John Cernuto
Encyclopedia
"Miami" John Cernuto is an American
professional poker
player based in Las Vegas, Nevada
, specialising in Omaha hi-lo events.
as a finance major. After graduating he worked as an air traffic controller
. When Ronald Reagan
fired the air traffic controllers during a 1981 strike, he turned to poker for his profession.
(WSOP), making the final table in the 1989 World Series of Poker
in the $5,000 seven-card stud
event. He finished fourth in a final table also featuring David Sklansky
, Humberto Brenes
, Gabe Kaplan
, and the tournament winner Don Holt.
Another five WSOP money finishes followed before he won his first bracelet in the 1996 WSOP
$1,500 seven card stud split tournament. He also won the $2,000 no limit
hold'em event in the 1997 World Series of Poker
and the $1,500 limit
omaha event in the 2002 World Series of Poker
.
Cernuto made an impressive three final tables in the 2006 World Series of Poker
, two in 7 Card Stud and one in Razz
.
During the $2500 Razz tournament of the 2009 WSOP
, Cernuto collapsed and was taken to a hospital, where he spent the night after being diagnosed with internal bleeding.
Cernuto has cashed in at least one event at the World Series of Poker every year since 1992. His 49 in the money finishes place him in the top 10 of the all time WSOP tournament cashes list.
's Super Bowl of Poker
tournament series, earning a cash prize of $58,000 in addition to the title. This was his first career victory in a major poker tournament.
In 2003, he won the third World Heads-Up Poker Championship
in Vienna
, outlasting a field including Ivo Donev
, Ram Vaswani
, Dave Colclough
, Scotty Nguyen
and Padraig Parkinson
on the way to the €60,000 grand prize.
Cernuto has also made one World Poker Tour
(WPT) final table at the 2005 PokerStars
Caribbean Poker Adventure
event won by John Gale
.
As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $5,000,000. His 49 cashes at the WSOP account for $1,494,336 of those winnings.
, making a final table in the Elimination Blackjack
event.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
player based in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, specialising in Omaha hi-lo events.
Early years
Before embarking on his poker career, Cernuto graduated Florida State UniversityFlorida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
as a finance major. After graduating he worked as an air traffic controller
Air traffic controller
Air traffic controllers are the people who expedite and maintain a safe and orderly flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. The position of the air traffic controller is one that requires highly specialized skills...
. When Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
fired the air traffic controllers during a 1981 strike, he turned to poker for his profession.
World Series of Poker
He first cashed in the World Series of PokerWorld Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP), making the final table in the 1989 World Series of Poker
1989 World Series of Poker
The 1989 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe. The 1989 Main Event was won by 24-year-old Phil Hellmuth, defeating defending champion Johnny Chan, and also breaking the record for the youngest player to win the WSOP Main Event . Had Johnny Chan won, he would have tied Johnny...
in the $5,000 seven-card stud
Seven-card stud
Seven-card stud is a variant of stud poker. Until the recent increase in popularity of Texas hold 'em, seven-card stud was the most popular poker variant in home games across the United States, and in casinos in the eastern part of the country. Two to eight players is common, though eight may...
event. He finished fourth in a final table also featuring David Sklansky
David Sklansky
-Life and career:Sklansky was born and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey, where he graduated from Teaneck High School in 1966. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, but left before graduation. He returned to Teaneck and passed multiple Society of Actuaries exams by the time he was 20, and worked...
, Humberto Brenes
Humberto Brenes
Humberto Brenes is a professional poker player. Brenes currently resides in Miami Lakes, Florida with his wife and three children ....
, Gabe Kaplan
Gabe Kaplan
Gabriel W. "Gabe" Kaplan is an American comedian, actor, poker commentator, and professional poker player.He was born in Brooklyn, New York...
, and the tournament winner Don Holt.
Another five WSOP money finishes followed before he won his first bracelet in the 1996 WSOP
1996 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.-External Links:*...
$1,500 seven card stud split tournament. He also won the $2,000 no limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
hold'em event in the 1997 World Series of Poker
1997 World Series of Poker
The 1997 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe. Most notably, it was the only WSOP where the final table of the main event took place outdoors, at the Fremont Street Experience, just outside of Binions...
and the $1,500 limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
omaha event in the 2002 World Series of Poker
2002 World Series of Poker
The 2002 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe.This edition was historically notable for two reasons. It was the first WSOP in which pocket cams were installed to allow broadcasters to show the players' hole cards, although only for the Main Event...
.
Cernuto made an impressive three final tables in the 2006 World Series of Poker
2006 World Series of Poker
The 2006 World Series of Poker began on June 25, 2006 with "satellite" events, with regular play commencing on June 26 with the annual Casino Employee event, and the Tournament of Champions held on June 28 and 29...
, two in 7 Card Stud and one in Razz
Razz
Razz may refer to:* Razz , a form of stud poker* Razz , winner of MGP Nordic 2002* "Razz" , a Kings of Leon song* Blowing a raspberry* Golden Raspberry Awards, typically referred to as "Razzies"...
.
During the $2500 Razz tournament of the 2009 WSOP
2009 World Series of Poker
The 2009 World Series of Poker was the 40th annual World Series of Poker . It was held at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, and ran from May 27 to July 15. There were 57 bracelet events, culminating in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event...
, Cernuto collapsed and was taken to a hospital, where he spent the night after being diagnosed with internal bleeding.
Cernuto has cashed in at least one event at the World Series of Poker every year since 1992. His 49 in the money finishes place him in the top 10 of the all time WSOP tournament cashes list.
World Series of Poker Bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 1996 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.-External Links:*... |
$1,500 Seven Card Stud Split | $147,000 |
| 1997 1997 World Series of Poker The 1997 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe. Most notably, it was the only WSOP where the final table of the main event took place outdoors, at the Fremont Street Experience, just outside of Binions... |
$2,000 No Limit Hold'em | $259,150 |
| 2002 2002 World Series of Poker The 2002 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe.This edition was historically notable for two reasons. It was the first WSOP in which pocket cams were installed to allow broadcasters to show the players' hole cards, although only for the Main Event... |
$1,500 Limit Omaha | $73,320 |
Other poker achievements
In 1988, Cernuto won the $1,000 Seven Card Stud event at Amarillo SlimAmarillo Slim
Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. , known as Amarillo Slim, is an American professional gambler known for his poker skills and proposition bets...
's Super Bowl of Poker
Super Bowl of Poker
The Super Bowl of Poker was the second most prestigious poker tournament in the world during the 1980s...
tournament series, earning a cash prize of $58,000 in addition to the title. This was his first career victory in a major poker tournament.
In 2003, he won the third World Heads-Up Poker Championship
World Heads-Up Poker Championship
The World Heads-Up Poker Championship is an annual elimination-format poker tournament of one-on-one no limit Texas hold'em matches. The tournament was co-created by Late Night Poker's Nic Szeremeta, PokerInEurope's Jon Shoreman, and gaming journalist Rich Geller.The event has run since 2001 and...
in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, outlasting a field including Ivo Donev
Ivo Donev
Ivo Donev is a Bulgarian, with Austrian passport, who is a professional chess and poker player.-Chess:His father, Hristo Donev was a national master at chess....
, Ram Vaswani
Ram Vaswani
Ram Vaswani is an English professional snooker player, turned professional poker player and the youngest member of The Hendon Mob...
, Dave Colclough
Dave Colclough
David E. Colclough is a Welsh professional poker player, now living in Thailand.-Before poker:Prior to becoming a poker professional, Colclough worked as a computer programmer. Amongst the companies he worked for were the Post Office and the National Health Service...
, Scotty Nguyen
Scotty Nguyen
Thuận B. "Scotty" Nguyễn is a Vietnamese American professional poker player who is a five time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, most notably as the winner of the 1998 World Series of Poker Main Event and the 2008 WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship...
and Padraig Parkinson
Padraig Parkinson
Padraig Parkinson is an Irish professional poker player. He is chiefly recognised as the grand final winner of Late Night Poker series 5 and as the third-place finisher of the 1999 World Series of Poker, where he lost to fellow countryman Noel Furlong.Originally, Padraig refused to play in Late...
on the way to the €60,000 grand prize.
Cernuto has also made one World Poker Tour
World Poker Tour
The World Poker Tour is a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting the final table of each tournament. It was started in the United States by attorney/television producer Steven Lipscomb, who served as CEO of WPT Enterprises , the firm that...
(WPT) final table at the 2005 PokerStars
PokerStars
PokerStars is the largest online poker cardroom in the world. PokerStars' satellite tournaments produced the 2003 World Series of Poker champion, Chris Moneymaker. 1983 champion Tom McEvoy, 2005 champion Joe Hachem, 2009 champion Joe Cada and 2010 champion Jonathan Duhamel and others also represent...
Caribbean Poker Adventure
Caribbean Poker Adventure
The PokerStars Caribbean Adventure is an annual televised poker tournament. The event was first held in 2004 and was originally co-sponsored by PokerStars and the World Poker Tour. In 2008, the event moved from the WPT to the European Poker Tour...
event won by John Gale
John Gale (poker player)
John Gale is an English professional poker based in Bushey, Hertfordshire.Gale is a relative newcomer to poker, having only begun playing Texas hold 'em in mid-2004. He first made a name for himself by qualifying for the World Poker Tour 2005 PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure tournament in The...
.
As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $5,000,000. His 49 cashes at the WSOP account for $1,494,336 of those winnings.
Blackjack
Cernuto has made appearances on the Ultimate Blackjack TourUltimate Blackjack Tour
The Ultimate Blackjack Tour was a televised series of Elimination Blackjack tournaments that aired in syndication. It debuted on September 16, 2006. The show consists of a series of televised Elimination Blackjack tournaments...
, making a final table in the Elimination Blackjack
Elimination Blackjack
Elimination Blackjack is a tournament format of blackjack invented by Russ Hamilton, and is played on the Ultimate Blackjack Tour and in various casinos. It combines the game of blackjack with elements of No Limit Texas Hold'Em...
event.