Jonathan Karamalikis

As it goes with the Australian stereotype, Jonathan Karamalikis is one of the most chilled and easy-going pros on the poker scene. And why wouldn’t he be? The Adelaide native has made millions from playing cards without ever having to invest a dollar. He turned $3 that he won from a freeroll into everything he’s cashed from tournaments today, which amounts to more than $6.4 million in online MTT earnings and another $3.8 million+ from the live circuit.

2010 was the year that Jonathan’s poker career really began to take off, particularly in the live arena. He started it with a six-figure score when he won the Aussie Millions NLH Bounty Event. A couple of months later, he took down another Australian-based tournament – the A$ 10,000 No Limit Hold’em High Roller for a nice $108,273. To close the year out, Karamalikis booked another victory and his biggest of the year in Sydney. It came at the APPT NLH Main Event which drew notable pros including Daniel Negreanu and Triple Crown winner Roland de Wolfe. The Aussie won $454,304 for his first-place finish which brought his 2010 annual live tournament earnings close to $1,000,000.

Making this run all the more impressive was the fact that Karamalikis managed to pick up these live scores whilst crushing the online MTT world. He finished in the top 0.01% of tournament earners in back-to-back years in 2010 and 2010 on PokerStars under the screenname ‘MONSTER_DONG’. This achievement was boosted by a 2011 WCOOP victory in the $215+R NLH Turbo event which earned him an online personal best of $179,569 – not bad for one day’s work.

Since 2012, the former Full Tilt ambassador has enjoyed a second APPT win in Taipa as well as a runner-up finish at the $10,000 Bellagio Cup XIII in Las Vegas for a massive $523,343. Speaking in a 2013 interview at the Asia Pacific, the Australian discussed the perks of his profession: ‘I get to travel around a lot . . . have a good time . . . to find something that I enjoy and can make a living off is amazing’.

In 2015, MONSTER_DONG somewhat appropriately established an underwear brand called ‘Big Stack Underwear’ which offered poker-themed clothing. Designed in Australia and made from bamboo-derived viscose, Karamalikis has claimed that it is ‘the most comfortable underwear you will ever wear’.