Biographical Sketch Of Johnny Chan – Professional Poker Player
Now, as serious poker enthusiasts you are sure to have heard the name of Johnny Chan. (Those who mentally quipped ‘any relation to Jackie Chan ’ are hereby summoned to not pass go, not collect 200 and never darken the hot and happening domains of pro poker henceforth and stick to board games like Monopoly that gave us this dialogue!)
That’s only because we want to remove the dross from the gold – and sometimes, the winning amounts in professional poker tournaments can actually amount to a true player’s weight in the shiny stuff, if WSOP winning amounts are anything to go by, as 10 time WSOP bracelet winner Johnny Chan has proven by equaling the legendary Doyle Brunson’s feat that was unrivalled for so many years.
Also, not knowing the world rankings of Johnny Chan or his near dazzling win against Phil Helmuth (in the 1989 WSOP tourney) is a real shame for anyone claiming to be a serious poker lover, so you must be an imposter and this is a place for true-blue poker fans! So, there!
For others, please consider the rant officially over and read on to learn interesting facts about the personal and professional profile of Johnny Chan.
A Hong Kong born poker King, Johnny Chan celebrated his first birthday in 1958 and the closest he’s gotten to the silver screen is in a movie titled ‘Rounders’ where he was instantly recognized and appreciated because the intimidating presence he has at the poker table somehow transferred itself on celluloid, winning him lots of attention.
He notched up a total of 10 enviable WSOP satellite wins with his most recent one being the 2005 WSOP tourney, an accomplishment that helped him join the ranks of one of the most respected names in the business and a veteran poker hand at 70+. Yes, we are talking about Doyle Brunson all right!
This commendable feat is only surpassed by Phil Hellmuth to date but that does not detract from the fact that Johnny Chan is an amazing poker professional who lives, breathes and loves poker. His back to back WSOP wins in 1987 then in 1988 had poker fans thinking he’d strike lucky a third time the following year but Phil Hellmuth trumped him in 1989.
However, Chan sportingly acknowledged poker as a vying game that the best hand wins and continued to concentrate on playing other tournaments on world circuits for adding to his wealth of experience in pro tourneys.
His most characteristic playing style of quick moves earned him the nickname of ‘The Orient Express’ and keeping an orange with him as a citrus fresh ambience enhancement that he’d regularly inhale for clearing his mind added to his appeal (in the days when big poker gaming events allowed smoking).
He declares his favorite player has always been Chip Reese and he wasn’t shy of saying he admired his playing style the most when chatting with Bluff magazine’s reporter.
As regards, Johnny Chan’s most memorable wins at the titan poker WSOP tables, these include the Limit hold’em event held in 1985, followed by the main event for No-Limit Hold’em in 1987, then 1988 in the same category and a departure from these favored styles to 7 card stud game won in 1994; others notable wins include the event for a deuce to seven draw in 1997, the Pot limit Omaha in 2000, followed by 2 wins in 2003 – in the Pot Limit Hold’em and the No-limit Hold’em. His most recent big win was the 2005 Pot-Limit Hold’em tournament.
Fans may like to know that Johnny Chan has his winning hand as his number plate – JJ333 on the car he drives around because this won him tons of the green stuff that makes him Jamie Gold’s mentor at poker a sentimentalist – or a firm believer in acknowledging a good luck charm…you decide!