It can be generally fascinating, when following the World Series of Poker, to learn as much as possible about the key contestants. There is such a wide range of backgrounds, such as a diverse variety of life experiences, that it is almost mind-boggling to see so many wildly different individuals all drawn together under one roof and bonded by their shared love of this venerable game.

No other poker championship on the planet has the same kind of reputation for bringing together so many types of people, from all walks of life. And, as a spectator who becomes intimately familiar with the overall strategy of individual players, it becomes even more interesting to learn how long a person has been playing the game of poker and at what point in his or her life that spark was first lit.

Naturally, it is not uncommon to find that a number of the more successful World Series of Poker entrants began playing at a very young age. In fact, a high percentage of champions from recent years all took up the game for the first time before reaching puberty.

However, this is not always the case. Sometimes a champion will emerge who did not begin to play poker (at least, not seriously) until a fairly advanced stage of life. This is certainly true of John Bonetti. Born in 1928, this gentlemen hails from Houston, Texas. It was not until the age of 54(!) that he started playing poker with any level of intensity. Since making that switch, he has won of a very impressive total of three bracelets at the World Series of Poker. Just imagine how many he would own if he started playing back in the 1940s!

His first WSOP title came in 1990 in the deuce to seven draw event, from which he walked away with more than $83,000. The next bracelet came in 1993, when Bonetti won $122,400 in the pot limit Texas Hold'em event after defeating Chau Giang. And the third bracelet slid onto his wrist in 1995 in another deuce to seven draw match, this time besting Johnny Chang for a prize of $101,250. All in all, Bonetti has racked up an astonishing 28 money finishes in the WSOP!

And yet, his accomplishments are not limited to that tournament. John Bonetti has consistently performed well on the World Poker Tour and though currently suffering from ill health, continues to be one of the most respected and beloved players in the recent history of the game.