WSOP 2010 Hero John Racener: The Poker Prodigy Who Won $5.5 Million

At the WSOP Main Event, as in most major competitions, the winner enjoys all the spoils and attention associated with a famous victory, while second place is consigned to the scrap heap of what might have been.
On Monday night, Jonathan Duhamel won the 2010 WSOP Main Event for $8,944,301 and the poker world has been celebrating his remarkable achievement ever since.
However, in this case the runner-up was the 24 year old poker pro from Florida, John Racener, who also enjoyed an outstanding WSOP 2010 Main Event, and played a patient and intelligent game at the November Nine final table on his way to collecting a massive $5,545,955 for his hard fought efforts.
“My play and patience showed that I wanted it the most. Everyone else was too busy gambling in situations that were just very unnecessary in my opinion. I just waited it out and it worked out perfect for me.”
Racener’s analysis of the final table players and his formulated strategy certainly proved to be accurate, and now at the age of 24 he finds himself already in poker’s top thirty ‘All Time Money List’ with around $7 million in live tournament winnings.
In fact, Racener’s prowess as a skilled poker player has been evident from a very young age, and at just 16 this prodigious talent ran a $50 online deposit into $30,000 over two years and still enjoys a lucrative online poker career.
The self taught Racener aged 21 then came 3rd in his first live tournament for $103,527, and hasn’t looked back since having managed to accumulate $1.5 million in live tournament earnings prior to this year’s Main Event.
“I’ve been playing since I was really young, like 16, so I was already really confident. I was ready, I had already won some big tournaments, and I had a bankroll, so I could play the [WSOP 2010] $5K and $10K events right off the bat.”
“I’ve been disciplined too. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t had highs and lows. You can go three months and not do anything in tournaments and endure a downswing of $15,000 in buy-ins, but as long as you stay consistent over years, you’ll be fine.”
Consistency and skill would certainly be at the heart of John Racener’s game and although Jonathan Duhamel won the WSOP 2010 Main Event title, Racener’s runner-up finish for $5,545,955 is just further affirmation of this prodigious young talent’s poker abilities.