Hi! My Name is Charlie Delta

Allow me to introduce myself. Most people know me as "Miami" John Cernuto, but there are still some things about my background of which you might not be aware. For instance, before I became a pro poker player, I was an air traffic controller. Back then, I was called either Charlie Delta, which was the way I identified myself with my fellow controllers, or simply Cernuto, as I was known in my Miami home games. As a controller, I was great at multitasking and handling stress. This helped me to prepare for my next profession: playing poker. Thanks to a labor dispute, I took the opportunity to come out to Las Vegas and give poker a try. My biggest problem was overcoming the huge gap in my experience level against more savvy professionals. My only hold'em experience had consisted of playing hold'em eight-or-better on a recreational basis. Also, I had not even seen a poker book, much less read one. And Card Player was not in existence then. When I arrived in Vegas in January of 1982, everyone began to call me by my initials, J.C. When I began playing tournaments for a living, Jack McClelland began calling me J.C. Cernuto. My first major tournament win was at Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker in 1988. I entered the tournament as Miami John. I was the chip leader from almost wire to wire, and won $50,000 along with the trophy. The name stuck, I have never looked back, and that's why I am Miami John today.

I got started playing poker tournaments because of a promotion at the Stardust Casino that was hosted by Tournament Director Bob Thompson Sr. Bob had us playing two tournaments a day, six days a week, for nine months. Can you imagine the experience that I got from that promotion? As a bonus, I got to play with some of the best pros in the business: world champs Johnny Chan, Jack Keller, and Russ Hamilton; occasional drop-ins like Jack Straus, Bill Smith, and Stu Ungar; and great players like Bones Berland, Fred David, Brent Carter, and Don Williams. With all of this talent, I began to feel like a fish in a shark tank. I looked up to those players, and for the first time in a long time, I was inspired to become something great. I watched and learned from the best in the business, which encouraged me to become a great tournament player.

I learned that longevity is key in poker, and it is as important as playing well. There are many good players who have fallen by the wayside because they couldn't plug the leaks in their lives as well as in their games. Poor choices in life can sift into your game, and good choices in poker can sift into your life. Had I not realized this somewhere along the line, I seriously doubt that I would be writing this now.

Some other things that you may not know about me include some of my more notable wins. I won WSOP bracelets in 1996, 1997, and 2002, in seven-card stud eight-or-better, no-limit hold'em, and Omaha, respectively. I rank ninth at the WSOP in lifetime cashes, and also won a world title in heads-up no-limit hold'em in 2003 in Vienna. I have entered the winner's circle more than 90 times, have more than 50 second-place finishes, and have cashed more than 600 times. I have to say that very little of this would've happened had it not been for the deep-seated desire to become a great tournament player that I had in the early '80s. My proven track record over a long period of time makes me well-qualified to write about tournament poker and the experiences that got me where I am today.

In upcoming columns, I will be addressing various subjects that I believe have pertinence to a long, successful tournament career. In the late 1990s, I was asked to write a column for Card Player, but declined. At the time, I was enjoying the poker life way too much and didn't wish to trade one minute of it. I wanted to flop till I dropped. Looking back, I wish I had taken the offer. To me, writing is fun, but mainly it gives me a wonderful opportunity to share my experiences with the industry and you readers. It gives me the chance to inspire others in the same way that I was inspired back in the early '80s. This means that I get a chance to make a difference and give something back. It also should serve to demonstrate to new players that if an amateur like me can make it with very little experience, so can they. All it takes is the determination to be the best poker player that you can possibly be, and the dedication to learn the game, the math, and their complexities.

My columns will follow a "top 10" theme. This will include a broad range of topics that will be humorous at times, and also will give you an insight into our industry and the game of poker. Most columns will be centered on the human-interest side of poker, but also will be aimed at enriching one's poker acumen. Some will be instructional and will be aimed at improving your skill level and profitability when playing poker. Some will address other intangible poker skills and will be aimed at improving your awareness of the psychological aspects of the game. In a nutshell, my goals will be to increase your poker savvy, make playing poker more profitable for you, and entertain you with some of the more humorous nuances of our game. My first top 10 will appear in my next column: "The Top 10 Reasons Why Poker Is Not a Sport." I hope that you will enjoy it.

"Miami" John Cernuto has won three World Series of Poker bracelets, ranks ninth in all-time WSOP cashes, and has more than 90 tournament wins and more than 600 cashes.