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John Juanda at a Glance
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Residence:
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Marina Del Rey, California
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Birthdate: |
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July 8th, 1971
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Career Highlights: |
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3 WSOP bracelets
Career Earnings: $5,056,459
Winner - Crown Australian Poker Championship (AUD $1,000,000)
Runner Up - 2001 and 2002 Card Player's Player Of The Year Standings
Winner - 2005 Monte Carlo Millions Consolation Event ($500,000)
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Affiliated Poker Room(s): |
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Full Tilt
Read our FTR
Full Tilt Poker
Review.
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Personal Website: |
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johnjuanda.com
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Products: |
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N/A
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John Juanda
If you’ve ever watched poker on T.V., you’ve seen John Juanda. The man’s a beast at the poker table, having career winnings of over five million dollars! He is sometimes called “Mr. Nice Guy” because of his well known modesty and big heart.
Juanda was born in Indonesia, and moved to the United States in 1990, where he enrolled in Oklahoma State University. On the plane to the U.S., Juanda had his first experience with poker, playing with some buddies. To his astonishment his first hand was a royal flush, something you rarely ever see, especially after just one hand. John literally didn’t believe his luck. He knew that getting a royal flush was a huge improbability. He thought something may be up and he was right; his friend had stacked the deck. The lesson he learned from this experience, believing in odds and not luck, would be a building block for his game.
Before poker, Juanda was found on the track, where he specialized in the 200 meter and 5000 meter races. Interestingly, for a short period of time Juanda was a door to door bible salesman, not something you’d think a professional poker player used to do. He is also a former Market Executive and a stock trader.
Juanda got an early start as a poker player. As a kid, Juanda would watch his dad gamble. However, it’s not like his father wanted him to be one. “He’d always tell me ‘Hey no, don’t gamble’... I know now that’s not how you teach your kids.” [Card Player, Behind the Scenes with John Juanda http://www.Cardplayer .com/players/videos/John_Juanda/818]. Juanda laughed in an interview with Card Player. He started studying poker as early as elementary school.
As a poker player, Juanda is possibly under only Phil Ivey as one of the most respected and feared
poker players in the world. Style wise, Norman Chad would tell you he’s “aggressive” (which isn’t saying much coming from him), and he would be right. Juanda is a player who likes playing a lot of hands; doing whatever he can to take all your chips from the poker tables and stack them onto his.
What can Juanda teach you? In an interview with poker player magazine, Juanda alludes to the importance of bankroll management and being smart, a mistake even winning players make. “When I feel that I’m running a little bit bad I’ll go and play in a softer game. Some of my best friends will stick to the Big Game [where many of the best players in the world play] and that’s not a smart idea [he laughs]. You should find a softer game to build your bankroll and your confidence” [Poker Player Magazine Interview, Mar 2006 http://www.pokerplayermagazine.co.uk/theplayers/playerprofiles/736/under_the _gun.html].
In that same interview, he also talks about the power of observation and learning side games. “The most important thing is to observe the players. That’s what makes the great players like Phil Ivey and Chris Ferguson so good... When you first learn how to play poker you’re best playing side games. You’ll learn the fundamentals of the game.”
Juanda’s Future plans:
“Someday he hopes to help people on a larger scale by leaving the game and becoming a doctor. His dream is to return to Indonesia and help the country’s poor. It means a significant change in his life, but it’s a gamble he’s willing to take.” [Poker Equalizer, Juanda Player Profile http://proampokerequalizer.com/poker-equalizer-players.php?pid=5&epid=1]
Common misspellings for John Juanda:
Jon Juanda, Jon Juwanda, John Jewanda, John Jujuanda, John Wanda.
Learn more about John Juanda at Full Tilt Poker.
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