What Did You Do With The Money? – Jonathan Jaffe

One of the best reasons to play poker tournaments is because you can win a life-changing amount of money for a minimal investment. Poker players are known for their extravagant jet-setting lifestyles that include some of the finest trinkets money can buy. In this series, we get a glimpse into what poker players do with their cash when they’re not risking it at the tables.

Player: Jonathan Jaffe

Hometown: Longmeadow, Massachusetts

Career Live Winnings: $2,155,506

Biggest Score: 2008 WPT World Poker Finals – 2nd Place ($670,635)

“I can’t quite remember what my bankroll was before my second place finish at Foxwoods back in 2008, but I doubt that it was as high as six figures. I want to say that it was somewhere between $60,000 and $80,000, so obviously, that score was huge for me.”

“When people ask, ‘what did you do with the money,’ there’s always a small part of you that asks yourself the same question. What did I do with the money? Where did it all go? (laughing) I guess I did better with it than a lot of poker players since I went and bought myself a house back home in Massachusetts.”

“It was a typical suburban house, but it was also a great party house for a long time. I actually made a whiffle ball field in the back yard, which was popular with friends. We eventually sold it when we moved to South Florida.”

“Luckily for me, I don’t have expensive taste. Whenever I have a good result in poker, the money usually goes in my bankroll or towards backing some other players. Now that I have my son, a lot of my poker winnings go towards things like diaper money.”