In his live tournament career, John Juanda has won five World Series of Poker bracelets and over 14 million dollars.
Due to his achievements, he was dubbed Player of the Year multiple times by Card Player Magazine.

Juanda’s unpredictability and aggressiveness at the poker tables contribute to his success. He is among the most accomplished poker players in the world because he has mastered the art of analyzing his opponents and predicting their next movements.

His Path to Success

Johns Juanda was born in Medan, Indonesia, on July 8, 1971.
His interest in wagering began in elementary school, when he and his classmates would fire marbles for money. Juanda’s father was addicted to gambling, so he has always been aware of the negative consequences gambling can have on an individual.

During his senior year of high school, he excelled in both the 200-meter sprint and the 5,000-meter race.
Juanda received scholarships from a multitude of American universities, but he chose the University of Oklahoma. On his voyage to America, a companion seated next to him taught him how to play poker, which he would eventually master by the end of college.

Juanda earned a master’s degree in business administration from Seattle University after earning a double Bachelor’s degree in marketing and management. He worked as a stock broker and bible salesman until 1996, when he amassed sufficient funds to play poker professionally.

Three years passed before Juanda was prepared to compete in significant tournaments. He placed ninth in the $1,500 Limit Hold’em tournament at the 1999 World Series of Poker, winning $15,000 in the process. A few months later, he won the $300 Limit Hold’em tournament in Los Angeles, which netted him $400,000, more than he had ever seen before.

In 2002, Juanda won his first bracelet at the World Series of Poker in the Triple Draw Lowball Ace to Five event for $48,620. That year, he had so many cash finishes that he was dubbed the WSOP Tournament Champion.

In 2008, Juanda won the World Series of Poker Europe main event, collecting over $1.5 million in prize money and his fourth WSOP bracelet.

Personal Facts

He resides in Marina Del Rey, California at present. He is such a wonderful elder sibling, providing for his younger sister’s college tuition and allowing her to live with him while she studies.

When not participating in significant poker tournaments, he enjoys the excitement of competing in clandestine games around the globe. Juanda intends to attend medical school after he retires from gambling to fulfill his goal of providing free medical treatment to impoverished communities in third-world countries.