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John Juanda - Poker Player Biography |
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Name: John Juanda
Nickname: JJ
Full Tilt Id: John Juanda
Birth Date: July 8, 1971
Birth Place: Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia
Current Residence: Marina del Rey, California, USA
Total WSOP Bracelets: 4
Total WPT Wins: 0
Best Game: PL and NL Holdem
First Big Win: $ 100 Limit Hold'em at the Heavenly Holdem Festival at the Commerce Casino, Los Angeles in August 1997 for $14,440
First WSOP Bracelet: $ 1,500 Triple Draw Lowball Ace to Five at the 33rd World Series of Poker (WSOP) 2002, Las Vegas to win $ 49,620
Biggest WSOP Cash: Won the £10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em at the 2008 World Series Of Poker - Europe, London for $ 1,580,096
Biggest Cash: £10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em at the 2008 World Series Of Poker - Europe, London for $ 1,580,096
All time money list: 9th
Hobbies: Reading, Movies, and Travelling
John “JJ” Juanda, is considered one of the best tournament players around. He is also considered one of the most under rated player. A Buddhist for life, he is known for his cool and calm image at the tables.
John Juanda was born in Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia in 1971. His father was a heavy gambler and used to loose a lot of money. His father used to tell John about the vices of gambling and always discouraged him from gambling. However, little John used to gamble by playing marbles at his school while his parents were away in another city trying to set up a business.
In 1990,t the age of 19, he left for Oklahoma State University to pursue higher education. A friend taught him the game of poker while he was on the flight to USA.
He got heavily involved with poker when he moved to Seattle University to pursue his MBA. He was involved in stock broking and even used to sell Bibles to pay for his education. He used to visit the casinos to pursue his game of poker on weekends and decided that there is money to be made in the game.
After completing his MBA in 1996, he decided to become a full time poker professional and finally settled near Los Angeles in search of big stake games.
He also started playing low buy-in tournaments and was regularly in the money. This gave him the courage to enter high buy-in tournaments and he took part in WSOP 1999 and cashed in two events. In 2000, he cashed in one event and in 2001, he again made the money in two more events.
John established his presence at WSOP 2002 by cashing in 5 different events, 3 of which he was at the final table and won his first WSOP bracelet in the $ 1,500 Triple Draw Lowball Ace to Five event.
Within two weeks of his WSOP win, John came 2nd to Gus Hansen in the $ 10,000 No Limit Hold'em – Final WPT event at Five Diamond World Poker Classic and won $278,240.
In 2003, he followed up on his WSOP success by placing in the money in six events and winning $2500 Pot Limit Omaha and $2500 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Split event to earn two more WSOP bracelets.
His astounding run continued in 2004 also when he made the money in six events again and final tabled four of them. In all he made 15 final tables in 2004.
Since then he has been regularly cashing in at the WSOP with six events at WSOP 2005, five events at WSOP 2006, five WSOP and one WSOP Europe events in 2007 and five more at WSOP 2008.
He has reached his pinnacle now by winning the WSOP Europe 2008, £ 10,000 World Championship No Limit Hold'em Main Event for his biggest paycheck ever of $ 1.5 Million plus and his fourth WSOP bracelet.
Within a week of his WSOPE triumph, John came 2nd in the $ 20,000 High Roller event at the 2008 European Poker Championship in London to win $ 598,770.
He has been regularly cashing in the WPT events also but a title still eludes him.
Money keeps following him in poker tournaments and his tournament winnings have crossed $ 9 Million, placing him at number ten in all time money list.
John aims of becoming a doctor one day. That will only happen if poker lets him leave it. We have to wait and see.
Look out for “John Juanda” – that’s his id, at Full Tilt Poker. You can challenge him by signing up at Full Tilt Poker using referral code EASYTILT and receive a $600 welcome bonus
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