Berry Johnston: Biography, Career and Poker Results

October 19, 2026

Table of Contents

Berry Johnston is an American professional poker player from Oklahoma, born on September 25, 1935, who won the 1986 World Series of Poker Main Event and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2004. He won five WSOP bracelets between 1983 and 2001 and cashed at least once at every WSOP from 1982 until 2010. ^[1]

Berry Johnston, portrait at the 2007 World Series of Poker — “Berry Johnston 2007 cropped” by flipchip / LasVegasVegas.com, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Berry Johnston: key facts

Full name	Berry Johnston
Country	United States ^[1]
Born	September 25, 1935, Bethany, Oklahoma ^[2][7]
Known for	1986 WSOP Main Event champion; ten Main Event cashes ^[7]
Poker Hall of Fame	Inducted 2004 ^[1]
WSOP bracelets	5 (1983, 1986, 1990, 1995, 2001) ^[1]
WSOP record (Card Player)	71 cashes, 29 final tables, $2,114,211 in WSOP winnings ^[2]
Live tournament earnings	$3,503,688 as of October 5, 2026 ^[1]

Early life: a late start in Oklahoma

Johnston was born in Oklahoma on September 25, 1935. PokerNews notes that little is known about his early life, and that he took up poker later than most of his contemporaries, at the age of 35. ^[1] WSOP.com gives his birthplace as Bethany, Oklahoma, and Card Player lists Bethany as his hometown. ^[2][7]

Beginning in poker: two near misses

Johnston moved to Las Vegas in 1982 to play poker professionally. ^[7] In his first year there he reached the final table of the WSOP Main Event, a $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em event with 104 entrants, and finished third behind Jack Straus and Dewey Tomko for $104,000. ^[6] A year later he won his first bracelet in the $2,500 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em event, worth $40,000, which PokerNews describes as the first heads-up event held at the WSOP. ^[1][3]

In 1985 he reached the Main Event final table again and finished third of 140 entrants for $140,000, behind champion Bill Smith and runner-up T.J. Cloutier. ^[5] Mike Sexton, who watched from the front row, later described the decisive hand: Johnston was all in before the flop with A-K against Cloutier’s A-J, the flop brought an ace and the turn a jack. Johnston shook hands with the remaining players and wished them good luck before leaving the table. ^[9]

Playing style and reputation

Johnston’s results span many games. His five bracelets came in No-Limit and Limit Hold’em, Heads-Up, Limit Omaha and Razz. ^[1] His peers have mostly described his consistency and conduct. Doyle Brunson said: “When it comes to tournaments, well, T.J. is probably the best player around, but Berry is right up there with him.” ^[8] WSOP.com wrote in 2009 that he had “never gloated in glory, suffered in defeat, or committed a tournament ending melt down”, and called him a consummate professional. ^[7]

Greatest achievements

1986 World Series of Poker Main Event

After third-place finishes in 1982 and 1985, Johnston won the 1986 WSOP Main Event at Binion’s Horseshoe. The $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Championship drew 141 entrants for a prize pool of $1,410,000, and Johnston took first prize of $570,000. ^[4] Mike Sexton later wrote of the win: “Sometimes, there is justice in the world.” ^[9]

WSOP bracelets

Year	Event	Result	Prize	Source
1986	$10,000 No-Limit Hold’em World Championship (Main Event, 141 entrants)	1st	$570,000	[4]
1990	$2,500 Limit Hold’em	1st	$254,000	[3]
1995	$1,500 Limit Omaha (152 entrants)	1st	$91,200	[3]
2001	$1,500 Razz	1st	$83,810	[3]
1983	$2,500 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em	1st	$40,000	[3]

Other notable results

Year	Event	Result	Prize	Source
1985	WSOP Main Event (140 entrants)	3rd	$140,000	[5]
1982	WSOP Main Event (104 entrants)	3rd	$104,000	[6]
1997	Four Queens Poker Classic, $5,000 No-Limit Hold’em	2nd	$100,000	[3]
2000	World Poker Finals, No-Limit Hold’em	2nd	$81,600	[3]
1990	WSOP Main Event	5th	$75,150	[3]
1991	Hall of Fame Poker Classic, Limit Hold’em	2nd	$73,200	[3]
1989	Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker, Pot-Limit Omaha	1st	$69,400	[3]
2007	WSOP Main Event	113th	$58,570	[3]
2008	WSOP $10,000 Omaha High-Low Split 8 or Better World Championship	10th	$38,657	[3]

Main Event consistency and WSOP cashes

Johnston cashed ten times in the WSOP Main Event: third in 1982 and 1985, first in 1986, 32nd in 1987, 29th in 1989, fifth in 1990, 17th in 1992, 21st in 1995, 16th in 1996 and 113th in 2007. In 2009 WSOP.com wrote that this was more Main Event cashes than anyone else in history, and that he had won more than $1,000,000 in the Main Event alone. ^[7]

His overall WSOP record also stood out in its time. In a column published by Card Player in 2006, Mike Sexton called him the all-time leader in number of cashes at the WSOP. ^[9] By 2009, WSOP.com placed him behind only Phil Hellmuth, Chris Ferguson and Men Nguyen in career WSOP cashes. ^[7] He cashed at least once at every WSOP from 1982 until 2010; his last live WSOP cash came in 2016, and he added two cashes in the 2020 WSOP Online. ^[1] Card Player’s database now credits him with 71 WSOP cashes and 29 WSOP final tables. ^[2]

Poker Hall of Fame, 2004

Johnston was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2004. ^[1] Doyle Brunson spoke at the induction ceremony and said: “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.” ^[9] In 2009 WSOP.com featured him as number 11 on Bluff Magazine’s list of the 40 greatest champions. ^[7]

Personal life

According to WSOP.com, Johnston later returned to live in Bethany, Oklahoma, with his wife, and is described as deeply religious and dedicated to his family. ^[7]

In his own words

Few interviews with Johnston are available online. Mike Sexton reported that Johnston had two dreams when he started playing poker: to play well enough to make a living at it, and to become a world champion. ^[9]

“OK, honey, we’ll go eat if that’s what you want to do.” His reply to his wife, who asked to go and eat right after his elimination from the 1985 Main Event, as told by Mike Sexton. ^[9]

Sexton’s own verdict after that hand: “If ever a guy deserves to be a world champion, it’s this guy.” ^[9]

FAQ about Berry Johnston

How old is Berry Johnston?

Berry Johnston was born on September 25, 1935, according to his PokerNews and Card Player profiles. ^[1][2]

Where is Berry Johnston from?

He is American, born in Bethany, Oklahoma. He moved to Las Vegas in 1982 to play poker professionally and later returned to Bethany. ^[7]

When did Berry Johnston win the WSOP Main Event?

In 1986. He won $570,000 in a field of 141 entrants. ^[4]

How many WSOP bracelets does Berry Johnston have?

Five: Heads-Up No-Limit Hold’em in 1983, the Main Event in 1986, Limit Hold’em in 1990, Limit Omaha in 1995 and Razz in 2001. ^[1]

What is Berry Johnston’s net worth?

There is no reliable public figure for his net worth. What can be verified is his live tournament record: $3,503,688 in earnings as of October 5, 2026, according to PokerNews, which uses data from The Hendon Mob. ^[1]

When was Berry Johnston inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame?

In 2004. ^[1]

How many times did Berry Johnston cash in the Main Event?

Ten times, between 1982 and 2007, including the 1986 win and two third-place finishes. ^[7]

Related Poker Legends

Read more about T.J. Cloutier, who eliminated Johnston from the 1985 Main Event, Doyle Brunson, who spoke at his Hall of Fame induction, and Mike Sexton, who witnessed the 1985 final table.