Michael "MJ" Bernstein

Hometown: Chicago, IL
Player Summary
Michael "MJ" Bernstein began playing poker at age 16 and today, at 27, he is already considered to be a veteran of the game and one of the most exciting players on the tournament circuit. He has been referred to as one of the rising stars of poker and is well on his way to becoming one of the most respected and feared (BLUFF Magazine calls him "The Terminator") players in the game.

Michael grew up in a small community on the north shore of Long Island, New York. Always surrounded by his family and friends, he credits much of his early success to their love and support. Michael has attended both private and public schools and was a philosophy major in college.

Throughout his education, in addition to attending class, Michael began to hone his poker skills. He began at the entry levels playing for no more than fifty dollars at a time to playing for tens of thousands of dollars, cutting his teeth on some of the toughest cash games in the country.

While spending the majority of his time in casinos and card rooms, Michael is no stranger to the demanding climate of corporate culture. After school, he started working with a communications company based out of Toronto, Canada. Within two years time, he went from an entry level position to owning and managing a satellite, communication consulting firm located in Saint Louis, Missouri. Overseeing twenty employees, he worked with companies such as AT&T, Gateway Computers, and Digital Works Multimedia Solutions on a regular basis. As one of the youngest regional managers in the multi-national company's history, he was recognized as one of the driving forces behind their North American development and expansion plans.

After being in business for less than one year, however, Michael realized his heart was just simply not in his work and he looked to pursue other opportunities. After much deliberation, Michael, who had been playing semi-professionally for the last eight years, decided to make a transition into playing poker full time.

Michael's unique experiences have given him an uncanny ability to not only play poker successfully but to also be able to articulate the skills and strategies needed to become a winning player to a wide cross section of personalities. He has always been an advocate of leading a balanced life and whether holding a seminar, at the tables, or simply spending time with his family and friends one thing is for sure: Michael Bernstein is always powering his way through life. Poised with impenetrable fortitude, he is a competitor in the truest sense of the word and is always struggling to bridge an eventual continuum between himself and his ideal. In a world where unpredictable outcomes rule and nothing is for certain, the odds are in his favor!

Lifetime Tournament Winnings:
$82,077
Player
Take Rate
30%
UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND AVAILABILITY
Date
Purchase
Availability
1% Cost
Event
$30.77
65%
Foxwoods W.P.F. Event #12 No-Limit Holdem
10/03/07
$46.15
65%
Foxwoods W.P.F. Event #13 No-Limit Holdem
11/04/07
$76.92
65%
Foxwoods W.P.F. Event #14 No-Limit Holdem
11/05/07
$158.46
$153.85
65%
65%
N.A. Poker Championship
World Poker Finals
10/26/07
11/08/07
Buy-in
$1850+150
$2800+200
$4800+200
$10000 +
$300
$9700 +
$300
Investor I.D. #
Password