Berry Johnston

Berry Johnston

Berry Johnston

0 global poker index

0 world poker tour index

$3,503,688 total poker live earnings

Berry Johnston poker player profile. Get latest information, winnings and gallery.

Profile

name
Berry Johnston
Nationality
United States
GPI Rank
0
WPT Wins
0
total poker live earnings
$3,503,688

Biography

Berry Johnston is an American poker player who won the 1986 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Over the course of his career he has won five WSOP bracelets, including in Razz and Omaha, with his first bracelet coming in the very first WSOP Heads-Up Event held at the WSOP. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2004. Johnston’s last live WSOP cash came during the 2016 World Series of Poker, but he most recently cashed in two events during the 2020 WSOP Online.

Biography

Born in Oklahoma on September 25, 1935, little is known about Johnston’s early life. It is known that he got into poker later in his life at the age of 35, and first cashed at the WSOP in 1982. In fact, Johnston cashed at least once in every single WSOP from 1982 until 2010. His first back in 1982 cash was a third-place finish in the WSOP Main Event, won by Jack “Treetop” Straus. The following year, he won his first bracelet in $2,500 Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em. In 1985, he final-tabled the WSOP Main Event for the second time, again finishing third, this time for $140,000. Doyle Brunson once said of Johnston: “What I admire most about Berry is not Berry the great poker player, but Berry the man. He is a deeply religious and devoted family man, who has always been a gentleman at all times.”

1986 WSOP Main Event

After two close calls in 1982 and 1985, Johnston eventually won the WSOP Main Event in 1986. Defending champion Bill Smith made back-to-back final tables, as did Johnston and Jesse Alto. Smith would finish fifth and Alto fourth, with Smith defeating Mike Harthcock heads-up to win $570,000 after topping a 141-player field. This was also the first year that a female player cashed the Main Event, with Wendeen Eolis finishing 25th.

Berry Johnston WSOP Bracelets

Year Event Payout (USD)
1983 Event #8: $2,500 Heads-Up NLHE $40,000
1986 Event #13: $10,000 NLHE WSOP Main Event $570,000
1990 Event #12: $2,500 Limit Hold’em $254,000
1995 Event #3: $1,500 Limit Omaha $91,200
2001 Event #13: $1,500 Limit Razz $83,810

WSOP Main Event Winners 1977-86

YEAR ENTRIES CHAMPION COUNTRY PRIZE
1986 141 Berry Johnston United States $570,000
1985 140 Bill Smith United States $700,000
1984 132 Jack Keller United States $660,000
1983 108 Tom McEvoy United States $540,000
1982 104 Jack Straus United States $520,000
1981 75 Stu Ungar United States $375,000
1980 73 Stu Ungar United States $385,000
1979 54 Hal Fowler United States $270,000
1978 42 Bobby Baldwin United States $210,000
1977 34 Doyle Brunson United States $340,000

PokerNews Covered Events

Event Place Prize
2020 WSOP.com Online Bracelet EventsEvent #16: $500 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo 163rd $825
2020 WSOP.com Online Bracelet EventsEvent #3: $400 No-Limit Hold’em 34th $2,936
2014 World Series of PokerEvent #43: $1,500 Limit Hold’em 19th $6,048
2014 World Series of PokerEvent #17: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Hold’em Championship 381st $1,991
2014 World Series of PokerEvent #7: $1,500 Seven-Card Razz 39th $2,575
2013 World Series of PokerEvent #22: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha 81st $3,435
2012 World Series of PokerEvent 22: $2,500 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball 17th $6,250
2010-11 World Series of Poker Circuit - ChoctawMain Event 50th $3,770
2010 World Series of PokerEvent #45: $1,500 No-Limit Holdem 121st $4,348
2010 World Series of PokerEvent #34: $1,000 Seniors No-Limit Holdem Championship 39th $9,218
2010 World Series of PokerEvent #4: $1,500 Omaha Hi-Low Split-8 or Better 73rd $2,750
2009 World Series of PokerEvent 43 - $1,000 Seniors World Championship 185th $2,044
2008 World Series of PokerEvent 43 - $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo 39th $3,636
2008 World Series of PokerEvent 37 - $10,000 Omaha Hi-Low World Championship 10th $38,657
2008 World Series of PokerEvent 10 - $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Stud Hi-Low-8 or Better 30th $4,908
2007 World Series of PokerEvent 55 - $10,000 World Championship No Limit Holdem 113th $58,570
2007 World Series of PokerEvent 52 - $1,000 No Limit Holdem w/ rebuys 62nd $8,067
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