According to PocketFives, the leading online tournament player in Australia is currently Jonathan Karamalikis, the man who is lovingly known as “xMONSTERxDONGx” by his loyal fans and friends.

With lifetime earnings of over $6m, the Australian champ has been forever crushing players at the virtual felts, with no end in sight for the soul domination of all his future opponents. Jonathan originally began playing play-money poker with his friends in Adelaide, South Australia.

He instantly fell in love with the game and continued to play all the way through to the end of his first, and only, year in university. As soon as Karamalikis realized the big fortunes that he could amass by smashing virtual felts and crashing live tournaments, he bid farewell to his Accounting and Property studies and became a regular at the online felts.

In 2008, he finished runner-up in the $322 No Limit Hold’em on Full Tilt Poker and grabbed a solid $157,084. Then on 5th September 2011, he sealed a 1st place finish in the No Limit Hold’em $500k Guaranteed on PokerStars for a cool $179,569.

Although Jonathan has been ranked the No.1 online tournament player in Australia, he does travel within his home country and New Zealand to crash live tournament circuits too. In November 2007, Karamalikis bagged his first big live cash in a local tournament where he collected $27,715 at the Skycity Adelaide Championship Series A$3,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event.

From then on, he never looked back. One of his most notable achievements include a 1st place finish at the 2012 Asia Championship of Poker HK$240,000 No Limit Hold’em – High Rollers Event for an eye-popping $478,292. Although he had grabbed almost half a million dollars at the Skycity Adelaide Championship Series, he came back hunting for more dough and in less than a month, he emerged victorious at the 2010 Asia Pacific Poker Tour for a jaw-breaking $454,304 that he earned from the A$6,000 No Limit Hold’em Main Event.

That however, wasn’t how it all began for the young gun! It all started in 2009 where he sealed a strong 2nd place finish in the Aussie Millions A$1,000 No Limit Hold’em for decent bounty of $85,314. Moreover, Karamalikis has tagged his name to numerous cashes in Australia’s local poker events such as the Aussie Millions, the Australia and New Zealand Poker Tour and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour. He also has three WSOP in-the-money finishes.

Karamalikis believes that a sane mind and a healthy body is key to crashing  poker players . Thus, he frequents the gym at least four times a week and, like Team Ivey pro Ronnie Bardah, practices Muay Thai training twice a week. When he’s not kicking ass at the poker tables or otherwise, Karamalikis enjoys watching NBA Basketball and tries never to miss a show!

Who is your favorite online tournament player?