John Valkenaar

John Valkenaar is a poker player from the United States who primarily participates in live tournaments across North America. According to his official WSOP.com profile, he has recorded three cashes in WSOP and WSOP Circuit events, accumulating total earnings of $4,205. He holds no WSOP bracelets, Circuit rings, or final table victories to date.

Valkenaar’s first recorded cash occurred on April 27, 2021, when he finished 17th in the $400 No-Limit Hold’em – Big Stack event (Event #27) at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, earning $890. Nearly a year later, on April 11, 2022, he placed 18th in the $600 No-Limit Hold’em – Big Stack (Event #43) at the same venue, taking home $2,240 — his largest recorded payday.

His most recent cash came on July 25, 2024, at the WSOP Circuit Choctaw Durant. He finished 13th in Event #19: $300 No-Limit Hold’em – The Twilight, earning $1,075. The event drew 373 entries, and Valkenaar was one of 57 players to finish in the money.

In addition to these cashes, Valkenaar appeared in the 2022 World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown, where he advanced to Day 2 of the main event but did not record a cash. He also participated in the 2022 Lodge Championship Series Event #9 ($800 NLH), where he bagged 88,000 chips on Day 1c but ultimately did not reach the money.

John Valkenaar’s poker career reflects steady participation in regional and WSOP Circuit events, with a preference for no-limit hold’em tournaments in the $300–$800 buy-in range. While he has not yet achieved a major breakthrough, his consistent deep runs and multiple cashes demonstrate a solid understanding of tournament poker.