Triton, with a record 12 Triton Super High Roller titles, five more than any other player. He is also known for his extraordinary consistency (17 seven-figure cashes since 2016), his physical and mental preparation approach (ketogenic diet, biohacking, visualization), his improbable origin story from rural West Virginia poverty, and for defeating Phil Hellmuth in High Stakes Duel III.
Is Jason Koon married? Does he have children?
Yes. Koon married Bianca Armstrong on October 26, 2019, at the Redwood Cathedral in Ventana, Big Sur, California. They met on the track and field team at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Their first child was born in September 2021.
Where is Jason Koon from?
Koon was born and raised in Weston, West Virginia, a town of under 3,000 people. He was the first in his family to attend college. He has lived in Vancouver, Canada, since 2011, where he relocated after Black Friday restricted online poker access for US players.
How old is Jason Koon?
Jason Koon was born on August 14, 1985. He turned 40 in August 2025, making him newly eligible for the Poker Hall of Fame.
What is Jason Koon’s playing style?
Koon plays a hybrid GTO-and-live-reads style, using solver-based strategy as a foundation and live physical tells as tactical overlays. He approaches the game like an elite athlete: ketogenic diet, sleep protocols, visualization before sessions, and structured study groups. He is known for calm, stoic table presence and extreme consistency across No-Limit Hold’em, Short Deck, and PLO formats.
What is Jason Koon’s net worth?
Koon’s net worth is not publicly disclosed. His live tournament earnings exceed $70 million, though gross tournament prizes do not account for staking arrangements, buy-ins, taxes, and travel. He has additional income from coaching on RunItOnce and from his ambassador role with PokerStars.
Does Jason Koon have a YouTube channel?
No personal YouTube channel. Koon’s tournament footage is available through Triton Poker and PokerGO. He has produced coaching content on RunItOnce and appeared on PokerGO productions including High Stakes Poker, High Stakes Duel, and Poker After Dark.
Is Jason Koon still playing poker?
Yes, actively. Koon won his second WSOP bracelet at the 2025 $50,000 High Roller, won a Triton title in Montenegro in March 2025, and finished 10th in the $100,000 Triton Main Event at WSOP Paradise in December 2025. He remains one of the most active players on the super high-roller circuit.
What is Jason Koon’s biggest poker win?
His largest single cash is $3,579,836, earned by winning the 2018 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series Montenegro HK$1,000,000 Short Deck event. Notably, this figure represents roughly 5% of his total career earnings, a testament to how consistent his results have been across hundreds of cashes.
Will Jason Koon be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame?
Koon turned 40 in August 2025, making him eligible for the first time. He is considered one of the leading candidates for the 2026 induction, with a resume that includes third on the all-time money list, 12 Triton titles, two WSOP bracelets, and nearly two decades of elite-level consistency.
