A week to the day after Miami John Cernuto’s passing, poker players honored the mixed game legend with a commemorative poker tournament in Las Vegas.
The inaugural Miami John Commemorative O/E event took place on Feb. 17 during the Cardplayer Lifestyle Mixed Game Festival X at Resorts World Las Vegas, which kicked off on Presidents’ Day and ran through Feb. 20.
The $300 buy-in event drew 36 runners for a prize pool of $9,000. Missouri grinder Gary Bolden won the inaugural Omaha 8 and Stud 8 event for $3,395, while Arizona’s Michael Moon finished runner-up for $2,098.
Other players who cashed the event include David Edgett, Glenn Engelbert, James Matz and Bennett Koo.
Miami John Commemorative O/E Results
| Place | Player | Prize (In USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gary Bolden | $3,395 |
| 2 | Michael Moon | $2,098 |
| 3 | David Edgett | $1,427 |
| 4 | Glenn Engelbert | $970 |
| 5 | James Matz | $661 |
| 6 | Bennett Koo | $449 |
Supporting the Mixed Game Community
Though the festival and O/E tournament had been scheduled out weeks in advance, Cardplayer Lifestyle founder Robbie Strazynski knew he had to adjust the tournament name after Cernuto’s passing on on Feb. 10. It was a fitting event to dedicate to Cernuto as the mixed game legend won the first-ever Mixed Game Festival O/E event in March 2023 by defeating Ari Engel, a younger but equally impressive mixed game talent.
“It was kind of cool watching the present, or past, and the future battling against each other,” Strazynski told PokerNews in an interview. “John emerged victorious. I guess it was serendipitous now that we’re talking a couple years later.”
Strazynski first met Cernuto in an online game during the pandemic and again a few years later when he showed up to the fourth annual Mixed Game Festival in Las Vegas and won the tournament.
He was back at the next festival with his daughter and told Strazynski how much he appreciated his efforts to grow the game.
“He was just really kind to me, really nice and I feel like he kind of raised the prominence of what we’re doing here with this festival,” Strazynski said.
Leaving His Mark
Cernuto is the Hendon Mob all-time cash leader and almost all of his cashes are in the mixed game realm. That includes his final poker result: a third-place finish in the July 2024 Big O Bounty event at the Venetian for $14,962.
“If you had to name people who were synonymous with mixed games, his name would absolutely be in the mix, so to speak,” said Strazynski. “He was in the mixed game streets until the end.”
Strazynski credited Mixed Game Festival regular Chuck Martin with the idea of dedicating the event to Cernuto. Strazynski drew applause as he made remarks during the tournament and told PokerNews that all future O/E events at the festival will be named after the three-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner.
The Mixed Game Festival X at Resorts World Las Vegas also included a $300 H.E.R.O.S. tournament and Women’s Wednesday cash games in partnership with the Ladies International Poker Series (LIPS).
Just across the street, Kathy Chang won a $400 Limit H.O.R.S.E. event at the Wynn for $6,287 on Feb. 19 and dedicated the victory to Cernuto.
*Lead photo courtesy Cardplayer Lifestyle
Editor & Live Reporter U.S.