Poker Pro John 'Miami' Cernuto passed away on February 10th, 2025, at the age of 81. The legendary player has made quite an impact on the poker industry, and he deserves to be honored by the Everygame Poker community.
Born on January 11, 1944, in New Jersey, Cernuto started his career away from the poker tables. Up until 1981, he worked as an air traffic controller, but after President Ronald Reagen fired all traffic controllers during a strike, he turned poker into a career.
What has Cernuto achieved throughout his years at the poker tables? Let's take a closer look at his marvelous career.
John Cernuto's Poker Career
John was first introduced to card games at a young age, playing Seven Card Stud around the dinner table, keeping the tradition alive even while in college and during his time in the army. However, it took him a while to turn his love for the game into a profession. He also dabbled in playing blackjack here and there, even making a final table in the Elimination Blackjack event.
Over the years, Cernuto made $6,471,384 in live earnings by playing poker. He is in 12th place on the All-Time Money List Best Rank by Hendon Mob, with his best win being a $259,150 cash prize John won during the $2,000 No Limit Hold'em WSOP event in 1997 when he won first place.
Cernuto had nearly 600 cash wins since he started playing professionally, spanning decades of poker play. His last recorded game took place on July 14th, 2024, where he won 3rd place during a 200 Big O Bounty Event at the Venetian DeepStack Championship.
He won three WSOP bracelets during his tournament career: the first in 1996, another one the year after, and the third in 2002. His achievements at the poker tables got him nominated for the Poker Hall of Fame two in the last two years, but he ultimately lost to high-stakes players Brian Rast and Patrik Antonious. After his passing, multiple players claimed that Cernuto should have become a member of the Poker Hall of Fame a while ago. Mark Seif posted on X: "Put Miami John Cernuto in the Poker Hall of Fame (posthumously now), please. This year. Please."
Another player wrote: "Suggestion to the WSOP: In addition to Player of the Year, award the Miami John Cernuto trophy to the player with the best mixed-game results."
Even though Cernuto - dubbed 'The Ironman of Poker' for being the all-time leader in the number of tournament cashes - kept playing poker until the last possible moment, he was already struggling with cancer. That didn't stop him from racking up six cash wins in 2024. That shows how dedicated he was to the game, and how much he enjoyed being a part of the tournament elite.
Rest in Peace Beloved Player
John Cernuto is definitely one of the most dedicated and inspiring poker players of this century. It is a shame he wasn't recognized for his achievements by joining the Poker Hall of Fame while he was alive, but hopefully, the poker world will honor his memory in different ways.
The younger generation of players has a lot to learn from players like Cernuto, and we hope his name won't be forgotten.