John Myung

John Myung was born on April 6, 1974 (some sources list January 24, 1967) in New York City into a Korean family of doctors. He attended Cornell University, where he studied in a pre-med program, but after graduating, he decided against committing to the long years of medical school and residency. Instead, he took a job at Morgan Stanley in 1999, working on the 73rd floor of the World Trade Center. On September 1, 2001, Myung quit that position to pursue another job on Wall Street, a decision that proved fateful when the September 11 attacks occurred just days later. He was at home on East 66th Street during the attacks and later moved to Rockville, Maryland, where he began playing poker as a break from work. Starting at low limits, he quickly found success and moved up, eventually turning poker into his primary pursuit.

Myung made his mark on the live poker scene in 2002 by winning his first significant tournament at the World Poker Finals, taking first place in a $500 Limit Hold’em event. However, his career-defining moment came on November 22, 2003, when he won the Showdown at the Sands in Atlantic City. The $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event attracted 197 players, and Myung navigated through a tough final table that included poker legends T.J. Cloutier, Daniel Negreanu, Mike Matusow, and Victor Ramdin to claim the $1,000,000 first-place prize. This victory established him as a serious contender on the tournament circuit. He has since accumulated over $2.8 million in live tournament earnings, with his best live cash being that $1,000,000 score.

Myung has been a regular at the World Series of Poker, cashing in 41 WSOP events. His deepest run came in 2005 when he finished third in the $2,000 Limit Hold’em event, narrowly missing a bracelet. He has also made significant deep runs at the World Poker Tour, including an eighth-place finish in the 2004 WPT Invitational and a seventh-place result in the WPT event at Bellagio in 2008 for $187,500. On the WSOP.com platform, his recorded earnings from online and live events total over $420,000, with eight cashes and two final tables. Myung has also appeared in the second season of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament, showcasing his skills in a high-profile setting.

Known as a solid and disciplined player, Myung employs a tight-aggressive style that has served him well in deep-stack tournaments. He is particularly adept at reading opponents and making precise decisions in high-pressure spots. Beyond the felt, Myung has a famous anecdote involving former MLB star Lenny Dykstra. In a heads-up cash game, Myung beat Dykstra so badly that when Dykstra tried to write a check, Myung refused to take it. After the two shared drinks, Dykstra instead gave Myung his Rolex watch, which was worth far more than the check. Myung is also an avid snowboarder and golfer, and he resides in Vienna, Virginia, with his wife. Despite his poker success, his family often regards poker as merely a "hobby."