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John Cernuto at a Glance
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Residence:
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Las Vegas, Nevada
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Birthdate: |
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1944
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Career Highlights: |
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1996 $1,500 Seven Card Stud Split $147,000
Live Tournament Winnings of over $4,000,000
1997 $2,000 No Limit Hold'em $259,150
2002 $1,500 Limit Omaha $73,320
Most WSOP Omaha tournament cashes ever
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Affiliated Poker Room(s): |
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Full Tilt Poker
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FullTiltPoker.net review or pick up
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Personal Website: |
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miamijohn.com
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Products: |
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N/A
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John Cernuto
John Cernuto was born in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1944. A graduate in finance from Florida State University, Cernuto ended up working as an air traffic controller in Miami right out of college. It was a job where you had to make decisions under pressure and within constraints, skills that would benefit Cernuto’s future poker career. Cernuto believed that he would be an air traffic controller for the rest of his life. However, in 1981, because of a strike, President Reagan fired 11,500 air traffic controllers, including Cernuto, who didn’t know where to turn.
Cernuto began playing poker at 20. He would play (and win) the occasional poker tournament in Miami, although they were only small buy in. Encouraged by his success, the unemployed Cernuto decided he would move to Las Vegas and try to make it as a professional poker player. Cernuto already had experience gambling large sums of money; in the 70’s Cernuto ended up flipping a coin with his now ex-wife to see who got more money from the divorce.
For the first several years, Cernuto experienced many ups and downs. Cernuto lacked discipline, playing too many cards, and the resulting swings were hard to take. Cernuto eventually had to get a job as a dealer in the Stardust to survive. It was then he realized he’d have to adopt a tighter strategy. He started reading poker books to get advice from pros who had been honing their skills for years. In 1988, when he entered the Super Bowl of Poker in Lake Tahoe, all his reading, especially poker legend Chip Reese’s section in “SuperSystem” on 7 card stud, paid off. He ended up winning the tournament.
Later, Cernuto entered a 7 card stud tournament at Caeser’s Palace. He normally would enter tournament’s under his initials “J.C.” However, seeing all the J.C.’s on the list Cernuto decided to register under the name “Miami John.” Miami John only lost one hand the entire tournament, winning the $50,000 1st place prize. Under his new nickname, Cernuto began his run as one of the most successful live tournament players ever.
Cernuto is considered one of the best Omaha Hi/Lo Tournament players in the world, having more tournament cashes in that game than any other player… ever. Cernuto has 3 WSOP bracelets, a feat accomplished only by a select few. He has won over 50 1st place finishes, and has cashed in over 200 tournaments. His biggest win was a quarter of a million dollars in the 1997 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold’em event (unfortunately for Cernuto, this event now regularly has a 1st prize of over one million dollars). His career winnings, which exceed four million dollars, may have been four times as much if poker was as popular today as it was ten years ago.
In his spare time, Cernuto plays softball, listens to classic rock, and watches his favorite movie, “Forrest Gump.” Cernuto hopes to end his career with 10 WSOP bracelets as well as winning the much coveted Main Event. Cernuto is married and has three children.
Common Misspellings: John Cernewto, Jon Cernuto, John Cernoto
Learn more about John Cernuto at Full Tilt Poker.
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