Hailing from Medan, Indonesia, John Juanda has built a legendary career, earning millions in live tournaments and securing his place among the game’s elites. Known for his calm demeanor and exceptional skill across multiple poker formats, Juanda has consistently proven himself on the global stage by winning multiple World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and several prestigious live poker titles.
In this report, we will discuss poker career of Mixed game legend, and Asian poker Veteran John Juanda, who took the poker world by storm with his top-notch poker game. From his early life to his net worth, here is everything you need to know about John Juanda.
John Juanda’s Early Life and Introduction to Poker
Johnson Juanda born in 1971, in Indonesia’s Medam, North Sumatera. At an early age, Juanda was very interested in sports and was a high school track star for 200-meter and 500-meter races. After finishing high school, in 1990 Juanda came to the United States to pursue his higher education at Oklahoma State University. He went on to earn an MBA degree from Seattle University.
Juanda’s introduction to poker also happened during this time as he was exposed to the poker culture of the United States. Juanda then began his live poker journey in 1997 and has been participating in poker tournaments till now.
John Juanda’s Poker Career Highlights and Earnings
Juanda’s first recorded live cash was $1,320 when he finished 6th in Heavenly Hold’em $120. He then won the same event a day after, winning his first live poker trophy and a $14,440 payday. The Indonesian pro wrapped up the year by winning the $1k NLH 1997 Legends of Poker for $34,500.
In 1999, Juanda participated in the World Series of Poker and went on to the final table in the $1,500 NLH, and $3,000 NLH finishing 9th and 7th respectively earning over $26k. The next year, the Asian poker legend earned his first six-figure score by ending up as the runner-up in the 2000 US Poker Championship $7,500 NLH for a massive $159,000.
In 2001, he banked a staggering $283,240 after winning the 2nd Jack Binion World Poker Open $5,100 Championship. A year later he finished 2nd in the Five Diamond World Poker Classic $10k NLH Final for $278,240. Juanda’s biggest poker achievement came in 2002 when the player took down the 33rd WSOP $1,500 Ace-to-Five triple draw for a $48,620 payout. The next year he won two back-to-back bracelets at the 34th WSOP, won a $2,500 PLO event for an impressive $203,840 payday, and a $2,500 Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo for another $130,200 payout.
He continued participating in tournaments and earning six figures. His next big victory came in 2006 when he won the Aussie Million le Poker Championship Million Dollar Challenge for a whopping $732,901. Two years later, in 2008, Juanda won the second annual World Series of Poker Europe £10k Championship Main Event for his career first seven-figure score of $1,580,096.
In 2011, Juanda proved himself to be a mixed game legend winning the 2011 WSOP $10k NL 2-7 Draw World Championship for a $367,170 payout. That same year he crushed his previous seven-figure sum by adding an impressive $1,645,756 after finishing 2nd in the Macau High Stakes Challenge SHR Event.
In 2015, Juanda added another prestigious title to his tally, after emerging victorious in the European Poker Tour €5,300 NLH Main Event for $1,164,034. Two years later, Juanda headed to Macau to participate in the Triton Poker SHRS Macau and took down the HK$1,000,000 NLH Triton Main Event for a career-best $2,870,092 seven-figure top prize.
He then concluded 2019 by winning his second Triton Title at the Triton Poker SHRS Montenegro HK$250k Short Deck Ante for $601,358. Juanda kind of vanished from the poker world that year and made his return to the live field in 2022 and has since been participating in major tournaments.
In 2023, the Asian legend won his first Poker Dream Trophy winning the Poker Dream 7 Vietnam Super High Roller for $245,807. Juanda’s first victory of 2025 includes winning his career second Poker Dream title at the Poker Dream Jeju 16 for a massive $270,350 payout.
John Juanda’s Net Worth
In live poker, John Juanda has earned over $26 million in total live earnings from just 280 cashes. With a career spanning nearly three decades, Juanda also briefly stayed among the top 5 all-time money list.
Juanda currently ranks 1st on Indonesia’s all-time money list, with no one close to him. Also, there aren’t any official reports on his earnings, but it could be in millions.
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