Berry Johnston - WSOP Winner

Updated 2008
You could not possibly associate the words quiet or unassuming with a World Series of Poker winner, especially not with a player of the calibre of Berry Johnston. Interestingly, those are the two very words that aptly describe this 2004 Poker Hall of Fame Inductee. At the tables, he always behaved as the perfect gentleman with no anger or vindictive nature coming forth during failures. A simple handshake and “good luck” to the remaining players was the etiquette you could expect from Berry. He said that he had two dreams in life. One was to play poker well enough to make a living at it and the other was to be a World Champion. He succeeded at dream one pretty early in his career in the early eighties and in 1986 he succeeded in achieving dream number 2. There are those that say Berry had a third dream of becoming a Hall of Fame inductee, but he is too modest a man to admit such a thing.

A very religious person and totally dedicated to his family, respect comes naturally to him from other players of the game. He has earned the respect of some of the most famous names in WSOP tournament play not just at the poker tables but also far away from it. Doyle Brunson was once quoted as saying, “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.\\\\\\\"

Mike Sexton told a famous story about when he attended his first WSOP final table in Las Vegas in 1985. He was seated in the front row and was watching in awe, the game unfold before him. With three players left at the table Bill Smith had a 2 - 1 chip lead against T.J. Cloutier and Berry. At a critical point in the game both Berry and T.J. were all in before flop. When it was clear that Berry was not going to be able to win the hand he never said a word. He shook both the other players’ hands and wished them good luck. He went over to his wife and she said, “Honey, I’m hungry. Can we go eat something now?”

Without a word about his loss he replied, “OK, honey, we’ll go eat if that’s what you want to do,” And in the very best of happy endings he was able to come back the very next year and win his second WSOP bracelet. Now living in Bethany, Oklahoma, Berry holds the unofficial title of all time leader in “number of cashes” at 63 times. Now over 70 years old, he has 5 WSOP bracelets and his total live tournament winnings exceed $3,200,000.