John Juanda | Team Full Tilt Player

Until John Juanda burst into the poker scene, no one would have thought that a nice guy could win in the game. Polite, quiet and humble, he really defies popular conceptions of a gambler. In a world of sharks and maniacs, this Team Full Tilt Player stands calmly and serenely, lovable to his opponents even when he has taken their chips away.

John Juanda was born in Sumatra , Indonesia on July 8, 1971 to Chinese immigrants. His parents left him in the care of grandparents from both sides while they took care of their business. He did not see his parents regularly until he reached the fifth grade, when he moved in with them. It was from his father that John would have his first brush with gambling. But contrary to what his son would become, the elder Juanda was a bad, irresponsible gambler. Both his parents discouraged him from gambling.

In 1990, the family sent young John to the United States to study management and marketing, so that he could return to Indonesia and take over the family business. After obtaining his degree at Oklahoma University , the future Team Full Tilt Player went back to his country, only to wind up in serious credit card debt worth $15,000. Unable to think of any other way out of this predicament, he feigned the desire to get a master's degree - once again in the US - with the intent to use part of his funding to pay off his debt. His tactic worked, and he got $40,000 and a ticket back to America .

As promised, John earned his MBA at Seattle University in Washington . He held different jobs in the stock trade, marketing and sales, always displaying a good business sense. But it was in poker that John Juanda would make his fortune.

His professional odyssey began in 1996, and in 2001 he won his first major tournament, the World Poker Open Championship. In 2002, the Team Full Tilt Player bagged a World Series of Poker bracelet by winning the Ace to Five Triple Draw Lowball. The following year, he captured the Pot Limit Omaha and Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Split titles, also in WSOP.

In 2004 John won the Professional Poker Tour debut event. He made a great run in Monte Carlo in 2005, winning a total of $500,000 in various events. And in 2006 he won $1 million Australian dollars in the Crown Australian Poker Championship, besting many luminaries on the way.

John Juanda was regarded by his family as a “lucky child” since their business flourished when he was born. The good fortune continues for John himself. In 2008, he captured the main event of the WSOP European Series held in London . The final table of that event set a WSOP record for duration (19 hr. 10 sec.) And hands played (484). A week later he finished second in another London tournament, earning $570,000.

One of the friendliest players around, John Juanda is much liked and respected by his fellow players. He has been honored with several awards including Tournament Champion of the Year, runner up Player of the Year (twice) by Card Player, and Best All-Around Player (thrice).

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