Unlike some other professional gamblers, John Bonetti didn’t start the game until late in life. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1928, the Italian-American didn’t pick up the cards until the boss of the company Bonetti worked for invited him to a game of poker. Bonetti was 54 years old and nearing retirement. Although he lost that first night, it sparked an interest and it became quickly apparent the Bonetti had the instincts for the game. Troubles finding a job, particularly at his age, led Bonetti to try to earn a living at poker.

John Bonetti Poker Player

John Bonetti entered his first tournament in 1985, winning him $23,000, and quickly rose up the ranks of his peers. In 1987, he entered his first World Series of Poker events and placed 23rd, earning him $10,000.

John Bonetti and the WSOP

Throughout his career, he won over 40 tournaments and earned cash at two-thirds of the WSOP events where he participated. By the 1989 event, he inched up the standings, placing 16th.

In 1990, he made the final table and finished in 8th and then won his first gold bracelet in the No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball tournament at a table that included the legendary Johnny Moss. Over the few short years, it became custom for Bonetti to make the final table.

He won his second gold bracelet in 1993 in the Pot-Limit Hold’Em Tournament and won $122,400. That entire year was a good one for Bonetti. His winnings exceeded over $350,000.

Then in 1995, he won his third gold bracelet in the Deuce to Seven Draw Tournament at a table that included the Pioneer of Poker Doyle Brunson, fellow Texan Johnny Chan, and four-time WSOP bracelet winner Mickey Appleman. The winnings from that earned him $101,250.

Many poker players struggle to win just a few tournaments during their careers. Bonetti seemed to be the exception to the rule. He hit his peak at an age when many people were retiring. He took first place in most of the tournaments he participated in during the 1990’s and continued to do well in the World Series of Poker events. In 1996, at the Main Event, he took first place which earned him $340,000. Then a second place finish at Limit Hold’Em won him $135,700. One of his greatest achievements was winning three events at the 1999 U.S. Poker Championship. He came one card away from defeating Daniel Negreanu and taking a fourth win.

John Bonetti - A Poker Personality

Negreanu is quoted as saying "I'm convinced, when John is healthy, he is the deadliest tournament player alive today, no question."

Bonetti was equally known at the table, not just for him aggressive playing style, but for his caustic mouth. Like a stereotyped Italian Brooklynite, he threw f-bombs and obscenities around the room with practiced ease. He racked up penalties at the table for his vulgarities. He even got slapped with a 20 minute penalty during a break from the table when a floorperson overheard him throw out an f-bomb when describing his last hand. He also had a well-known reputation for disliking dealers and many a casino employee was the target for his verbal assaults. Even the machines were not immune from his abuse. He often cursed that he had gotten ‘cold decked’ by a casino’s poker machine.

The John Bonetti Poker Roast at the WSOP

At the 2005 World Series of Poker event, a roast was held for Bonetti. By that time, the 77 year old poker player was a legend. As is custom with such roasts, many of his peers told stories or made jokes at the expense of the roastee. Tony Shelton said that several of Bonetti’s peers once conspired to poison the vulgar player but that the doctored drink did not work. According to Shelton, “Not only is he brutal, vulgar, and has the manners of a water buffalo," Shelton said, "the son of a bitch is indestructible." Friend Phil Helmuth described Bonetti as the biggest pain in the ass in the world.

John Bonetti - Death

In 1993, Bonetti’s lucked turned for the worse. He was diagnosed with both spinal cord and prostate cancer. He underwent treatment and the cancer went into remission. But the crippling disease left him with a string of health problems that required him to occasionally use a wheelchair.

Bonetti was good friends with poker legend Phil Helmuth. During Bonetti’s roast, someone remarked that the only reason the two got along was because no one could stand either one of them. But many among his peers knew Bonetti to be a warm, kind-hearted man who doted on his family. He even assisted players who were down on their luck, taking them under his wing and helping them out during hard times. He once said he wanted to make sure they at least had enough cab fare to get home.

In 2001, at the age of 73, John Bonetti was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. In his speech, he called poker the greatest game in the world and said that no one was ever too old to learn to play. Throughout his career, he won over $4 million dollars in poker tournaments. In 2007, the cancer that had plagued Bonetti years earlier had come back and he was informed he only had a few months to live. Phil Helmuth said that Bonetti had been given that diagnosis twice before and each time he had beaten the odds. This time his luck didn’t hold. Bonetti passed away on June 28, 2008, in his hometown of Houston, Texas. He is survived by his wife, Jean, four sons, and a slew of grandchildren. He is also survived by his peers who can tell a thousand stories, sure to become urban legends, about his strategy, his personality, and his humanity.