George Tony Dunst (born October 17, 1984) is an American professional poker player and a three-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner.
Poker career
Dunst was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and studied theater at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He worked as a waiter before turning to poker and spent time living in Australia, China, and Malaysia before settling in Las Vegas, Nevada.[1] He began playing online poker in 2003 after watching the 2002 WSOP on television.[2] Playing under the name 'Bond18,' he has amassed more than $1.8 million in online tournament winnings.[3]
Dunst first played in the WSOP in 2006, finishing in 198th place in the Main Event. His first bracelet came in 2016, when he defeated a field of 2,452 players in a $1,000 No Limit Hold'em event and earned $339,000. He dedicated his bracelet to his wife Sharon.[4] He won his second bracelet in July 2020 at the WSOP Online in a $777 No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed event.[5] Dunst won his third bracelet at the 2024 WSOP in the $500 No-Limit Hold'em Deepstack online event.[6] Overall, Dunst has $1.2 million in career WSOP earnings.
His biggest live tournament cash came at the Aussie Millions Main Event in January 2016. Dunst nearly didn't play the tournament after losing a $5,000 chip while waiting in line to register, but fellow poker player Mike McDonald offered to pay his buy-in for him.[7] Dunst eventually finished runner-up in the tournament to Ari Engel, earning A$1,000,000 ($700,000 US).[8]
World Poker Tour
In 2010, Dunst became host of the Raw Deal segment on World Poker Tour broadcasts, offering analysis of hands played at each final table.[9] He won the season 12 WPT Caribbean event in November 2013. Dunst has made a further five WPT final tables, including three times in the WPT Championship, finishing runner-up to Ole Schemion in 2019.[10] Dunst replaced Mike Sexton as a WPT commentator alongside Vince Van Patten in 2017.[11]
As of 2019, Dunst has more than $3.8 million in live tournament winnings.[12]
World Series of Poker bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $1,000 No Limit Hold'em | $339,254 |
| 2020 O | $777 No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed | $168,342 |
An "O" following a year denotes bracelet(s) won during the World Series of Poker Online
References
- ^ Green, Shawn Patrick (June 1, 2008). "Online Poker: Interview with Tony 'Bond18' Dunst". CardPlayer.com. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Jaudon, Gaelle (March 6, 2018). "Interview: Tony Dunst from online poker to the voice of WPT". SoMuchPoker.com. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ "Bond18 profile". PocketFives.com. October 28, 2006. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Derbyshire, Marty (July 10, 2016). "World Poker Tour Analyst Tony Dunst Wins First WSOP Bracelet". PokerNews.com. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Barnes, Jim (July 22, 2020). "Poker commentator claims 2nd WSOP bracelet". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ "WPT Announcer Tony Dunst Wins Third World Series of Poker Bracelet". PokerNews.com. July 1, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ Fast, Erik (September 28, 2016). "A Poker Life: Tony Dunst". CardPlayer.com. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ "2016 Aussie Millions Poker Championship, No Limit Hold'em Main Event (Event #11)". The Hendon Mob. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Cypra, Dan (October 4, 2010). "Tony Dunst (Bond18) Joins WPT Broadcast Team as Raw Deal Host". PokerNewsDaily.com. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Rodriguez, Julio (June 4, 2019). "German Poker Pro Ole Schemion Earns WPT Tournament Of Champions Title". Card Player. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
- ^ Clark, Matthew (September 29, 2017). "Tony Dunst Moves Into The WPT Booth With Style". USPoker.com. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ "Tony George Dunst's profile on The Hendon Mob". The Hendon Mob Poker Database. Retrieved December 8, 2023.