World Poker Tour

John Bonetti

Birthplace
Brooklyn, NY

Hometown
Houston, TX

Total Winnings
$86,377

John Bonetti's accent is straight out of his native Brooklyn, New York. His vocabulary (especially the section beginning with the letter F) leaves no word untouched by his old school city accent. Bonetti isn't a Doyle Brunson figure in the world of poker. While Brunson and many other Texas gamblers used their youth to forge their way across the high stakes plains, Bonetti spent his early life as a businessman. In fact, he didn't pick up poker until he was in his mid-fifties. All it took was one poker tournament and he was hooked for good.

Bonetti was a salesman when a friend convinced him to try poker. Bonetti went on to tear across the poker landscape, like a man on a mission to live forever. Over the course of his career he has racked up an impressive number of money finishes and penalties. He is said to be the only person ever penalized for cursing while on break in a poker tournament. Although notorious for his blue language and general disdain for most dealers, Bonetti managed to fade the bad karma and start accumulating major wins. He placed 23rd in his first WSOP Main Event. He went on to cash five more times in that championship, including two third place finishes in the mid-1990s.

Although Bonetti has battled cancer off and on in his latter years, he has still proven he is one of the best in the game. He has Deuce to Seven WSOP bracelets and a Pot-Limit Hold'em bracelet. He also placed seventh in the fifth annual Jack Binion World Poker Open WPT event, just missing the televised final table. With more than $4 million in lifetime tournament winnings, Bonetti is proof that you can start playing poker anytime. Although his mouth may get him in a lot of trouble and his health often causes him problems, Bonetti continues to defy the odds and remain in the game as one of the best poker players on the circuit.