Justin Bonomo is a well-known high-stakes poker player in the world. Fondly known as “ZeeJustin,” Bonomo currently holds the 2nd place in Hendon Mob’s All Time Money list, with over $60 million live cash in.
Beyond his success, Bonomo is one of the controversial players in the poker community for several reasons, whether for his different ideology or cheating in online poker. He also has a long feud with the kid poker “Daniel Negreanu.”
In this article, we will discuss Justin Bonomo’s early life, his rise in poker, his net worth, his cheating scandal, and his feud with Daniel Negreanu.
Justin Bonomo’s Early Life and Success in Magic Card Game
Born on 30th September. 1985. Justin Bonomo was attracted to gaming, which is how he got introduced to Magic: The Gathering.
At the age of 12, his love for the Magic Game draws him toward playing international tournaments around the world. While magic tournaments offered impressive prizes, Bonomo became interested in poker because of its growing popularity among his friends.
He decided to try poker, but like many players, building a bankroll was difficult for him. During a magic tournament in California, Bonomo saw a World Poker Tour event on TV. This sparked a new passion in him, and he began studying poker strategy and techniques.
Justin Bonomo Online Poker Career
After studying the game, he started playing online poker. He was known for playing multiple games at the same time. He found success in Sit & Go and in tournaments on Party Poker and a major win on PokerStars, making him one of the most popular figures in online poker at that time.
He even started a website, ZeeJustin.Com, to share his knowledge and experience about poker.
Justin Bonomo’s Impressive Live Poker Career
Justin Bonomo made his first Live Poker appearance in 2005 at a $8,000 NLH Tournament in PCA. He went on to win $15k from that tournament, finishing in 30th place.
Just one month after it, he participated in the €2,000 NLH tournament at the European Poker Tour (EPT). He was eliminated in 4th place, earning $40,000 for his impressive performance.
Unlike many other High Roller players, Bonomo has an impressive tournament-winning record in the World Series of Poker, with an amassed cash prize winning over $16 million.
As of June 2024, Justin Bonomo has 70 cashes in the World Series of Poker, with three WSOP gold bracelets and a staggering winnings of $16 million.
Bonomo claimed his first WSOP gold bracelet in 2014 by winning the $1.5k NLH Six-Handed event, earning a staggering $449,980.
Some next few years were going well for the player. But his career was highlighted in 2018, when he won multiple high roller tournaments, and two Wsop bracelets, with staggering live cash winnings.
Bonomo captured his second WSOP gold bracelet in 2018’s $10k NLH Heads-up Championship, earning $185,965. He then went on to win the $1,000,000 NLH High Roller tournament at the 2018 WSOP. Not only did he claim his third bracelet, but he won his biggest-ever cash win of $10 million.
As of 2024, Bonomo has a staggering winnings of $63,846,781, just $3 million behind to overtake Bryn Kenney to sit at the top of The time money list.
Justin Bonomo Cheating in Online Poker
In 2006, Bonomo was accused of cheating in online poker by the popular poker platform PartyPoker. The site alleged that Bonomo exploited a software bug, allowing him to register and play from multiple accounts simultaneously on their platform. As a result, his account was shut down, and a total of $100,000 was seized.
Justin Bonomo later accepted the cheating allegations in the 2+2 forum. Instead of accepting his fault and apologies, Bonomo justified it by saying “I have never done this in a tournament with less than 1,000 players.” He further said the sole purpose of those accounts was to change his table image and to be read less at the Poker table.
Justin Bonomo’s Feud with Daniel Negreanu
In the 2022, World Series of Poker, Daniel Negreanu suffered a bad beat at the hands of David Peters in the Event #50: $250,000 Super High Roller No-Limit Hold’em. Frustrated by the bad beat, Negreanu slammed his phone and his camera stick, which was caught on camera.
Bonomo quickly published a poll on X regarding Negreanu’s behavior. In the poll, he provided options: pathetic and sad, violent and unacceptable, completely acceptable, not great, but no big deal.
Negreanu responded to it in his WSOP blog, calling Bonomo a cheater and claiming that Bonomo was completely indoctrinated & Brainwashed Beyond Repair. Bonomo faced backlash for the poll, with several poker players criticizing Bonomo’s ideology, including bracelet winner Liv Boeree. There is no end to this feud yet, with both players dragging each other on X at some point.
Justin Bonomo’s Net Worth in 2024
Justin Bonomo has a remarkable net worth of more than $63 million, mostly coming from his success in professional high-roller poker tournaments. He is currently participating in the ongoing WSOP and his live earnings are set to swell up ahead as he has already recorded a cash, finishing $50,637 in the WSOP 2024 $25K NLH High Roller – 8-handed (Bracelet Event #26).
Justin Bonomo’s Personal Life
Justin Bonomo has an interesting personal life, as he is a believer of Polyamory. In case you don’t know, Polyamory is a practice in which a person can have several romantic partners at the same time.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only. While we strive to present accurate and up-to-date information, we do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any data, facts, or figures mentioned. Readers are advised to verify any information and use their discretion before making any decisions or judgments based on the content of this article.
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