Two Decades in Poker: The Highs, Lows, and Growth

Hey guys, my name is Fernando — though most of you probably know me as JNandez. I was born in 1987 in Switzerland, where I grew up in a normal household with loving parents and two siblings.

Throughout my youth, I always did “decent” in school, but never great. I didn’t really feel inspired or motivated to give school my full effort. Instead, I found that drive in other areas of life — mainly sports, volleyball, and personal improvement. I spent countless hours playing and coaching volleyball, and I loved the growth that came from training, learning, and pushing myself. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t something I could build a sustainable career around.

I always had this sense that I had potential, that I had something to give, and I was drawn to learning from people who were older, more accomplished, and growth-minded. So I was searching for a path — something that could combine my passion for growth with a way to support myself financially and live independently.

That’s when I discovered poker in 2005, during the Moneymaker boom. For the first time, I felt like I had found something I could dedicate myself to completely — a field that rewarded hard work, discipline, and constant learning, and one that could also provide financial independence.

At first, it was just fun games with friends at school. But I was the one who took it further — I bought the books, studied strategy, and found joy in learning and growing through the game. I absorbed everything I could: from sites like Pokerstrategy.de to Harrington’s books, to Limit Hold’em and No Limit Hold’em theory. I played online freerolls, sometimes winning $50 or more, and slowly built my first small bankroll.

One of my first successes was running a $500 bankroll up to $10,000 playing up to $1/$2 No Limit Hold’em cash games — before losing it all back (as many of us do at the start). Still, that moment sparked the idea that I could make a living doing this. Poker felt like the perfect vehicle — a way to grow, compete, and build a career on my own terms.

Once I was hooked, I wanted to surround myself with the game as much as possible. I even became a dealer at a local card club to earn some extra cash and to learn more about poker, the players, and the industry from the inside.

The real turning point came on Full Tilt Poker, playing their ‘Rush and Cash’ games at $2/$4 No-Limit Hold’em. Over three consecutive months, I earned $25,000 each month. That run gave me the confidence to believe I could truly make a living from poker.

By 2010, I transitioned from NLHE to PLO, and in 2011, I leaped to become a full-time professional, leaving behind my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration to pursue poker as a career.

Over the past 20 years, my journey with poker has gone through ups and downs. There were times when I thought about stepping away, and times when all I wanted to do was play poker 24/7. But what always brought me back was **growth**.

Poker forces you to grow mentally, to adapt, and to constantly improve. In this game, standing still really means falling behind. That growth mindset is deeply rooted in me — I love improving, and I love seeing others grow and improve as well.

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Career Highlights

2011–2013

Started with a $10k bankroll and moved up from PLO $100 to PLO $400 within the first two years
Achieved SuperNova Elite back-to-back on PokerStars, maintaining high-volume grinding across 12 straight months each year
Won the Sunday Million (2013) for $179,000, which gave me both the bankroll and confidence to move into higher stakes
Biggest Struggles: Life Balance - I gained weight, cut out social contacts, and struggled to balance my poker career with a fulfilling personal life.

2014–2018

Began producing coaching videos for multiple training platforms
Played primarily PLO $500, with regular shots at PLO $1000 and PLO $2000
Completed the “$100k Challenge” at PLO $500 on Twitch in just 96 days of streaming
Personally coached 100+ students 1-on-1, helping them progress in their PLO careers
Leaned down and started working out 5+ per week.
Biggest Struggles: Combining Poker and Coaching, understanding my priorities, strengths, and limitations.

2018–2021

Founded PLO Mastermind and consistently published up to 5 coaching videos per week
Focused on building a team, expanding social media presence, and scaling poker education
Competed mainly at PLO $500–$2000, while taking occasional shots at PLO $5000
Biggest Struggles: Playing in games I can beat. Mainly struggles in GG's High Stakes Cash Games, where the rake is high and opponents are strong. I achieved great results in Tournaments and Lower Games, but was unable to produce consistently good results at $10/$20 and above.

2022–Today

Relocated to Las Vegas, mixing live and online play.
Earned seven figures in live games and live tournaments.
Crushed online high-stakes (PLO $1000+) on WSOP and Bovada.
Continued expanding the PLO Mastermind and PLO Trainer.
Finished 2nd in the $5k NLHE/PLO Mix WSOP Bracelet Event (2023) for $330,000
Biggest Struggles: Balancing playing Poker, teaching, making content, and Business.

My Goals

Keep improving results at High Stakes Online PLO ($1000+) by studying hard and focusing on table/site selection.
Beat Mid-Stakes 5-Card Online PLO with sample (PLO $200 - PLO $500).
Continue to grow this community and create impactful coaching content.

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I’m excited to lead this community, to share what I’ve learned over the past 20 years, and to help you all grow on your own journeys. Poker has given me freedom, challenge, and purpose — and I’m looking forward to building the same kind of growth-driven environment here together.

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