Unofficial site about John Juanda

• John Juanda was born in Medan, Northern Sumatra on July 8 1971.
• He is the eldest of four children.
• Attended Oklahoma State University from 1990.
• Finished Masters Degree in 1996.

John Juanda’s father suffered a gambling addiction and told Juanda many times never to take up gambling. As Juanda was the oldest child of four, he was not only favoured but also had the main responsibility of taking care of the family. Juanda’s father did not want to see his son gamble away the family’s security as he himself had.

This advice was followed during Juanda’s early years. He was a star athlete is a child and teenagers and although he gambled for marbles during school, he is remembered as a well-balanced and well-mannered young man.

As the main supporter of his family, it was necessary for him to get a college education and in 1990 he travelled to the United States to study at Oklahoma State University. While he was on the plane he was taught to play poker and a love affair with the game was born.

In true Juanda style, he spent the next three years devoted to his studies, with poker remaining a background hobby. He supported himself through school with a variety of part-time jobs including stock brokering. Brokering stock is in itself a form of high-stakes gambling that requires timing, confidence and an innate understanding of human nature. This job choice no doubt honed some of Juanda’s future poker skills.

During his studies, he allowed himself weekends in Seattle to play the tables that would become the stage of his future career path. It was during this time that an interest became a potential career choice as Juanda quickly realised that his poker skills could actually make money rather than simply lose it as his father had done.

Only after graduating in marketing and management and beginning a Master’s degree did Juanda let his interest in poker flourish. This interest didn’t take him away from his studies however, and he received his MBA in 1996. His signature style has always been one of caution and well-studied risks so it should come as no surprise that he had carefully saved his small poker winnings during college and now decided to use them to fund the foundations of a poker career.

He didn’t throw himself into the professional arena though, moving to Los Angeles to find higher stakes and continue to improve his game. This slow and methodical approach has stayed with him throughout his career, adding to his reputation as a ‘sniper’ who will patiently wait until the perfect moment arrives and then exploit a single weakness in order to make his kill.

It wasn’t until 1999 that Juanda finally felt the moment was right to enter a high-profile tournament. A World Series of Poker event (the $1500 Limit Hold ‘Em), he placed ninth in a field of 609 players, certainly an incredibly successful debut to the international poker circuit. Encouraged by the result,the next week he entered the $3000 Limit Hold ‘Em event and placed seventh.

Although the next couple of years continued to bring heady success, Juanda kept his feet firmly on the ground, mixing high stakes with lower buy-in events until 2002 when he made the final table at three World Series of Poker events and winning his first bracelet at another.

Win after win followed, with two more bracelets being added to his achievements and a win at the Australian Poker Championships in 2006 that earned him a tidy $100,000.

John Juanda credits his Buddhism with his ability to retain his reputation as one of the “nicest guys on the circuit.” His fundamental philosophy is to respect everyone he plays against. Also, his Buddhism is centred on a sense of balance, so his greatest personal satisfaction comes from doing his absolute best, having reasonable expectations and never letting a loss crush him.

FullTiltPoker.com Commercial - John Juanda "Poker Face"

He also credits his early lack of English with his uncanny ability to read his fellow players. “When you don’t speak the language you must carefully watch the body language of the people you are speaking to in order to understand what they are saying.”

His friendly and cheerful demeanour at the table has led more than one player to believe he is an easy target. This is a mistake. His sharp and watchful eye, combined with the level-headed approach to poker as a business has made him the highest-earning player on the circuit today.

Ironically, his long-term career ambitions do not have anything to do with poker. He sees poker as a way to support his family (he has already brought one of his sisters to the United States and put her through college) as well as fulfil his dream of becoming a doctor.

The business-like approach to poker led him to become one of the Full Tilt poker team’s pros. This lucrative (and very fun, he says) sideline not only increases his profile but also gives him a passive income earning stream that adds to his investment portfolio. He has been involved in Full Tilt for a number of years and says that he not only enjoys sharing his love of the game with others but has also learned a great deal from his fellow pros and client base.

With well over $6.5 million in poker wins alone, it will be interesting to see when The Gentleman Gambler is ready to walk away from the table.