Kriti Mehrotra
Although Player 183 Steven Jones Jr. initially chose to lie low on Netflix’s ‘Squid Game: The Challenge’ season 2, he did build some great alliances thanks to his unwavering honesty. That’s what helped him survive not only the first three games but also the additional tests and mind-bends in between, just for him to undeniably change his tactic by taking charge later on. Little did he know that his actions would have an influence way beyond what he expected, as he ended up garnering significant prominence among viewers from across the globe.
Steven Jones Jr. is a Professional Poker Player
Since Steven Jones Jr. was born and raised in a trailer park by a loving single mother, he recognized the importance of family, home, money, and stability at a relatively early age. That’s because his parents divorced when he was merely 5 years old, following which he saw a lot of financial ups and downs in his family. He thus became fiercely ambitious, dedicating himself to studies until he graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management in 2013. However, it appears that he already had an intense passion for poker by this point, which initially stemmed from his mother teaching him to play when he was a young man.
The intention of Steven’s mother was to keep him busy and entertained while having fun herself. Still, he transformed it into much more by evolving into a professional poker player in 2016. From what we can tell, he was actively playing for a few years before he finally stepped into the live poker scene by cashing in the World Amateur Championship at the World Series of Poker. His first year or two seemed unfruitful, but in 2018, he broke all bounds by reaching his first-ever World Amateur Championship finals table and earning nearly $60,000. That same year, he also qualified for the World Series of Poker Tournament (WSOP) in both the individual and tag team events, where he cashed in an astounding sum of money.
Then, in 2019, Steven finished second in a World Series of Poker Circuit event, which he had determined to conquer in the ensuing years, but was unable to do so owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, he continued to hone in on his craft, resulting in him not only making it to the World Series of Poker Main Event in 2023 but also finishing second with more than $6.5 million. His stints at the World Tournament have not been as successful, yet he continues to thrive in the industry by succeeding in several other tournaments worldwide. In fact, according to records, the now 37-year-old Phoenix, Arizona, native’s total cash-out winnings from live events/tournaments alone are in the range of approximately $8 million as of writing.
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Steven Jones Jr. is Also an Entrepreneur and Family Man
While it was in 2016 that Steven stepped into the limelight as a poker player, the truth is that this is not his primary profession, as he had actually kick-started his career in a different industry back in 2013. He earned his real estate license shortly after graduating from university, and subsequently chose to gain critical experience before establishing his own luxury brokerage in 2015. According to records, he is still the Founder-CEO of Jr. Jones Realty, a premier luxury real estate brand that prides itself on providing the best possible homes and services to its clients. In fact, it specializes in client satisfaction through commitment to constant improvement, dedication to the clients’ best interest, market analysis, negotiations, and long-term support.
From what we can tell, Steven operates Jr. Jones Realty primarily in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of Arizona, but he has gradually also been tapping into the luxury market of Las Vegas, Nevada. After all, considering the many poker tournaments held across Sin City, this expansion decision is convenient as well as potentially very profitable for him. He has participated in events related to his side hustle in several other states and countries, too; yet, serving as a broker there has never seemed viable to him. Therefore, he runs Jr. Jones Realty in Arizona and Nevada, all the while continuing to play poker to hopefully perfect his skills, spend quality time with loved ones, and travel as much as possible.
In fact, Steven explored Cebu City in the Philippines in November 2018 and Palawan Island in the Philippines in February 2019. He has also visited Albania, Belize, England, and Germany between 2020 and 2023 for either vacations or tournaments. Moreover, in 2022, he enjoyed the beauty of Dublin, Ireland, alongside his mother, while also participating in the Irish Poker Open opposite her. Most recently, in September 2025, the 37-year-old traveled to Greece with some friends for a wedding, after which he decided to visit Barcelona, Spain, for a poker event. We should also mention that the broker/poker player is also a dog dad – he has three adorable pets, Onyx, Poochie, and Itty Bitty.
