Category Archives: Personalities

Charles James Fox was firstly a Gentleman, a Gambler, and Statesman who lost vast sums of money to gambling. Just before his father passed away, his father paid off his gambling debts to the tune of £140 000 bearing in mind this was in the 1700’s so the amount was astronomical.

This honourable Whig Statesman has a parliamentary career that spanned 38 years. Educated at the fashionable Wandsworth School, he went on to study at Eton College. Fox was a gambling addict and a womaniser and many of his failings were forgiven because he defended civil liberty and he had an awe-inspiring charisma.

Gambling as a Pastime

Out of Government duties, Fox found other ways to occupy himself. He drank heavily and was bankrupted twice in early 1780. He then had to rely on friends and family to support him. One vice he eventually gave up was women, and he had many previous conquests which included the Duchess of Devonshire and the Prince of Wales former mistress Mary Robinson. In 1784 he settled down with the actress Elizabeth Armistead and remained loyal to her until his passing.

In 1806 Fox returned to Government, but he was ill with sclerosis of the liver and sick of politics. He spent 18 years doggedly defending civil liberties. Despite his weariness, he championed the abolition of the slave trade in the House of Commons. Sadly, Fox never lived to see it passed.

Conclusion

Charles Fox’s gambling debts and the enormity thereof never hindered his progression in public life. An interesting fact about Fox was he created an alter ego whom he called Carlino to whom he attributed all his addictions to and helped him absolve himself from any guilt he felt about his gambling and womanising. A great statesman and a man of the People who fought for many a good cause. He lost more due to his gambling debts, and the myth of the man in death as in life was larger than the sum of his achievements.

Zee Justin, as he’s fondly known, is an up and coming player in the live poker circuit. He is an American high stakes professional and a former Magic the Gathering competitor. Justin was the youngest player to be featured at a televised final table in Feb 2005 where he placed fourth in the inaugural year of the EPT. He was only 19 years old at the time.

World Series of Poker

In the World Series of Poker, Bonomo had 55 cashes, made 19 final tables and victoriously walked away with three bracelets and 1 circuit ring. His first bracelet he won in 2014 in a No-Limit Hold ’em Six-Handed game and earned himself $449,980. In the previous events he played in, he placed second. He actually made a Twitter post at the time, which said: “Always a bridesmaid but never a bride.”

His luck turned in 2018 when Bonomo won Event #16 the $10000 Heads Up No Limit Championship winning himself a cool $185 965. Shortly after that win, he won Event #78 the $1000 000 One Drop for $10 000 000. By winning this event, he overtook Daniel Negreanu as number 1 as the top love tournament champion, until being surpassed by Brynn Kenney in 2019.

Justin Bonomo is also a regular feature on the High Roller Circuit and has won events such as Pokerstars Caribbean Adventure, Triton High Roller Series and Super High Roller Bowls in China. Of course nowadays due to the proliferation of online casino sites everyone has a fair shot at getting ‘into the mix’. And of course not just with poker. Blackjack, slots, roulette, craps, there are so many faithful recreations of real life classics to play, and all from the convenience of your own home.

And all of this is before we get started on some of the top offers and bonuses that are there for the taking on Onlinecasinobluebook.com and the like. Online casinos are a highly competitive area and so you’d be foolish not to take advantage of the best incentives while having the reassurance that you’re playing on a tried, tested and trusted casino site.

Before becoming recognised as a Poker champion, Bonomo was caught entering online poker tournaments using multiple accounts in 2006 on PartyPoker. He was banned from two sites and lost thousands of dollars in winnings. Honestly in gambling is a two way street, and it’s best to put your name and your reputation on the line, rather than deceive. Nowadays casino sites have transparent and effective sign up processes that ensure that legitimate players are protected and can enjoy their time on the site without issue.

Final Words

As at August 2019, Justin Bonomo’s’ live tournament winnings were at over 48 million dollars making him the second-highest tournament earner after Brynn Kenney. It just goes to show how far ability and dedication can take you, and that some gamblers are talented and disciplined enough to have an edge over others.

Johnny Moss was born in Marshall, Texas in 1907. He had the nickname “The Grand Old Man of Poker “ and was the first winner of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event. Today he is still regarded as one of the greatest poker players to have ever played the game and won nine WSOP Poker events and eight bracelets. Johnny Moss was one of the indictees into the Prestigious Poker Hall of Fame in 1979.

His Career

During Johnny Moss’s initial Poker career, there was no access to resources when it came to Poker, and he learnt about the game by being an overseer. Johnny started off his career in the field of Poker long before the launch of legal casinos, poker rooms and major tournaments. He would travel from one casino to the next to play at their tables. In a nutshell, he was a travelling gambler who earned his living on the road.

Moss did not tolerate cheaters, and during one of his card games in a backroom, he noticed a peephole in the ceiling which allowed the house to spy on the cards that the players were holding. Moss always carried a pistol with him, and he told the house that if the spy did not come down and cover the hole, he would not hesitate to open fire on the ceiling. The house tried to call his bluff and Johnny let off a few rounds, and the man in the ceiling was injured. He also played against Nick the Greek in a five-month-long Heads up poker marathon where Moss won $4 million at the end of the game. The game between these two poker legends is said to be the one that birthed the World Series of Poker.

This Poker legend died at the age of 88 in 1995.

This American professional poker player from Long Beach New York has no problem putting half of his net worth on the line. He has gone from having millions of dollars to being broke 4 or 5 times in his gambling career.

No other poker player has ever accumulated winnings like Brynn Kenney and he is the #1 all-time ranked player in earnings, with a current net worth of $56 million. Brynn has always had a passion for games which started at a young age, in particular, the more cerebral games. He was also a bit of an outsider due to him dressing and acting differently to other children. He had a photographic memory which became useful when playing cards.

Professional Poker Career

Brynn crushed opponents in Magic, and by the age of 12, he was ranked #1 in the world for his age group. Playing Magic was where he met Justin Bonomo, Jose Barbero and Tong Gregg, all of whom would become outstanding Poker Pros.

Brynn had a craving for bigger prizes and decided to try his hand at Poker. In 2007 at the tender age of 23 he attended his first live cash tournament, and that’s where it all took off. In the years after 2007, Kenney continued to participate in live and online tournaments and continued to improve his skills and wins.

In 2014 he won his first WSOP bracelet and took home $150 000. A few years later Kenney beat Joe McKeehan the winner of the 2015 World Series of Poker Main Event with a victory of $1687 800. By 2017 he was a household name in the Poker Industry.

Wrapping it Up

Brynn Kenney had a slow and gradual rise to fame. His 2019 win at the Trinity Million FOR Charity Event pushed him to #1 on the all-time winnings list cementing his status in a competitive world.