Yep, you read that right. This poker prodigy had managed to become a superstar and a household synonym for cheating all before the age of 21. Ah-h-h, the wonders of the internet. Well, the world need wait no longer, for ZeeJustin has held his own private coming-out party at the Bellagio Five Diamonds Classic, making three final tables (and two back to back) for an impressive live outing in his first legal US-based poker tourney.
Bonomo has finished 8th in the 1st $5,000 buy-in event for ~$16,500, 4th in the $2,000 buy-in event for ~$42,500, and 5th in another $5,000 buy-in event for ~$53,500. Now none of this tops the weekend last December when Bonomo took down one of the richest prizes in regularly scheduled online poker, the PokerStars Sunday Million for $137K, but it makes for a pretty good statement that this kid can play some big-time tournament poker - even when he can only play one hand at a time.
PokerWorks
ZeeJustin makes strong showing at Bellagio's Five Diamonds
December 22 2006, Falstaff
After becoming one of the hottest young studs of the online poker scene, Justin "ZeeJustin" Bonomo went from penthouse to outhouse earlier this year when he was caught playing more than one account on his way to high cash finishes in major online tournaments. An immediate pariah, Bonomo published an "apology" on his website that was little more than a justification of his actions (largely boiling down to "all the cool kids were doing it"). Banned for life from PartyPoker (but nowadays, who isn't?) and PokerStars, Bonomo was left to wait at home for his 21st birthday to play live tournament poker.