John Racener

John Racener finished second in the $10,000 buy-in main event of the World Series of Poker in 2010. This runner up finish in a field that boasted 7,319 entrants earned him $5,545,955. As part of the illustrious November Nine Racener became a poker celebrity overnight. However, this was not his first rodeo. Prior to this final table Racener had been playing the tournament circuit profitably for years.

Racener started playing poker online in his Port Richey, Florida home when he was 18. He deposited $50 and, within two months, he had manipulated that paltry amount into almost $30,000. Racener realized he had a good understanding of the game and decided to try his luck in live poker tournaments.

Racener has never had a job other than professional poker player. In 2006 he played his first live tournament in Atlantic City, NJ. Racener took 3rd place after the remaining three players decided to chop the prize pool. He earned $103,527 for making the final table in the $5,000 buy-in World Series of Poker Circuit. The hefty payout only reinforced his belief that he could and would earn his living as a professional poker player.

In January 2007 Racener played another big tournament in Atlantic City. He just missed the televised World Poker Tour final table at the $10,000 buy-in Borgata Winter Open. Racener’s 8th place finish was good for $166,161. In December 2007 Racener returned to Atlantic City to play the $5,000 World Series of Poker Circuit event he had final tabled the previous year. This time Racener won the tournament. He earned a Circuit ring and $379,392.

During the summer of 2009 Racener made two major final tables. First he came in 7th at the Rio in the $5,000 buy-in pot-limit Omaha event and won $36,200. Less than a month later Racener played the $5,000 buy-in main event of the Venetian Deep Stack Extravaganza and won $48,675.

In 2010 Racener cashed in three World Series of Poker events before making it to the final table of the $10,000 buy-in main event. He was one of the more experienced players at the table and he had a solid chip stack. Racener made it to heads-up play but his chip stack paled in comparison to Jonathan Duhamel’s. Racener wasn’t able to overcome his chip disadvantage and finished in second place. The $5,545,955 he won makes up the bulk of his lifetime tournament earnings.

Racener ventured to London for the World Series of Poker Europe in September 2010. He finished 5th in the 5,000 Euro buy-in pot-limit Omaha tournament and earned 39,486 Euro. In December Racener made his first televised World Poker Tour final table at Bellagio. He came in 4th place in the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic and earned $232,271.

In December 2010 Racener announced that a documentary on his main event run was in the making. No release date has been set.