John Juanda

John Juanda is an Indonesian-born American professional poker player who has made a significant impact on the poker world. He won $1.5 million in the 2008 WSOPE Main Event. He has five WSOP bracelets to go along with his 72 WSOP cashes. His biggest cash came at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Macau, where he earned $2.8 million.

He now has a staggering total live earnings of more than $25.5 million. He is also ranked first on the Indonesia All-Time Money List.

John Juanda Early Life

Juanda, who was born in Indonesia, moved to the United States in 1990 to attend Oklahoma State University. On April 30, 1968, he was born.

He earned his MBA at Seattle University. Juanda then worked different side jobs to help with the expenses of school. He was a stockbroker who also sold Bibles at one point. Despite being a self-proclaimed lifelong Buddhist, John won awards for Bible sales.

When he wasn’t working or attending classes, Juanda spent his time at local casinos, honing his poker skills. Juanda quickly realized that poker was his true calling. In 1996, John finished his MBA program, moved to the West Coast, and relocated to California in order to pursue larger stakes.

John Juanda Poker Career

Despite being introduced to poker before beginning college, he did not allow the game to distract him from his studies. He didn’t start playing poker seriously until he finished his undergraduate degrees in marketing and management.

He began by playing at small tables and went to higher-bet tables as his skills improved. In the year 1996, John Juanda made the decision to begin playing full-time poker, and he has never looked back since he entered the industry. His accomplishments in the game have had a significant impact on John Juanda’s net worth over the years, and he has continued to grow his net worth to this day.

Juanda had to wait about three years before he was ready to compete in major tournaments. He started with $1,500 at the 1999 World Series of Poker, finished ninth in a Limit Hold’em tournament, and won $15,000. Several months later, he won the $300 Limit Hold’em tournament in Los Angeles, earning more than $400,000.

In 2000, he returned to the WSOP and finished tenth in the $3,000 limit hold’em event. He returned in 2001, finishing third in the $2,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Split Eight-or-Better event and seventh in the $3,000 Limit Hold’em event.

Meanwhile, John Juanda continued to compete in lower-buy-in events, only occasionally moving up to $1,000 events. Then, in 2002, he found his groove. Juanda cashed in five different WSOP events, reaching three final tables and winning his first bracelet.

John Juanda Cardplayer Magazine Back to Back Winner

He was named Tournament Player of the Year by Cardplayer Magazine in 2001 and 2002, and he has since risen to become one of the world’s best players.

John Juanda was a sponsored pro of the now defunct Full Tilt Poker, alongside other high profile players such as Gus Hansen and Patrik Antonius.

He finished second in the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic. It was one of his largest cashes, at $278,240, and it also kicked off a run of final tables that lasted until the end of the year. In 2003, he added two more WSOP bracelets to his six cashes.

In November 2005, he won a series of events in Monte Carlo, Monaco, including first place in the Monte Carlo Millions Consolation tournament, second place in the Full Tilt Poker Invitational Live, and sixth place in the Monte Carlo Millions main event, earning nearly $500,000.

One of Juanda’s greatest accomplishments was winning the Speed Poker Million Dollar Challenge in 2006, defeating top players such as Phil Ivey, Mike Sexton, and Tony Bloom. Juanda has also made six World Poker Tour final tables, coming very close to winning a WPT title.

He made his first European Poker Tour final table in 2008. He finished second in the EPT London High Roller Showdown, earning $570,000 in prize money.

In March 2009, he won $120,000 at Poker After Dark Season V in Las Vegas. The following year, in 2010, he finished second at the European Poker Tour in London, earning $852,868. David Vamplew, a Scottish poker player, took first place in that event.

He earned one of his largest cashes in 2012 at the Macau High Stakes Challenge Super High Roller, finishing fifth and earning $1,645,756. John Juanda continued to produce outstanding results, such as when he competed in the European Poker Tour in Barcelona in August 2015 and won first place for $1,164,034.

Juanda won more than $2.8 million at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in Macau in 2017. He has been actively participating in live tournaments until this year, 2023. He was last seen in August 2023 at the European Poker Tour in Barcelona.

John Juanda World Series of Poker

In 2002, he won his first bracelet in the Triple Draw Lowball Ace to Five poker tournament. At this event, he won a total of $49,620. The following year, he achieved multiple cashes and was named World Series of Poker Tournament Champion of the Year. One of his biggest paydays came in 2008, when he won the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. He received a $1.5 million prize and his fourth WSOP bracelet. Throughout his career, he has won five World Series of Poker bracelets.

Conclusion

John started out selling bibles, and now he’s a successful poker player, which impresses a lot of people. He was unquestionably one of the most successful poker players. He currently holds the top spot on Hendon’s Indonesian All-Time Money List with a total of $25.5 million in live earnings. With 5 WSOP bracelets, 1 EPT title, and 6 WPT final tables under his belt, many are expecting more of the same from him.