John Racener plays online at Full Tilt Poker.

John is best known for his second-place finish in the 2010 WSOP Main Event. Having reached the final table of the world’s greatest poker tournament with the fourth biggest chip stack, Racener chose to play solid poker while his opponents gambled around him. His approach was rewarded as he reached the final two and won over $5.5 million.

A native of Port Richey, Florida, John has been a success at poker from the time he picked up the game, turning an initial $50 deposit online into $30,000 in just six months. John, who currently lives in Tampa, Florida, has never held down a full-time job outside of poker, and he hasn’t really needed to.

On his 21st birthday he walked away with $103,000 for a third-place finish in the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em WSOP Circuit Championship Event in Atlantic City. A month later he reached the final table of the WPT’s Borgata Winter Open to cash for $166,000.

A year later John was once again back in Atlantic City at the final table of the WSOP Circuit Championship Event. This time he walked away with the gold ring and a cool $380,000.

John made his first big impression at the WSOP in June 2008, when he reached the final table of the $2,500 Omaha/Seven Card Studi Hi/Lo tournament. The following year he scored his second WSOP final table in the $5K Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo event, demonstrating Racener’s all round poker pedigree.

Between qualifying for the 2010 November Nine and securing his runner-up spot, John travelled to England to play in the World Series of Poker Europe. His fifth place in the £5K Pot Limit Omaha was his fourth WSOP Final Table appearance and worth £39K ($60K).

Asked about the best advice for players just taking up the game, John suggests smart bankroll management as extremely important, and says instincts and patience also play a crucial part in any successful poker player’s game.

When he’s not being dealt into poker hands, John enjoys playing and watching sports, listing baseball, basketball, tennis and soccer as among his favorites.

Look for John playing online at Full Tilt Poker.