Nationality
Berry Johnston is American, a United States citizen.
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Born (date and place of birth)
Berry Johnston was born on September 25, 1935, in Bethany, Oklahoma, United States.
Residence (current location)
Berry Johnston has resided in Las Vegas, Nevada, moving there early in his poker career to participate in major tournaments and cash games.
Education (institution, specialization)
There is no publicly verified information about Berry Johnston’s formal education; professional poker players often have diverse educational backgrounds and may or may not have completed college or specialized studies.
Children (number, ages)
There is no verified public information regarding the number or ages of Berry Johnston’s children; many players keep family details private.
Year started playing poker
Berry Johnston began playing poker seriously and professionally in 1970.
Age when started playing
He started serious poker involvement at age 35.
Year turned professional
Johnston transitioned to professional poker in the early 1970s after starting in 1970 and moving to Las Vegas.
First major win (amount, tournament, year)
His first major tournament victory was his first WSOP bracelet in 1983, winning the $2,500 Heads-Up No Limit Hold'em for $40,000.
Who introduced to poker / first mentor
No specific mentor is documented; he learned through experience playing high stakes with well-known players like Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese.
First important tournament
Berry Johnston’s first major tournament was the 1982 WSOP Main Event where he finished third, earning $104,000.
Main motivation for turning pro
The motivation likely included transitioning to poker as a viable career later in life due to opportunity and skill development in the growing tournament scene.
Initial bankroll
No verified information is available on his initial bankroll or backing arrangements; early professionals often self-funded or had small investor backing.
Poker education (courses, coaches)
Johnston developed his poker skills primarily through live play and experience rather than formal education or coaching.
First sponsor/backing
There is no verified information on his first sponsorship; early in his career, formal sponsorships were uncommon.
Total live tournament winnings
Berry Johnston’s total live tournament winnings exceed $3.5 million, with over $2.1 million from WSOP cashes.
Number of tournament wins
He has won 5 WSOP bracelets and multiple other tournament titles.
Number of final tables
Johnston has appeared in at least 29 WSOP final tables.
Largest tournament win (amount, tournament, year)
His largest single tournament win was the 1986 WSOP Main Event, earning $570,000.
WSOP bracelets (number)
He has five WSOP bracelets: 1983 ($2,500 Heads-Up NLHE), 1986 Main Event ($10,000 NLHE), 1990 ($2,500 Limit Hold'em), 1995 ($1,500 Limit Omaha), and 2001 ($1,500 Limit Razz).
WSOP cashes (number)
He has at least 66 cash finishes at the WSOP, with a record 29-year consecutive cashing streak.
WSOP final tables
Johnston has made at least 29 WSOP final tables.
Best WSOP Main Event result
His best WSOP Main Event results are 1st in 1986, 3rd in 1982 and 1985, and 5th in 1990.
Super high roller results ($100K+)
No records of super high roller ($100K+ buy-in) events.
High roller wins ($25K-$100K)
No known high roller ($25K-$100K buy-in) victories.
Online tournament winnings
Has cashed in online WSOP events, including in 2020, but online winnings are modest compared to live results.
Major online titles
No major online tournament titles documented.
Poker team
Represented Full Tilt Poker in online tournaments historically.
Main cash game limits
Specific primary cash game limits unknown; played high stakes in Las Vegas.
Highest stakes played
Played some of the highest stakes cash games early in career against legends.
Notable high stakes sessions
No publicly documented notable cash game sessions.
"Big Game" participation
No known participation in famous televised "Big Game" cash games.
Estimated cash game profits (if known)
No public information on cash game profit totals.
Country ranking
Recognized among U.S. poker greats, no formal national ranking available.
All Time Money List position
Ranked among top all-time WSOP earners with $2+ million in WSOP cashes and $3.5+ million in total tournament winnings.
Tournament ROI (if known)
Specific ROI not publicly calculable; top professionals often sustain positive ROIs above 20%.
Average tournament win
Approximate average casino tournament cash payout near $29,000 based on WSOP cash totals.
ITM percentage
Career in-the-money percentage not precisely known.
Final table percentage from cashes
Estimated roughly 48% final table rate from cashes (29 final tables from 60+ cashes).
Statistics by year (best/worst year)
Cashed annually at the WSOP for 29 consecutive years (1982–2010), demonstrating consistent high performance.
Main discipline (Hold'em, Omaha, Mixed games)
Primary discipline is No Limit Hold'em but also skilled in Limit Hold'em, Omaha, and Razz.
Format specialization (tournaments/cash/online/live)
Specialized in live multi-day tournament poker alongside earlier high-stakes cash games.
Preferred table size (6-max, full ring, heads-up)
Primarily full ring tables and heads-up formats in events like his first bracelet win.
Known formats (NLHE, PLO, HORSE, others)
No Limit Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, Omaha, Razz, and Heads-Up No Limit Hold'em.
Specialization limits
Prefers mid to high buy-in stakes from $1,500 to $10,000+ tournament events.
Online rooms where plays
Known to have played on Full Tilt Poker online.
Favorite casinos/locations
Las Vegas WSOP venues and regional casinos such as Oklahoma Cherokee Casino.
Style characterization (TAG, LAG, nitty, aggressive)
Gentlemanly, composed, patient, steady, lacking aggressive or LAG tendencies.
Known for bluffs/traps
Reputation for low-profile, strategic bluffing rather than frequent aggressive bluffing.
Mathematical or intuitive approach
Intuitive and experience-driven rather than mathematically intensive.
Style adaptability
Highly adaptable, demonstrated by multiple decades of success across variants and evolving poker landscape.
Playing strengths
Consistency, calm composure, versatility in game types, tournament endurance.
GTO strategy usage
Pre-GTO era player, focused on practical poker logic over modern game theory.
Poker software usage
No documented use of poker training or analytical software.
Television appearances (list of shows with specific episodes/dates)
Appeared in NBC’s Poker After Dark in 2008 alongside other WSOP champions.
High Stakes Poker participation (seasons/episodes)
No participation in High Stakes Poker documented.
Poker After Dark appearances (episodes/dates)
Poker After Dark participant in 2008, finishing fourth in WSOP champions edition.
Documentary films featuring (titles and links)
No known dedicated documentary films.
Major publication interviews (publication names, article titles, links)
Featured in multiple poker news interviews focusing on WSOP achievements and career legacy.
Podcast appearances (podcast names, episode titles, dates, links)
No widely documented poker podcast appearances.
Own podcast/channel (name, platform, subscriber count, link)
No known personal podcast or video channel.
Facebook (account link)
No official Facebook page known.
YouTube channel (name, subscriber count, link)
No dedicated YouTube channel.
Twitch channel (name, follower count, link)
No Twitch streaming channel.
TikTok presence (account link, follower count)
No TikTok presence.
LinkedIn profile (link)
No verifiable LinkedIn profile.
Posting frequency in social media
Not applicable; no social media presence.
Type of content in social media
Not applicable.
Current sponsors (company names, deal details if public)
Historically affiliated with Full Tilt Poker online.
Sponsorship contract history (previous sponsors, dates)
No detailed sponsorship history beyond Full Tilt online affiliation.
Poker site ambassadorship (site names, contract details)
Served as a poker ambassador for Cherokee Casino in Oklahoma.
Own business (business names, descriptions, websites)
No publicly known personal business ventures.
Poker project investments (project names, involvement details)
No documented poker-related investments.
Coaching services (availability, platforms used)
No known coaching services offered.
Coaching rates (if public)
Not applicable.
Educational materials (book titles with ISBN, course names with platforms, video series titles with links)
Has not authored poker education materials.
Affiliate programs (program names, partnerships)
No known affiliate partnerships.
Merchandise (product types, where sold, links)
No personal merchandise.
Written poker books (titles, publication years, ISBN, publisher)
No poker books authored.
Training series participation (series names, platforms, links)
No known participation.
Masterclasses and seminars (event names, dates, locations)
No documented masterclass presentations.
Coaching work (platforms used, student testimonials)
Not known to coach professionally.
Notable students (names if public, their achievements)
No known notable students.
YouTube educational content (video titles, view counts, links)
No educational videos.
Poker publication articles (publication names, article titles, publication dates, links)
Profiled in poker magazines and sites including PokerNews and GGPoker blogs.
Magazine columns (magazine names, column titles, frequency)
Does not write regular columns.
Conference speaking (conference names, dates, topics, video links)
No known speaking engagements.
Poker scandal involvement (scandal names, details, outcomes)
No involvement in scandals.
Accusations of unfair play (specific incidents, resolutions)
No accusations.
Casino/room conflicts (venue names, incident details)
No known disputes.
Legal proceedings (case details, outcomes, court documents)
No legal issues.
Public disputes with colleagues (names involved, details)
None documented.
Tournament rule violations (tournament names, violations, penalties)
No known rule violations.
Tax issues (if public, details, resolutions)
No tax issues publicly recorded.
Poker community criticism (specific criticisms, responses)
Widely respected with no notable criticism.
Response to criticism (statements, actions taken)
Not applicable.
Poker industry awards (award names, years, organizations)
Inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2004 and Seniors Poker Hall of Fame in the early 1990s.
Hall of Fame inclusion (hall names, induction years)
Poker Hall of Fame inductee, 2004.
Peer recognition (specific recognitions, award details)
Praised by peers including Doyle Brunson for skill and sportsmanship.
Poker publication awards (publication names, award types, years)
Named among top 40 WSOP champions by Bluff Magazine.
Special achievements (achievement descriptions, recognition details)
Holds WSOP record for most cashes in Main Event (10) and longest consecutive WSOP cash streak (29 years).
Records associated with name (record descriptions, verification)
Most WSOP Main Event cashes (10) and longest consecutive WSOP cashing streak (29 years).
Contribution to poker development (specific contributions, recognition)
Contributed longevity and professionalism as an example in the poker community.
Charity tournaments (tournament names, amounts raised, beneficiaries)
No public charity event participation documented.
Legacy in poker world (specific legacy aspects, community impact)
Remembered as a consistent, gentlemanly player with decades of success shaping tournament poker history.
Industry influence (specific influences, changes attributed)
Influenced poker culture through professionalism, longevity, and tournament excellence.
WSOP (World Series of Poker) - all events all years
2020 | USA | World Series of Poker Online | Online | $500 WSOP.com No-Limit Hold'em Turbo | 500 | 163 | 825 |||| 2016 | USA | World Series of Poker | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | No Limit Hold'em | 10,000 | | |||| 2007 | USA | World Series of Poker | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | Main Event No Limit Hold'em | 10,000 | 113 | 58,570 | 6,358 |||| 1995 | USA | World Series of Poker | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | $1,500 Limit Omaha | 1,500 | 1 | 91,200 |||| 1990 | USA | World Series of Poker | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | $2,500 Limit Hold'em | 2,500 | 1 | 254,000 |||| 1986 | USA | World Series of Poker | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event | 10,000 | 1 | 570,000 | 141 |||| 1983 | USA | World Series of Poker | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | $2,500 Heads-Up No Limit Hold'em | 2,500 | 1 | 40,000 |||| 1982 | USA | World Series of Poker | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | Main Event No Limit Hold'em | 10,000 | 3 | 104,000 |||| 1985 | USA | World Series of Poker | Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino | Main Event No Limit Hold'em | 10,000 | 3 | 140,000
No documentary or tournament commentary work documented.