John Anthony Cernuto (January 11, 1944 – February 10, 2025) also known as Miami, was an American professional poker player based in Las Vegas, Nevada, specialising in Omaha hi-lo events. Cernuto won over $6,200,000 in live tournament winnings. His largest score was for $259,150 from his $2,000 No Limit Hold'em bracelet victory in the 1997 World Series of Poker.[1]
Background
Cernuto was born on January 11, 1944.[2] Before embarking on his poker career, Cernuto worked as an air traffic controller. When PresidentRonald Reagan fired the air traffic controllers during a 1981 strike, he turned to poker for his profession.[3]
Cernuto died from colon cancer on February 10, 2025, at the age of 81.[4]
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.[12]
At the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event, Cernuto finished in 345th place for his best career placement in the World Championship.[13]
As of the 2023 World Series of Poker, Cernuto finished in the money in at least one World Series of Poker tournament per year starting in 1992.[14][15]
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.[16] The victory at the SBOP was Cernuto's first career victory in a major poker tournament.[1]
As of 2023, his total live tournament winnings exceed $6,200,000.[1]
In 2019, actor James Woods, a close friend of Cernuto's dubbed him the “Ironman of Poker”, as Cernuto is the all-time leader in poker tournament cashes.[19]
At the 2020 Global Poker Awards, Cernuto was given the distinguished "Hendon Mob" award for his lifetime tournament cashes record.[20]
