John Joseph Bonetti was a professional poker player from Houston, Texas who was best known for being a dominant player in the 1980's and 1990's.
Born in 1928, in Brooklyn, New York, Bonetti spent his early life as a businessman. It's hard to believe, but he didn't start playing poker until he was in his mid-fifties when a friend convinced him to try it.
He played his first tournament in 1985 and won $28,000. He then started playing poker professionally because of job troubles.
Although Bonetti didn't make many headlines during the time of the poker boom, he was a major force in the poker world in the 1900's. Daniel Negraneu said that he was the deadliest tournament player alive when he is healthy. Like other great players, he had a very aggressive style and was known for his colorful language at the table.
Like another poker great, Stu Ungar, Bonetti excelled in the WSOP main event. He made the money in two-thirds of the main events he's entered since 1985, finishing in 3rd twice (1994 and 1996) and 8th in 1990.
He has 3 bracelets and 32 WSOP cashes for a total of $1,743,993, which is impressive since many of his payouts came in the lower-payout WSOP tourneys of the 1990s. His biggest WSOP cashes were a 3rd place finish in the 1996 main event for $341,250 and a 3rd place finish in the 1993 main event for $210,000.
Year | Event | Prize |
---|---|---|
1990 | $5,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball | $83,250 |
1993 | $1,500 Pot Limit Hold'em | $122,400 |
1995 | $5,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball w/ rebuys | $101,250 |
Bonetti also finished on the TV bubble of the WPT Jack Binion World Poker Open during season 2, winning $86,377.
Bonetti was diagnosed with cancer in 1992 and battled it off and on for years, while still managing to play poker. On June 27, 2008, Bonetti died at the age of 80. As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceeded $4,100,000.
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