Johnson “John” Juanda is an Indonesian poker player based in Tokyo, Japan. He was born on the 8th of July 1971 in Medan, Indonesia, and began his gambling career in elementary school. He was also a talented athlete who won many scholarships. While he was in elementary school, he played gambling games with his friends for money.

Juanda was one of the most successful poker players in history. During his poker career, he has won five WSOP bracelets and more than $14 million. John was named Card Players Magazine’s player of the year several times due to his unrelenting success.

Poker Career

With a bachelor’s degree in management and marketing, John graduated from the University of Illinois. After receiving his Master of Business Administration at Seattle University, he moved on to a career in the travel industry. After he had saved enough money, he went to work as a Stockbroker and Bible Salesman until 1996, when he got into poker.

He was unable to play in major tournaments for three years. As a rookie, he entered the $1500 Limit Hold ’em Tournament at the 1999 WSOP, where he placed ninth and won $15000. Later, he won the Los Angeles Limit Hold ’em Tournament. He walked away with $400 000. In 2008, Juanda’s most significant achievement was winning the WSOP Europe, where he won $1.5 million and his fourth WSOP bracelet.

A milestone in John’s career was winning the 2006 Speed Poker Million Dollar Challenge. He defeated renowned professionals such as Mike Sexton and Phil Ivey. The full-time Full Tilt sponsored player often plays alongside fellow Full Tilt players.

Final Thoughts

Juanda is successful due to his playing style and aggressive playing moves. He plays by reading, mastering, and predicting his opponents’ moves, which has made him a world-class poker player.