Champion of Poker

John Juanda came to the United States in 1990 to go to college at Oklahoma State University. It wasn’t until he was in college that he took up poker. Most of his young life, he focused on his studies and being a track star. Juanda graduated from Oklahoma State University with degrees in Marketing and Management and went to get his MBA at Seattle University.

After graduating, the decided that he would go on to try his hand at being a professional poker player. Juanda primarily played in events around his home in California and did very well scoring numerous final tables and winning events at events such as Heavenly Holdem, Legends of Poker, the L.A. Poker Classic, and the California State Poker Championships.

Juanda had several final tables at the World Series of Poker, including a 3rd place finish in the $2,500 Stud 8 or Better event in 2001. Juanda’s first six figure payday occurred at the 2001 United States Poker Championship. He finished 2nd in the event to Men “The Master” Nguyen to take home $131,000.

Juanda would go on to have a stellar 2002 at the World Series of Poker. He cashed five times, making four final tables and finally winning his first WSOP bracelet. He won the $1,500 Ace to Five Lowball event to take home his first major title. He nearly won his 2nd major title a couple of weeks later when he finished runner-up in the WPT event at the World Poker Classic. Juanda would go on to win four more tournaments during 2002, including 3 at the 2002 Hall of Fame Poker Classic. These finishes put him solidly on the map as one of pokers rising stars.

Juanda would have an even better year at the 2003 World Series of Poker. He cashed six times during the series, which included 4 final tables and two gold bracelets. He won the $2,500 Stud 8 or Better event and the $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha event. After winning his two bracelets, he would go on to win a preliminary event at the Fiesta al Lago event in Vegas.

After his bracelets, Juanda would go on to make numerous final table appearances and to capture several titles. He captured a PPT event at the World Poker Finals in 2004. He also took down the $1 Million Speed Poker Challenge at the 2006 Crown Australia Poker Championships. Juanda would continue to make many money finishes at the World Series of Poker, including 2 final tables in the 2008 WSOP, but his greatest feat in poker was still to occur at the 2008 WSOP Europe.

John Juanda made the final table of the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event and faced stiff competition that included Daniel Negreanu and Scott Fischman. Eventually, Juanda would make it heads up with Stanislav Alekhin. The match between the two became the longest heads-up matchup in WSOP history. In the end, Juanda emerged victorious and took down his first WSOP Main Event title and $1.58 Million in prize money.

John Juanda is one of the most consistent players on the tournament circuit today. Through the years, his ability has earned him over 9.8 Million and 4 WSOP bracelets. At just 37 years of age, Juanda should be a strong force in poker for a long time to come.