Quick Facts
Biography
John Anthony Cernuto (born January 10, 1944 in Jersey City, New Jersey) also known as Miami, is an American professional poker player based in Las Vegas, Nevada, specialising in Omaha hi-lo events. Cernato has won over $5,500,000 in live tournament winnings from small cashes, his largest score was for $259,150 from his $2000 No Limit Hold'em bracelet victory in the 1997 World Series of Poker.
Early years
Before embarking on his poker career, Cernuto graduated Florida State University as a finance major. After graduating he worked as an air traffic controller. When Ronald Reagan fired the air traffic controllers during a 1981 strike, he turned to poker for his profession.
World Series of Poker
He first cashed in the World Series of Poker (WSOP), making the final table in the 1989 World Series of Poker in the $5,000 seven-card stud event. He finished fourth in a final table also featuring David Sklansky, Humberto Brenes, Gabe Kaplan, and the tournament winner Don Holt.
Another five WSOP money finishes followed before he won his first bracelet in the 1996 WSOP $1,500 seven card stud split tournament. He also won the $2,000 no limit hold'em event in the 1997 World Series of Poker and the $1,500 limit omaha event in the 2002 World Series of Poker.
Cernuto made an impressive three final tables in the 2006 World Series of Poker, two in 7 Card Stud and one in Razz.
During the $2,500 Razz tournament of the 2009 WSOP, Cernuto collapsed and was taken to a hospital, where he spent the night after being diagnosed with internal bleeding.
Cernuto has cashed in at least one event at the World Series of Poker every year since 1992. His 49 in the money finishes place him in the top 10 of the all time WSOP tournament cashes list.
World Series of Poker Bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | $1,500 Seven Card Stud Split | $147,000 |
| 1997 | $2,000 No Limit Hold'em | $259,150 |
| 2002 | $1,500 Limit Omaha | $73,320 |
Other poker achievements
In 1988, Cernuto won the $1,000 Seven Card Stud event at Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker tournament series, earning a cash prize of $58,000 in addition to the title. This was his first career victory in a major poker tournament.
In 2003, he won the third World Heads-Up Poker Championship in Vienna, outlasting a field including Ivo Donev, Ram Vaswani, Dave Colclough, Scotty Nguyen and Padraig Parkinson on the way to the €60,000 grand prize.
Cernuto has also made one World Poker Tour (WPT) final table at the 2005 PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure event won by John Gale.
As of 2010, his total live tournament winnings exceed $5,000,000. His 49 cashes at the WSOP account for $1,494,336 of those winnings.
Blackjack
Cernuto has made appearances on the Ultimate Blackjack Tour, making a final table in the Elimination Blackjack event.
Personal life
Cernuto is married. He has a son, Tony, who is also a poker player and a daughter, Deborah.