John Juanda
Though born in Indonesia, John Juanda is now a poker player who has received remarkable worldwide fame. He came to the US to study in Oklahoma when he was 19, and even received an MBA from Seattle U. Being a working student in a foreign land, John had to work some odd jobs in order to support himself, including being a Bible salesman. In interviews, John claims that he would perhaps be a doctor today if being a professional poker player didn’t work out.
John started playing poker when he was around 30, but it wasn’t until six years later when he was awarded his first victory during the World Poker Open Championship. This kicked off his lucrative career in gambling. 2002 was John’s big year. During this time, he won a WSOP bracelet, became a runner up for being the Tournament Player of the Year, and was even awarded the Tournament Champion of the Year. If these weren’t impressive enough, he also bagged not one or two but three “Best All Around Player” awards. John continued to play poker and hone his skills regularly. He takes home prestigious awards once in a while, including the Professional Poker Tour Champion in 2004 as well as the Five-Star World Poker Classic Champion and the National Heads-Up Poker Championship Winner in 2005. In 2006, he took home 1 million Australian Dollars during an Australian poker championship tour.
After winning worldwide recognition and gaining his reputation of being one of the best poker players in the industry, John works as a part of Full Tilt Poker’s team of master players. He only plays online nowadays, making millions over his Mac computer. He is proud to also be a poker teacher to hundreds of Full Tilt Poker students hoping to master the craft.