Justin Bonomo: Poker Career, WSOP Bracelets and Earnings

Justin Bonomo is an American professional poker player known for elite high-stakes tournament results, three World Series of Poker bracelets, and one of the largest career earnings totals in live poker history. Known online as "ZeeJustin," Bonomo rose from the early online poker scene to become a fixture in super high rollers and major championship events around the world.

His career reached another level in 2018, when he won the Super High Roller Bowl China, the Super High Roller Bowl in Las Vegas, the WSOP $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship, and the $1 million Big One for One Drop. The Big One victory earned Bonomo $10 million, the largest single live tournament cash of his career.

As of August 2026, Hendon Mob lists Bonomo with more than $65.6 million in live tournament earnings and sixth place on its All-Time Money List.

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Who Is Justin Bonomo?

Justin Bonomo was born September 30, 1985, in Fairfax, Virginia. Before becoming a professional poker player, he competed in Magic: The Gathering, a background shared by a number of successful players from his generation.

Bonomo moved into online poker while still young and became known by the screen name "ZeeJustin." His success online helped establish him as one of the notable young players to emerge during poker's early internet era.

He quickly made the transition to major live tournaments. In 2005, at age 19, Bonomo reached the final table of the European Poker Tour event in Deauville, France. The appearance gave him significant exposure while he was still in the early stages of his professional career.

Over the following two decades, Bonomo became particularly associated with high rollers, super high rollers, heads-up poker, and other tournaments featuring many of the strongest players in the game.

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Justin Bonomo Poker Career

Bonomo began accumulating major live results during the mid-2000s.

He made a deep run at the Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic during the 2006-2007 World Poker Tour season, finishing seventh for $152,230 according to WPT records.

His first WSOP cashes followed in 2007. A year later, Bonomo came close to his first bracelet when he finished second in the 2008 $5,000 Mixed Hold'em event for $230,159.

In 2009, he broke through on the WSOP Circuit by winning the Caesars Palace Las Vegas Main Event and earning his first WSOP Circuit gold ring.

The results demonstrated something that would become increasingly important to Bonomo's career: he was capable of competing successfully across different tournament structures and poker formats rather than relying on one type of event.

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Major Poker Accomplishments

Bonomo's career includes major victories across the WSOP, European Poker Tour festivals, Super High Roller Bowl events, Triton Poker, and other high-stakes tournament series.

Among his most significant accomplishments are:

• Three WSOP bracelets

• One WSOP Circuit ring

• Winner of the 2018 $1 million Big One for One Drop for $10 million

• Winner of the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl for $5 million

• Winner of the 2018 Super High Roller Bowl China for approximately $4.8 million

• Winner of the 2012 EPT Grand Final €100,000 Super High Roller for €1.64 million

• Winner of the 2019 Triton London £100,000 Short Deck Main Event

• More than $65.6 million in recorded live tournament earnings as of August 2026

• Career-best live tournament cash of $10 million

• 2026 Poker Hall of Fame finalist

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Justin Bonomo's WSOP Bracelets

Bonomo has won three World Series of Poker bracelets.

2014 $1,500 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em

Bonomo captured his first WSOP bracelet in 2014 after defeating a field of 1,587 entries in the $1,500 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em event.

He defeated Mike Sowers heads-up and earned $449,980.

The victory came after several previous close calls at the WSOP, including runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2011 and another second-place finish in the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Championship only days before his breakthrough bracelet victory.

2018 $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship

Four years later, Bonomo earned his second bracelet in the $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship.

He worked his way through a field of 114 players and defeated Jason McConnon in the final match to win $185,965.

The tournament required Bonomo to win a succession of individual heads-up matches against opponents that included David Peters, David Laka, Jake Schindler, Niall Farrell, Mark McGovern, Martijn Gerrits, and McConnon.

2018 Big One for One Drop

Bonomo's third bracelet produced the biggest payday of his career.

He won the $1,000,000 buy-in Big One for One Drop at the 2018 WSOP, defeating Fedor Holz heads-up and collecting $10 million.

The tournament attracted 27 entries, with Bonomo, Holz, Dan Smith, Rick Salomon, and Byron Kaverman reaching the money.

Winning the Big One capped one of the most successful years ever recorded by a high-stakes tournament player and temporarily moved Bonomo to the top of poker's all-time live tournament earnings list.

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Justin Bonomo's Historic 2018 Season

The defining year of Bonomo's tournament career was 2018.

His run began with several major high-roller results before accelerating during the spring. In March, he won the Super High Roller Bowl China in Macau, topping a 75-entry field and earning HK$37.83 million, worth approximately $4.82 million at the time.

Two months later, Bonomo won the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl in Las Vegas. He defeated Daniel Negreanu heads-up and collected another $5 million.

He then entered the 2018 WSOP and won the $10,000 Heads-Up Championship for his second bracelet.

The summer concluded with the $10 million Big One for One Drop victory and his third bracelet.

PokerNews reported that Bonomo accumulated approximately $25 million in live tournament cashes during 2018 alone.

The combination of major titles, elite opposition, and enormous payouts transformed Bonomo from an already established high-stakes professional into one of the leading tournament performers of his generation.

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Success Beyond the WSOP

Bonomo's career is not defined only by WSOP results.

In 2012, he won the €100,000 Super High Roller at the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo for €1.64 million. The victory was one of his earliest major high-roller championships and helped establish him as a serious presence in the rapidly growing super high roller tournament scene.

His biggest non-WSOP victories came during his 2018 run. The Super High Roller Bowl China paid approximately $4.82 million, while his victory in the Las Vegas Super High Roller Bowl added another $5 million.

Bonomo also found major success in short deck poker. At the 2019 Triton Poker Super High Roller Series in London, he won the £100,000 Short Deck Main Event for a payout worth approximately $3.25 million. During the same festival, he finished second in the £250,000 Short Deck event for approximately $4.14 million.

Those results strengthened a career record built across different tournament formats and locations.

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Justin Bonomo's Career Earnings

As of August 2026, Hendon Mob lists Justin Bonomo with more than $65.6 million in live tournament earnings.

That total places him sixth on the Hendon Mob All-Time Money List as of August 2026.

Bonomo previously spent extended periods at or near the top of the ranking. His $10 million Big One for One Drop victory moved him into first place in 2018, and he later returned to the top of the list after additional high-stakes results.

Live tournament earnings should not be confused with profit or net worth. Tournament databases track recorded payouts and generally do not subtract tournament buy-ins, travel expenses, staking arrangements, swaps, taxes, or other costs associated with professional poker.

Bonomo's career-best recorded live cash remains the $10 million he earned for winning the 2018 Big One for One Drop.

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Playing Style and Poker Reputation

Bonomo has built his reputation through technical tournament play and adaptability.

His results demonstrate success in full-ring and short-handed No-Limit Hold'em, heads-up poker, short deck, and several mixed-game formats. He has also recorded significant WSOP finishes in games such as Limit 2-7 Triple Draw, Limit Hold'em, Stud Hi-Lo, and the $50,000 Poker Players Championship.

His heads-up results are particularly notable. Winning the 2018 WSOP Heads-Up Championship required seven consecutive match victories against a field containing accomplished tournament and online professionals.

The WSOP described Bonomo when naming him a 2026 Poker Hall of Fame finalist as a player recognized for strategic depth and adaptability.

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Justin Bonomo and Online Poker

Online poker played an important role in Bonomo's development.

Under the name "ZeeJustin," he became a prominent online tournament player before establishing himself as a major live professional. His online background gave him extensive experience with short-handed situations, heads-up play, and high-volume tournament poker.

His online career also included an important controversy. In 2006, Bonomo admitted to using multiple accounts in online poker tournaments, a prohibited practice known as multi-accounting. He was banned from online poker sites and had funds confiscated. Bonomo later acknowledged the misconduct and apologized, and he was eventually permitted to return to major online platforms.

His later online accomplishments included winning the 2020 $102,000 Super High Roller Bowl Online for $1.775 million.

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Recent Results and Current Status

Bonomo has continued to produce major tournament results well beyond his dominant 2018 season.

One of his most significant recent live performances came at the 2024 WSOP Paradise festival in the Bahamas. Bonomo reached the final table of the $25,000 WSOP Super Main Event and finished seventh for $1.3 million.

He also cashed in the $100,000 Triton Main Event during the same festival and recorded high-roller cashes at the 2024 WSOP in Las Vegas and EPT Monte Carlo.

Bonomo's tournament schedule has been less visible on recent live leaderboards than during the height of his high-volume high-roller years, but there is no reliable basis to describe him as retired.

His standing within the game was reinforced in 2026 when he was selected as one of eight finalists for induction into the Poker Hall of Fame. Jason Koon ultimately became the sole member of the 2026 Hall of Fame class.

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Why Justin Bonomo Matters in Poker

Justin Bonomo's significance comes from both the scale and duration of his tournament success.

He emerged during the online poker boom, successfully transitioned into live tournament poker, won across multiple formats, and eventually became one of the defining players of the super high roller era.

His 2018 season remains the central achievement of his career. Winning two Super High Roller Bowl events, two WSOP bracelets, and the $10 million Big One for One Drop within the same year represents an unusual concentration of victories against elite competition.

His career earnings provide another measure of that consistency. More than $65.6 million in recorded live cashes keeps Bonomo among the highest-earning tournament players ever, even as a new generation of high rollers continues pushing the all-time rankings upward.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many WSOP bracelets does Justin Bonomo have?

Justin Bonomo has three WSOP bracelets. He won his first in a $1,500 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em event in 2014 and added two more in 2018.

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What is Justin Bonomo's biggest poker win?

Bonomo's largest recorded live tournament cash is $10 million. He earned it by winning the $1 million Big One for One Drop at the 2018 World Series of Poker.

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How much has Justin Bonomo won playing poker?

As of August 2026, Hendon Mob lists Bonomo with more than $65.6 million in live tournament earnings. That figure represents recorded tournament payouts rather than estimated profit or personal net worth.

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What is Justin Bonomo's poker nickname?

Bonomo is widely known by his online poker screen name "ZeeJustin."

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Where is Justin Bonomo from?

Justin Bonomo was born in Fairfax, Virginia, in the United States.

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Did Justin Bonomo win the Big One for One Drop?

Yes. Bonomo won the $1 million buy-in Big One for One Drop at the 2018 WSOP. He defeated Fedor Holz heads-up and earned $10 million.

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Did Justin Bonomo win the Super High Roller Bowl?

Yes. Bonomo won the Super High Roller Bowl China in March 2018 for approximately $4.82 million and then won the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl in Las Vegas in May 2018 for $5 million.

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Does Justin Bonomo have a WSOP Circuit ring?

Yes. Bonomo won a WSOP Circuit gold ring by capturing the Caesars Palace Las Vegas Main Event in 2009.

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Has Justin Bonomo won a WPT title?

No. World Poker Tour records list Bonomo with multiple WPT cashes and final-table appearances but no WPT Main Tour title.

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Is Justin Bonomo in the Poker Hall of Fame?

No. Bonomo was named one of the finalists for the 2026 Poker Hall of Fame, but Jason Koon was selected as the sole inductee for the 2026 class.

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Is Justin Bonomo retired from poker?

There has been no reliable announcement establishing that Justin Bonomo has retired from poker. His live tournament activity has been less frequent on recent leaderboards than during some earlier periods of his career, but he recorded major results as recently as the 2024 WSOP Paradise festival.

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Sources

• World Series of Poker

• Hendon Mob Poker Database

• PokerNews

• World Poker Tour

• Global Poker Index

• CardPlayer