John Strzemp In 2006
Former casino executive and runner-up in the 1997 World Series of Poker main event, John Strzemp, passed away last month at age 73 after a long illness.
Strzemp was a close associate of former Wynn Resorts CEO Steve Wynn. He was also well-known on the Las Vegas poker scene. In the 1997 WSOP main event, he finished second to Stu Ungar for $583,000, Ungar’s final WSOP cash before his untimely death the following year.
Bad Luck In Crucial Moment
The final hand in that matchup is remembered as one of the worst bad beats in WSOP history.
Ungar moved all in with A
4
on a flop of A5
3 and Strzemp called with A
8. The turn brought the 3 and the casino executive seemed to be in good shape as almost a 32% favorite to win the pot with Ungar at 16%, according to the Card Player Poker Odds Calculator.
Any river card above an eight would also have meant a split pot. Any river card between a six and an eight, or a board pairing card would’ve sent the pot to Strzemp.
But the 2 fell on the river to give Ungar the hand, his third main event title, and $1 million top prize.
That year, the final table was held in May. It was played outside Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, under the Fremont Street Experience and an exhausted Ungar commented on how tough the event had been.
Strzemp recorded more than $1.4 million in tournament cashes dating back to 1990. His last cash came in January 2023, when he finished 53rd at a Card Player Poker Tour $1,600 no-limit hold ’em event at Venetian Las Vegas for $3,998.
Career As A Casino Executive
He was born in Chicago in 1951 and earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Illinois. Initially, he became a certified public accountant, but he and his wife Genevieve moved to Las Vegas in 1981.
Strzemp In 2019
They bought their first house with winnings from a football betting contest and he transitioned away from accounting and into the casino industry.
Strzemp went on to a long career as a casino executive. He worked as president of Treasure Island until MGM Resorts acquired the property in 2000. Then, he was executive vice president and chief administrative officer of the company, overseeing the finances of Wynn’s Las Vegas and Macau properties.
From 2003 to 2006, Strzemp served as MGM’s treasurer and briefly served as Bellagio’s CFO. He retired from the company in 2017 but stayed as a consultant. Strzemp’s skills with numbers not only served him well in the business world but may have carried over to the poker table as well.
“Friends and associates said they were often dazzled by Strzemp’s mathematical skills and behind his back called him ‘Rainman,’ a reference to the Tom Cruise-Dustin Hoffman film,” the Las Vegas Review-Journal noted. “Friends also enjoyed his dry sense of humor that often coaxed them to laugh out loud at some of his stories.”
Beyond poker, betting on sports and horse races were a regular part of his gambling life. Strzemp was a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan and enjoyed attending baseball games nationwide.
Strzemp is survived by: two children, John Strzemp III and Jacqueline; one granddaughter; and Bonnie Ratner, his wife of 24 years.
Over the last two years, Strzemp spent a lot of time at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles fighting his illness. In the aftermath, the family set up a fundraising effort for the facility.
“The doctors there were patient problem solvers, providing compassionate and effective treatment and care,” the family said. “We’re so grateful for their help.”
