Johnny Chan

Johnny Chan Profile
	Nickname: The Orient Express Online Username: MasterChan Birthdate: 1957 Birthplace: Canton, China Residence: Cerritos, Nevada Tournaments Won: 12 WSOP Bracelets: 10 Total Winnings: $4,327,623

In 1988, Johnny Chan was defending his Hold’em crown in the 19th World Series of Poker and once more made it to the final two. Heads-up with him and seated to his left at the blue–baize table of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino was Eric Seidel. The flop was showing Q♠ 8♦ 10♥ and Seidel checked. Chan bet $40,000 and Seidel holding Q♣ 7♥ raised $50,000. Chan, resting his head on his hand, checked his cards once more before finally, almost reluctantly, putting in the required number of chips. The turn was a 2♠ and Seidel checked. Again, Chan took his time, fiddled with his chips and tilted his head in an expression of deep concentration. Then in one brief moment, just discernable through his aviator shades, Chan’s eyes looked ceiling-ward and a flicker of a grin started to appear on his face before his facial muscles quickly regained control. He checked and the river card of 6♦ was dealt. Seidel had the top pair and there is no possibility of a flush and so he pushed his chips ‘all in.’ Chan immediately called and standing, turned over his cards revealing J♣ 9♣. He had had a queen high straight since the flop and had played Seidel perfectly. Chan had successfully defended his title, something only three players had done before and an accolade unlikely to be repeated.

While the feat may not be repeated, the footage of the event has been. In the 1998 movie ‘Rounders,’ Matt Damon’s character, Michael, gives the clip of the final hand no less than three viewings and later on Johnny Chan turns up in the movie playing himself in a brief cameo role. The film raised the profile of professional poker, inspiring many to take up the game, including future world champion, Chris Moneymaker. The part also propelled Chan into celebrity-hood and he enjoys the notoriety it affords him and without a doubt the extra income too. After all, his taste in Versace clothes and Mercedes cars doesn’t come cheap.

Chan’s current star status is a far cry from his early years, spent modestly in China and then Hong Kong. When he was 10, his family moved again, this time to America, living first in Phoenix before finally settling in Houston. Initially, Chan had difficulties coming to terms with the language though he fared better culturally, becoming a handy tenpin bowler. He also worked in the family’s restaurant and their expectations for Johnny were that he would continue in the family business as he grew up. The restaurant was to play an important part in his future but not in the way his parents expected as Johnny would one day discover an underground poker game going on in the back room. He joined in and the teenager’s talent was quickly apparent to his fellow players, so much so that they ousted him soon after as he was taking all their money. At 16, Chan decided to try his luck in Las Vegas, making the journey with $500 in his back pocket. In just one evening he turned his starting money into $20,000 and the following day, lost it all again. Chan decided that perhaps being a restaurateur was the more sensible option and so he enrolled in a hotel and restaurant management course at the University of Houston. But a passion for poker still burned inside of Chan and when he became legally old enough to gamble, the lure was too strong and he quit college and moved to Las Vegas, much to the disappointment of his family.

‘A hot-headed kid with some talent,’ was Doyle Brunson’s description of Chan’s play during those first years in Vegas as Johnny experienced winning and losing in equal measures. And then in 1982, he decided to make some drastic changes to his unhealthy lifestyle. Out went the eighty-a-day cigarette habit and in came a new exercise regime and healthy diet. The changes had the desired effect on Chan’s poker and in the same year, after having steamed through 13 players in half an hour in the America’s Cup, Chan acquired the nickname the ‘Orient Express.’ And that train just keeps a-rolling, from his first WSOP bracelet in 1985 to his tenth twenty years later, the first player to achieve that number. On the way, he’s managed two consecutive WSOP main event titles and unbelievably almost made it three, losing out to Phil Hellmuth in 1989. He got his revenge in 2002 though, beating him heads-up in the $2,500 No Limit Hold’em event, the same year he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. He also holds the record for victories on NBC’s ‘Poker after Dark’ television programme with three wins and one second place on his four appearances on the show. On top of that, he mentored Jamie Gold, all the way to his success in 2006’s WSOP main event.

Like many sports, poker has its fair share of superstitious competitors and Chan falls into this category. Claiming never to have lost more than two hands with the same deck, he often asks for the pack to be changed if he does lose. People also used to assume that it was for luck that Chan would bring an orange with him to tournament tables but as an ex-smoker, Chan used to sniff it to clear his head during the days when casinos were smoky places. But neither of these are the secret of his success. For that, you’ll have to read one of his two books, ‘Play Poker like Johnny Chan,’ or ‘Million Dollar Hold’em: Winning in Big in Limit Cash Games.’ Aside from writing books, it could be said that Johnny has come full circle as he now owns his own fast food franchise in Las Vegas. But despite his remarkable success he has one dream that remains unrealised: To open his own land based casino.

Johnny Chan WSOP Tournaments & Top Ten Finishes
	Event* Date Position Winnings 38th Annual WSOP Event 23 – WSOP Pot Limit Omaha Jun 14th 2007 20th $5,504 38th Annual WSOP Event 11 – WSOP 7 Card Stud World Championship Jun 6th 2007 18th $8,460 38th Annual WSOP Event 1 – WSOP World Championship Mixed Hold'em Jun 1st 2007 31st $13,778 The Wynn Classic Poker Pages Ranking Championship Mar 11th 2007 8th $38,412 37th Annual WSOP Event 10 – WSOP 7 Card Stud Jul 5th 2006 7th $22,836 37th Annual WSOP Event 6 – WSOP Jul 1st 2006 84th $5,239 36th Annual WSOP Event 25 – WSOP Pot Limit Hold'em Jun 25th 2005 1st $303,025 Five-Diamond World Poker Classic II WPT Season 3 Main Event Dec 18th 2004 8th $87,125 Turkey Shoot/Ho Ho Hold' Em Limit Hold'em Dec 9th 2004 3rd $2,450 35th Annual WSOP Event 30 – WSOP May 18th 2004 29th $6,280 34th Annual WSOP Event 30 – WSOP Pot Limit Hold'em May 13th 2003 19th $3,640 34th Annual WSOP Event 24 – WSOP Pot Limit Omaha May 8th 2003 1st $158,100 34th Annual WSOP Event 15 – WSOP Apr 29th 2003 1st $224,400 Five-Star World Poker Classic WPT Championship Season 1 Apr 7th 2003 8th $6,740 33rd Annual WSOP Event 30 – WSOP May 16th 2002 3rd $94,300 33rd Annual WSOP Event 27 – WSOP Pot Limit Omaha May 13th 2002 8th $10,060 33rd Annual WSOP Event 19 – WSOP May 6th 2002 2nd $137,720 33rd Annual WSOP Event 11 – WSOP Pot Limit Hold'em Apr 28th 2002 5th $18,280 33rd Annual WSOP Event 9 – WSOP Heads Up Apr 26th 2002 1st $34,000 32nd Annual WSOP Event 22 – WSOP May 10th 2001 2nd $211,210 National Championship of Poker Sep 20th 2001 6th $935 32nd Annual WSOP Event 8 – WSOP Pot Limit Omaha Apr 27th 2001 14th $4,595 Tom McEvoy's Poker Spectacular Sep 30th 2000 5th $1,760 National Championships of Poker Limit Hold'em Sep 24th 2000 2nd $12,750 31st Annual WSOP Event 20 – WSOP May 12th 2000 11th $10,835 31st Annual WSOP Event 6 – WSOP Pot Limit Omaha Apr 29th 2000 1st $179,400 L.A. Poker Classic Main Event Feb 26th 2000 1st $98,975 29th Annual WSOP Event 5 – WSOP Pot Limit Omaha Apr 25th 1998 2nd $77,400 28th Annual WSOP Event 16 – WSOP No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball May 4th 1997 1st $164,250 28th Annual WSOP Event 7 – WSOP Apr 25th 1997 20th $4,260 28th Annual WSOP Event 5 – WSOP Pot Limit Omaha Apr 23rd 1997 9th $6,345 27th Annual WSOP Event 22 – WSOP Limit Hold'em May 12th 1996 4th $41,300 26th Annual WSOP Event 12 – WSOP No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball May 6th 1995 2nd $56,250 26th Annual WSOP Event 8 – WSOP May 2nd 1995 23rd $2,745 25th Annual WSOP Event 18 - WSOP Limit Omaha May 3rd 1994 17th $1,668 25th Annual WSOP Event 17 – WSOP Limit 7 Card Stud May 2nd 1994 1st $135,600 25th Annual WSOP Event 10 – WSOP Pot Limit Hold'em Apr 25th 1994 9th $5,557 LA Poker Classic Deuce to Seven Lowball Mar 1st 1994 1st $39,050 23rd Annual WSOP Event 20 – WSOP World Championship May 11th 1992 7th $25,250 23rd Annual WSOP Event 15 – WSOP Pot Limit Hold'em May 6th 1992 6th $10,133 22nd Annual WSOP Event 15 – WSOP  May 10th 1991 18th $3,336 5th Annual Diamond Jim Brady Event 18 – Pot Limit Hold'em Aug 27th 1989 4th $16,220 5th Annual Diamond Jim Brady Event 16 – Limit Hold'em Aug 25th 1989 4th $21,680 5th Annual Diamond Jim Brady Event 15 Aug 24th 1989 5th $2,370 5th Annual Diamond Jim Brady Event 13 – 7 Card Stud Aug 21st 1989 3rd $18,790 5th Annual Diamond Jim Brady Event 1 – $300 Lowball w/Rebuys Aug 5th 1989 2nd $52,380 20th Annual WSOP Event 14 – WSOP World Championship May 14th 1989 2nd $302,000 19th Annual WSOP Event 12 – WSOP World Championship May 16th 1988 1st $700,000 18th Annual WSOP Event 13 – WSOP World Championship May 12th 1987 1st $625,000 18th Annual WSOP Event 2 – WSOP No Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball May 2nd 1987 3rd $51,000 16th Annual WSOP Event 2 – WSOP Limit Hold'em May 5th 1985 1st $171,000 14th Annual WSOP Event 8 – WSOP Heads Up May 10th 1983 4th $8,000

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