John Bonetti
of Houston, Texas, a 67-year-old retiree from the property
management business, holds three World Series of Poker titles, as well as
numerous titles from other major competitions. He placed third in the 1993
championship tournament and has finished in the money in two additional World
Series events this year. With total World Series earnings to date of $877,582,
Bonetti currently ranks No. 17 on the tournament roster of all-time money
winners. He began playing poker on a serious level when he moved from New York
to Texas 18 years ago.Andre Boyer, a 53-year-old French-Canadian, is a businessman in both Las Vegas and Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A "casual player," he participated in the World Series of Poker for the first time this year and finished 11th in the $2,500 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold'em event held May 10. He began playing poker just five years ago. "I'm more than pleased," he said. "I never dreamed I'd do so well."
Men "The Master" Nguyen,
a 42-year-old professional poker player from
Bell Gardens, California, claimed his fourth World Series of Poker title this
year when he won the $2,500 buy-in Omaha High-Low Split event on May 3. With
total earnings of $806,812, he ranks 21st on the list of all-time World Series
money winners. Formerly the owner of both a laundry and furniture store,
Nguyen sold his businesses in 1988 to pursue poker as a full-time career. He
was introduced to the game many years ago in his native Vietnam.
Huck Seed, a 27-year-old professional poker player from Las Vegas, has finished in the money in numerous major poker competitions, including placing second in the $5,000 buy-in no-limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw event during the 1995 World Series of Poker and 11th in this year's $2,500 buy-in limit Hold'em event.This is his first time to cash in the championship tournament.
An Tran, a 43-year-old professional poker player from Las Vegas, holds a pot-limit Omaha title from the 1991 World Series of Poker, as well as several titles from other major competitions, including the Hall of Fame Poker Classic and the Diamond Jim Brady Tournament. A former poker dealer, he moved to the other side of the table eight years ago.
Dr. Bruce Van Horn, a 57-year-old pathologist from Ada, Oklahoma, has finished in the money in several major poker tournaments during the past five years. Introduced to the game in college, he used to play poker with former World Champion Bobby Baldwin in the early '70s. "This is so much fun," Van Horn said. "I'm just a doctor - not a professional player - and there's no other sport where an amateur like me can enter a tournament and end up sitting here playing with the Magic Johnsons and Henry Aarons of the game."
Note: If either John Bonetti or Men Nguyen wins the championship competition, he will move into the No. 2 spot on the roster of all-time World Series money winners.
