Justin Bonomo

Justin Bonomo was born on September 30, 1985, in Fairfax, Virginia. He started his competitive career in Magic: The Gathering, a trading card game that helped develop his strategic thinking. He built his initial bankroll playing low-stakes limit cash games before transitioning to poker, eventually dropping out of the University of Maryland to pursue the game full-time.

His first recorded tournament cash came in 2005, the same year he made a televised final table at the European Poker Tour French Open in Deauville, finishing fourth at age 19—then the youngest to achieve that feat. He followed this with a sixth-place finish in the 2006 WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic and an 11th-place finish in the 2007 PCA Main Event. At the 2007 World Series of Poker, he cashed three times, including a fourth-place finish in a $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em event for over $150,000. In 2008, he was runner-up in the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event for $230,159. He won a WSOP Circuit ring in April 2009 and added another WSOP runner-up finish in the $2,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw event in 2011, earning $117,305. By this point, Bonomo had established himself as a fixture on the US circuit.

Bonomo's first major high roller win came in 2012 when he won the €100,000 Super High Roller at EPT Monte Carlo for €1,640,000. In 2013, he finished second in the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open for $1,163,500. He captured his first WSOP bracelet in 2014, topping a 1,587-entry field in Event #11: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Handed, earning $449,980 after defeating Mike Sowers heads-up. He had previously lamented on Twitter, "Always a bride's maid, never a bride."

The year 2018 marked the pinnacle of his career. He started the year with a runner-up finish in the PCA $100,000 Super High Roller for $1,077,800, then won the Super High Roller Bowl China for $4.8 million. Two months later, he won the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl in Las Vegas for $5 million. At the 2018 WSOP, he won two bracelets: first the $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship ($185,965) and then the $1,000,000 The Big One for One Drop ($10,000,000). The One Drop victory temporarily propelled him to #1 on the all-time money list, surpassing Daniel Negreanu. He was later surpassed by Bryn Kenney in August 2019 but climbed back to second place. In total, Bonomo amassed over $25 million in tournament earnings in 2018 alone, a feat recognized as the #1 story of the year by poker media.

Bonomo is a regular on the super high roller circuit. He has multiple Triton Poker Series titles, including the 2019 Jeju 250K HKD Short Deck Ante-Only event (HKD 4,600,000) and the 2019 London £100K Short Deck Main Event (£2,670,000). His PokerGO Tour victories include events at ARIA and Bellagio, such as the ARIA High Roller #31 ($10,000 NLH, $171,000 in 2021), Bellagio High Roller #2 ($100,000 NLH, $928,200 in 2021), and Bellagio High Roller #5 ($10,000 NLH, $128,000 in 2021). In 2022, he won the ARIA High Roller #16 ($124,200) and Bellagio High Roller #11 ($229,500). In 2023, he won the Poker Masters #9 ($25,000 NLH, $333,000) by making a famous ace-high hero call, earning his first Poker Masters title. He also has six World Poker Tour final tables and 23 EPT money finishes. According to WSOP.com, he has 109 WSOP cashes, 27 final tables, and over $19.6 million in WSOP earnings across all brands. As of September 2025, he sits fourth on The Hendon Mob All-Time Money List with over $65.6 million in live tournament earnings, with a best cash of $10,000,000. The Hendon Mob also lists his residence as Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Bonomo is known for an aggressive, precise style that applies frequent pressure both pre-flop and post-flop. He excels at reading opponent ranges and making accurate folds. In deep-stacked play, he controls pot sizes with small bets or executes large bluffs. His game blends traditional theory with modern GTO strategies, creating an unpredictable hybrid. He emphasizes position and exploits opponents' tendencies. His ability to make difficult reads and hero calls was on full display in his 2023 Poker Masters victory, where he called a large river bet with ace-high, a hand widely praised for its precision.

In 2006, Bonomo was caught entering major online tournaments on Partypoker using multiple accounts. He was banned from two sites and had tens of thousands of dollars seized. He was a sponsored member of Team Bodog until January 2010. Despite this controversy, he remains a respected figure in the live tournament community, and his online alias "ZeeJustin" is still well-known.

Bonomo resides in Las Vegas, living in Panorama Towers, a building home to many poker professionals. He also maintains a residence in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He practices polyamory and has donated $13,250 to the SENS Project, a life extension research initiative. He is active on social media: Twitter/X (@JustinBonomo) and Instagram (@zeejustin). As of 2025, he has achieved the $65,000,000 milestone and ranks among the top players in poker history. His three WSOP bracelets, numerous high roller titles, and consistent dominance on the super high roller circuit cement his legacy as one of the most successful high-stakes players in the game.

Justin Bonomo has accumulated 109 WSOP cashes, 27 final tables, and over $19.6 million in WSOP earnings as of 2024. In addition to his three bracelets, he has several near-misses, including a runner-up finish in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship in 2016, one of the most prestigious events on the WSOP schedule. He also finished second in the $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event in 2008 and the $2,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw in 2011. In 2023, he made the final table of the $100,000 High Roller (7th for $362,279) and the $1,000 Super Turbo (198th for $1,601). At the 2024 WSOP, he cashed in both the $25,000 High Roller (43rd for $50,637) and the $100,000 High Roller (10th for $219,813), further demonstrating his consistency in high-stakes events.

Bonomo continues to perform on the super high roller circuit. In November 2023, he won the Triton Monte Carlo GGMillion$ High Roller (30th for $41,000) and finished 11th in the WSOP Paradise Ultra High Roller for $216,000. Earlier in 2023, he claimed his first Poker Masters title by winning Event #9: $25,000 No-Limit Hold'em for $333,000, highlighted by a famous ace-high hero call. In 2024, he had deep runs in the WSOP Paradise Super Main Event (7th for $1,300,000) and the Triton Main Event (22nd for $196,500). These results keep him among the top earners on the PokerGO Tour and solidify his reputation as a consistent force in the highest buy-in tournaments.

Justin Bonomo's total live tournament earnings amount to $65,611,094, with a best single cash of $10,000,000. He is currently ranked 2nd on the All Time Money List. His nationality is United States, and he resides in Vancouver, BC, Canada. He has achieved the $65,000,000 milestone, as indicated by a special icon on his profile. The profile also lists his online alias "ZeeJustin" and provides links to his social media accounts.

Bonomo's Hendon Mob profile displays awards such as the WSOP Bracelet Winner icon. He actively participates in the PokerGO Tour, with events scheduled in 2025. He is part of the GPI/THM Poker Podcast Network, which includes various poker podcasts. His profile also includes links to his Twitter and Instagram accounts, and he is featured in the Poker Database and other affiliated sites. These elements highlight his continued prominence in the poker community.