Mixed game tournament legend John Cernuto passed away on Monday after battling colon cancer. The 81-year-old poker player had been in hospice care at his Las Vegas home. Cernuto’s impact on poker cannot be understated as he holds the most live tournament cashes with 597. He sits 25 cashes ahead of Roland Ishraelashvili (574 cashes), while Ari Engel (565 cashes) rounds out the podium.
An Impeccable Career
“Miami John,” born January 10, 1944 in Jersey City, New Jersey, has earned over $6.4 million in live tournament earnings. He won three WSOP bracelets along with two WSOPC rings surpassing $2 million in WSOP cashes. His list of accomplishments also includes 85 known tournament wins.
Before he gained fame in the poker world, Cernuto was a former air traffic controller. After he and his colleagues were fired by Ronald Reagan, Cernuto began his journey into poker in the early 1980s. His impact on the game goes beyond his own play. He inspired others to take up the game and was often a mentor to such players. Among those he mentored is actor James Woods, a Los Angeles mixed game player often seen at the WSOP.
The co-star of the 1990s box office hit, Casino, paid tribute to Cernuto who he considered a close friend.
“I’ve never met a more giving soul, nor a more intellectually demanding teacher. As he stands tall in the twilight hours of his life, I embrace him with all my heart, with the full measure of gratitude for his counsel, for his undying friendship, and for the many smiles with which he gifted me for years. God bless you, John. And goodbye,” Woods shared.
Cernuto leaves behind a sterling reputation within the poker community as a player, friend, and mentor to those around him. Many, including Woods, credit their growth as a poker player to his late friend. While unexpected, Cernuto turned a bad situation around and achieved a legendary life in poker. It is not only his time along the felt, but in his life lived away from it, that Cernuto has been able to touch the hearts of so many.
Rest in Peace, Miami John.
