Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo is one of the most known poker players in the world and has been a fixture of the super high roller and high roller circuit for a number of years. He currently sits on top of the The Hendon Mob All-Time Money List with over $57 million in live tournament earnings.
Intro
Justin Bonomo is a professional poker player currently residing in Vancouver, Canada. He is also a well-recognized live and online player known by his alias “ZeeJustin”. From 2008 to 2010 Bonomo was member of the Bodog Poker online poker site's team pro.
Bonomo has won three World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets throughout his career, most notably triumphing in the $1 million buy-in The Big One for One Drop at the 2018 WSOP for a career best score of $10 million. He has also won over $1 million on the World Poker Tour (WPT) and has also won several titles while playing the European Poker Tour (EPT).
World Series of Poker
Bonomo made his first WSOP appearance in 2007. He cashed in three events that year with a fourth-place finish in the $2,000 No-Limit Hold’em event for over $150,000 as his biggest win. Then in 2008 Bonomo made two more money finishes coming just short of his first WSOP bracelet when he finished in second place at the $5,000 Mixed Hold’em event for $230,159.
He then collected six more cashes at the 2009 World Series making a final table at the $40,000 No-Limit Hold'em - 40th Anniversary event for more than $400,000. Then in 2011 he scored four more WSOP cashes, plus another runner-up finish at the $2,500 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw event taking home $117,305. In 2012 Bonomo collected six more WSOP money finishes including the €20,150 he received for the 48th place at the WSOP Europe Main Event.
Two years later at the 2014 WSOP, Bonomo picked up his first gold bracelet after topping the 1,587-entry field in Event #11: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em 6-Handed. He took home $449,980 after he beat Mike Sowers at heads-up play.
Bonomo then racked up a brace of bracelets in 2018. Firstly, he won the prestigious Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship for $185,965 and then achieved the biggest score of his career just a few weeks later after taking down the Event #78: The Big One for One Drop - $1,000,000 No-Limit Hold'em for $10,000,000.
Justin Bonomo's WSOP Bracelet Wins
| Year | Event | Entries | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | 1,587 | $449,980 |
| 2018 | $1,000,000 The Big One for One Drop No-Limit Hold'em | 27 | $10,000,000 |
| 2018 | $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em Championship | 114 | $185,965 |
Justin Bonomo's Top 5 WSOP Cashes
| Year | Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $1,000,000 The Big One for One Drop No-Limit Hold'em | 1st | $10,000,000 |
| 2016 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 2nd | $801,048 |
| 2021 | $50,000 High Roller No Limit Hold'em 8-Handed | 2nd | $156,040 |
| 2014 | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | 1st | $449,980 |
| 2009 | $40,000 No-Limit Hold'em - 40th Anniversary Event | 5th | $413,165 |
World Poker Tour
In 2005, Justin burst onto the poker scene with a couple of solid performances including the 30th place finish at the WPT PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. The following year, he scored big with three final tables in preliminary events at the Five-Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas for well over $100,000 total. When the Main Event rolled around, Bonomo ran deep and ended up in seventh place for $152,230.
Things kept on working out for the positive for Bonomo in 2007. He first placed eleventh in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Championship Event for over $75,000 and then a couple months later hit another score over $75,000 for a nice run at the WPT World Championship. In 2008, Bonomo decided to one up his overall numbers from the previous year when he made a total of over $625,000. One of his biggest scores that year was an eighth place at the Borgata Winter Open for $135,243.
Despite having picked up titles on every other circuit, Bonomo has yet to add a WPT title to his vast collection but has pulled off some impressive scores on the tour since 2008.
Justin Bonomo's Top 5 WPT Results
| Year | Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $10,400 Five Diamond World Poker Classic | 5th | $345,272 |
| 2021 | WOC Super High Roller Championship | 3rd | $155,695 |
| 2006 | Five Diamond World Poker Classic $15,000 Doyle Brunson North American Poker Classic | 7th | $152,230 |
| 2008 | Borgata Winter Open $9,700 Championship | 8th | $135,243 |
| 2007 | PokerStars Caribbean Poker Adventure $7,800 Championship | 11th | $77,702 |
European Poker Tour
Justin Bonomo scored his biggest EPT win in 2012 when he took down the €100,000 Super High Roller event at the Grand Final in Monte Carlo for €1,640,000. During that same Grand Final Bonomo scored another two big cashes. He collected €266,000 for the fourth place finish at the €25,000 High Roller tournament and €35,000 for the 28th place at the €10,000 Main Event.
Bonomo achieved two more wins at the Monte Carlo stop of the 2018 EPT, winning two editions of the Monte Carlo €25,000 High Roller.
Justin Bonomo's Top 5 EPT Results
| Year | Event | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Grand Final, Monte Carlo €100,000 Super High Roller | 1st | €1,640,000 |
| 2018 | Monte Carlo €100,000 Super High Roller | 5th | €401,000 |
| 2018 | Monte Carlo €25,000 High Roller | 1st | €378,000 |
| 2012 | Grand Final, Monte Carlo €25,000 High Roller | 4th | €266,000 |
| 2018 | Monte Carlo €25,000 High Roller | 1st | €259,700 |
Other Achievements
In 2007 Bonomo took fifth place in the Caesars Palace Classic for over $160,000. Then in 2009, he was able to get another nice distinct win under his belt. Bonomo captured the $5,000 Championship Event at the WSOP Circuit at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The road wasn’t easy, especially during heads-up play. Bonomo battled with professional Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi for around four hours total, but eventually walked away with the $227,692 first-place prize.
Sponsorship
From 2008 to 2010 Justin Bonomo was sponsored by the Bodog Poker online poker site and represented Team Bodog in live tournaments around the world.
Did you know?
- On February 19, 2005, Bonomo became the youngest player at that time to make a televised final table at the EPT French Open in Deauville, France. He was 19 years, 5 months, and 20 days old.
- In 2007 Bonomo donated $13,250 to the SENS life extension research project.
