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John Hennigan is an American professional poker player from Philadelphia, known as “Johnny World”, who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2018. A former pool hustler who became a regular in the biggest mixed cash games, he has won seven World Series of Poker bracelets, including the $50,000 Poker Players Championship in 2014, and a World Poker Tour title worth $1,606,223, the largest cash of his career. [1][2][3]
John Hennigan: key facts
| Full name | John Hennigan [1] |
|---|---|
| Nickname | “Johnny World” [1] |
| Country | United States [1] |
| Hometown | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [5][8] |
| Born | August 10; sources give 1969 or 1970 (see FAQ) [1][3][8] |
| Lives in | Las Vegas [11] |
| Known for | Mixed games, Seven Card Stud and high-stakes cash games |
| Poker Hall of Fame | Inducted 2018 [3] |
| WSOP bracelets | 7 (80 WSOP.com-listed cashes, 26 final tables) [2] |
| Major titles | WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship 2014; WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open 2007 [2][4] |
| Live tournament earnings | $10,098,209 as of October 5, 2026 [1] |
Early life: from the pool circuit to poker
Hennigan grew up in Philadelphia and learned to play pool at a young age, travelling to play on the pool circuit. He was a heavy gambler, and his willingness to bet on anything in the world earned him the nickname “Johnny World”. Gambling on pool eventually led him to poker. [1] Looking back in 2019, he said: “I grew up playing pool and was always into those personal challenges, but when I got into poker, I got away from that.” [8]
Beginning in poker
His first recorded tournament cash came in 1997. [1] His breakthrough year was 2002. In April he won his first WSOP bracelet, in the $2,000 Limit Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo event, for $117,320. [2] Later that year he finished fourth in the World Poker Tour’s Five Diamond World Poker Classic for over $80,000, and he closed the year by winning the Main Event of the United States Poker Championship in Atlantic City for $216,000. [1]
A second bracelet followed in 2004, in the $5,000 Limit Hold’em event, which paid $325,360. [2] Throughout these years he kept playing cash games alongside tournaments, sitting in some of the largest games of the time. [1]
Playing style
Hennigan is primarily a cash game and mixed game player. His PokerNews profile notes that he was often referred to as one of the best all-around cash players and earned the respect of his peers as a very tough opponent. [1] Most of his bracelets came in games other than No-Limit Hold’em: Seven Card Stud, 2-7 Triple Draw, H.O.R.S.E., Limit Hold’em and Dealer’s Choice. [2] Stud is the game he considers his own: “I grew up playing stud, and a lot of people say I’m the best at that game, and I’ve always been really good at that game.” [8]
PokerNews described him in 2016 as a player who keeps a famously low tournament volume. [6] By 2019 he said he had shifted his balance toward tournaments: “Cash games got a little too dicey for me. I’m a little older now, and I don’t want to blow all my money in a few weeks. Tournaments have less variance.” [8]
Greatest achievements
WSOP bracelets
| Year | Event | Entries | Prize | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 102 | $1,517,767 | [2] |
| 2018 | $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. | 166 | $414,692 | [2] |
| 2004 | $5,000 Limit Hold’em | 213 | $325,360 | [2] |
| 2016 | $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship | 125 | $320,103 | [2] |
| 2019 | $10,000 Seven Card Stud | 88 | $245,451 | [2] |
| 2024 | $1,500 Dealer’s Choice (6-Handed) | 530 | $138,296 | [2] |
| 2002 | $2,000 Limit Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo | 156 | $117,320 | [2] |
The 2014 Poker Players Championship is the most valuable of his bracelets. Hennigan, who had finished third in the same event a year earlier for $686,568, beat Brandon Shack-Harris heads-up after a long three-handed battle, from a prize pool of $4,896,000. [3][5] In 2018 he came close to winning it a second time, finishing second to Michael Mizrachi for $765,837. [3]
The 2016 Triple Draw title came after a heads-up match against Michael Gathy. [11] In 2018 he beat David Baker heads-up in the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. and became the 25th player to win five bracelets. [7] In 2019 he overcame a chip deficit against Daniel Negreanu in a heads-up match of more than four hours to win the $10,000 Seven Card Stud. [8] His seventh bracelet came in 2024, when he beat Robert Wells heads-up in the $1,500 Dealer’s Choice. [9] That win made him the ninth player in history to reach seven bracelets, and the first since Men Nguyen in 2010. [1]
Other tournament results
| Year | Event | Result | Prize | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open, Atlantic City (571 entries) | 1st | $1,606,223 | [4] |
| 2018 | WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 2nd | $765,837 | [3] |
| 2013 | WSOP $50,000 Poker Players Championship | 3rd | $686,568 | [3] |
| 2002 | United States Poker Championship Main Event, Atlantic City | 1st | $216,000 | [1] |
| 2024 | PokerGO Tour Mixed Games, $5,100 8-Game | 1st | $120,150 | [10] |
| 2002 | WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic | 4th | over $80,000 | [1] |
The Borgata Winter Poker Open in January 2007 was his first World Poker Tour title. The six-player final table began after more than 40 hours of play, and he beat Chuck Kelley heads-up, winning the final hand with a full house. [4] In 2008 he also won the Ante Up for Africa Charity Event at the WSOP. [1]
World Series of Poker record
His WSOP.com profile lists seven bracelets, 26 final tables, 80 cashes and $8,650,386 in earnings, a total that also includes non-WSOP events shown on that profile, such as World Poker Tour and PokerGO Tour results. [2]
Poker Hall of Fame, 2018
Hennigan was elected to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2018, the first year he was nominated, together with television producer Mori Eskandani. The two became the 55th and 56th people inducted since 1979, and the selection was announced during the 2018 WSOP Main Event final table. [3] In March 2024 the two inductees won back-to-back events at the PokerGO Tour Mixed Games series in Las Vegas, with Hennigan taking the $5,100 8-Game title. [10]
In his own words
- “I’m shocked right now. I’ve won a few tournaments in the past, and it usually doesn’t sink in for the first few hours.” After winning the Borgata Winter Poker Open, 2007. [4]
- “I didn’t even realize the magnitude of the situation last year when I got third, and to come back this year and win it, it’s amazing.” After the Poker Players Championship, 2014. [5]
- “Those games are so big, it’s hard to concentrate on tournaments. I was just really out of gas in the cash games, so I just came over here to kill time.” After his Triple Draw bracelet, 2016. [6]
- “I’m very excited by this news and grateful that it came at a point in my career when I was mature enough to be honored by it because I am. Thanks to everyone who voted for me!” On his Hall of Fame induction, 2018. [3]
- “I guess I’ll be in the mix for Player of the Year now.” After his seventh bracelet, 2024. [9]
Iconic hands and moments
PokerGO Tour Mixed Games $5,100 8-Game final table (PokerGO)
FAQ about John Hennigan
How old is John Hennigan?
Sources differ on his birth year. His PokerNews profile gives August 10, 1970, which would make him 56. The ages reported at the time by PokerNews in July 2018 (48) and by the Las Vegas Review-Journal in June 2019 (49) correspond to a 1969 birth, which would make him 57. [1][3][8]
Where is John Hennigan from?
He is American, a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and WSOP.com has described him as a longtime professional player from Las Vegas. [5][11]
Why is John Hennigan called “Johnny World”?
The nickname comes from his early gambling days on the pool circuit and his willingness to bet on anything in the world. [1]
What is John Hennigan’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure for his net worth. What can be verified is his live tournament record: $10,098,209 in earnings as of October 5, 2026, according to PokerNews. A large part of his career was spent in cash games, whose results are not published. [1]
How many WSOP bracelets does John Hennigan have?
Seven, won between 2002 and 2024. The most valuable was the $50,000 Poker Players Championship in 2014, worth $1,517,767. [2]
When was John Hennigan inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame?
In 2018, together with Mori Eskandani. [3]
What is John Hennigan’s biggest tournament win?
The 2007 WPT Borgata Winter Poker Open in Atlantic City, worth $1,606,223. [4]
Related Poker Legends
Read more about Daniel Negreanu, his opponent in the 2019 Seven Card Stud final, about Chip Reese, after whom the Poker Players Championship trophy is named, and about fellow Poker Hall of Fame member Phil Ivey.
Sources
- PokerNews, John Hennigan player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- WSOP.com, John Hennigan player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- PokerNews, John Hennigan & Mori Eskandani in as Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2018, July 13, 2018.
- Card Player, John “Johnny World” Hennigan Wins 2007 Winter Poker Open, Vol. 20 No. 5, 2007.
- WSOP.com, John Hennigan on Top of the World After $50K Poker Players Championship Victory, June 2014.
- PokerNews, Just “Killing Time”: Johnny World Gets Bracelet No. 4, June 30, 2016.
- PokerNews, John Hennigan Wins 2018 WSOP $10K HORSE for Fifth Bracelet, June 2018.
- Las Vegas Review-Journal, John Hennigan outlasts Daniel Negreanu for 6th WSOP bracelet, June 2019.
- PokerGO Tour, WSOP 2024 Day 5 Recap: Johnny’s World as Hennigan Makes it Seven WSOP Bracelets in Las Vegas, June 2, 2024.
- PokerNews, 2018 Poker HOF Inductees Hennigan, Eskandani Go Back-to-Back at PGT Mixed Games Series, March 2024.
- WSOP.com, World Class: Johnny “World” Hennigan Wins $10K Triple-Draw Lowball Limit Championship, June 2016.
Last verified: October 5, 2026. Figures that change over time, such as career earnings, are given with the date they were checked.
