Who was “Miami” John Cernuto?

He was an air traffic controller fired by President Ronald Reagan

John Anthony Cernuto, nicknamed “Miami,” was born on January 10, 1944, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He graduated from Florida University with a finance major, then moved to Miami to become an Air Traffic Controller. He started playing poker with coworkers on break, which caused conflicts with the airport management. In 1981, John participated in the infamous union strike that led President Ronald Reagan to fire 11,000 controllers, including Cernuto. Afterward, John took his savings and headed to Las Vegas to pursue a career in poker.

He started out losing

Using his retirement savings, John went to Las Vegas, where the poker tables eagerly welcomed him. He ended up losing all his money. Forced to return to Florida, he built up another bankroll and came back to Vegas for a second try. He found work at the Las Vegas Hilton, which allowed him to stay in town until he hit his stride. He quit his job in 1988 when he won $58,000 at Amarillo Slim’s Superbowl of Poker.

He set a record for most live tournament cashes

According to TheHendonMob, John has earned $6,471,384 in live tournament winnings over his career. His first recorded cash dates back to local Vegas tournaments in 1987. By 1989, John had already made his first WSOP final table, finishing fourth in an event that featured players like David Sklansky, Humberto Brenes, and Gabe Kaplan. At that point, he had already won a tournament at Amarillo Slim’s Superbowl of Poker, which rivaled the WSOP for the title of largest poker series in those days.

In 1993, John reached two WSOP final tables but did not win a bracelet. Over the following years, he kept making final tables until he finally secured his first WSOP victory in 1996, winning the $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Split event for $147,000 and his first bracelet. He won two more bracelets in 1997 and 2002.

In 2003, John won the World Heads-Up Poker Championship. Two years later, in 2005, he appeared at a WPT final table.

By 2025, Miami John had set a historic record with 597 live tournament cashes. His achievement was recognized in 2020 with a Global Poker Award.

At the WSOP, John ranks in the Top 50 for most cashes (89 total). Over the course of his career, he has won 76 tournaments.

He taught actor James Woods how to play poker

Actor James Woods has played in numerous charity poker events, and his close friend John Cernuto was the one who taught him the game. In 2024, Woods advocated for John’s nomination to the Poker Hall of Fame, calling him his mentor. By that time, Cernuto was 81 years old and had set his record for most tournament cashes. In 2024, Patrik Antonius was the one inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame instead.

He played blackjack against top professionals

On September 16, 2006, “Episode 1” of The Ultimate Blackjack Tour aired, featuring Miami John playing blackjack against top pros in an Elimination Blackjack event. Among the competitors were Michael Castellana (banned from casinos on six continents and claiming to be the world’s best card counter), “Hollywood” Dave Stann (author of Hollywood Blackjack), Ken Smith (a professional who has won dozens of blackjack tournaments), and “Big” Chuck Gorson (a player with over $1 million in blackjack winnings). They were joined by poker player Alex Brenes—Humberto Brenes’s younger brother—and John Cernuto himself.

During the show, John was the fourth player eliminated. His $77,000 bet on a 20 lost to the dealer’s 21. Ken Smith eventually won the event.

He appeared in a documentary alongside Doyle Brunson

John can be seen in the documentary film No Limit: A Search for the American Dream on the Poker Tournament Trail (2006) alongside many legendary players he has competed with for years at the WSOP. The film features Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, David Sklansky, Barny Boatman, and other well-known professionals.

He Co-Authored Book

Miami John co-authored the book Make BETTER Poker Tournament Deals, which is available on Amazon. Published on November 30, 2021, it was written in collaboration with Alan Schoonmaker and Jan Siroky.

Make BETTER Poker Tournament Deals is a practical guide to negotiating profitable tournament deals. It combines Alan Schoonmaker’s negotiation expertise with John “Miami” Cernuto’s extensive poker experience. Beyond ICM calculations, the book covers stack sizes, player skill levels, tournament structure, and the psychology of making deals. Although it contains a few typos and design flaws, it serves as a valuable resource for serious players looking to improve their deal-making decisions.

More facts about Miami John

• Professional accordion player
• Earned the nickname “Miami” while playing at Stardust Casino
• Won two live poker tournaments in a single day
• Was among the first players to receive a sponsorship from Full Tilt Poker
• Played $500/$1,000 cash games against a prince from Arabia