John Juanda
John Juanda was born July 8, 1971 in Indonesia. He was born and raised in Indonesia but is ethnically Chinese. John arrived in the U.S. in 1990, when he enrolled at Oklahoma State University. John only started playing poker in 1996 and says his favorite games are pot-limit and no-limit hold'em.
Juanda was the 2002 tournament Champion of the Year, winning 3 World Series of Poker titles, and a World Poker Open Championship title. In November 2004 he won the inaugural Professional Poker Tour event at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. In July 2005 John Juanda took home $274,090 for the WSOP Championship Event, where the buy-in was worth $10,000.
John earned nearly $500,000 in November 2005 in Monte Carlo, Monaco after winning the Monte Carlo Millions Consolation tournament, finishing sixth in the Monte Carlo Millions Main Event, and finishing second at "The FullTiltPoker.Net Invitational Live from Monte Carlo." Then in January 2006, Juanda defeated a field including Jeff Lisandro, Mike Sexton, Barry Greenstein, Tony Bloom, Tony G and Phil Ivey to win the AUD1,000,000 ($732,901) first prize in the Crown Australian Poker Championship AUD100,000 speed poker event.
Although Juanda has made 6 World Poker Tour final tables, he has never captured a title. He has finished 2nd (Bellagio Season 1), 3rd (WPT Invitational Season 2), 4th (Mirage Season 3), 5th (twice; Aruba Season 3 & Niagara Falls Season 5), and 6th (Bellagio Season 3) at the final tables he has appeared at. He has also finished 7th (PartyPoker Cruise Season 2) and 8th (Legends Season 5), just missing two more opportunities at another final table.
Juanda is a member of "Team Full Tilt" at Full Tilt Poker and lists Daniel Negreanu, Allan Cunningham, Phil Ivey, Randy Holland, and Erik Seidel as his heroes; not just as poker players but also as role models.
Fun Facts:
- John was a high school track star for the 200 meter sprints to 5000 meter races.
- He had a stint as a door to door salesman selling Bibles.
- He earned an MBA from Seattle University.