Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan is a poker legend
Poker legend Johnny Chan is one of the most successful players of all time with lifetime live tournament earnings in excess of $8,500,000 and countless more millions earned in big highstakes cash games.
Johnny is one of only four men who have won the World Series of Poker Main Event more than once. The others are Johnny Moss (1971 & 1974), Doyle Brunson (1976 & 1977), and Stu Ungar (1980, 1981 & 1997).
Chan topped the WSOP Main Event fields in 1987 and 1988. He nearly made it three wins in a row at WSOP 1989 but was beaten into second place by a young, up and coming player called Phil Hellmuth, Jnr. (Hmm, I wonder what ever became of him?!)
Johnny Chan's playing style is ferociously aggressive. His ability to run players over earned him the nickname "Orient Express"! He's not just a crazy table bully though; he's also a wicked strategy master too. This was highlighted in the cult poker film, "Rounders" which featured his sneaky "trap play" against his inexperienced heads-up opponent, Erik Seidel, in the 1988 World Series of Poker Main Event.
So far, Johnny Chan has won 10 WSOP bracelets in all, with the most recent coming in 2005, when he won a $2,500 buy-in Pot-Limit Hold'em event. At the time, he became the first player to have won ten WSOP bracelets though Doyle Brunson drew level with him at the same World Series. Currently Chan is joint-second with Brunson on ten bracelets just one behind the record holder, Phil Hellmuth Jnr.
Johnny was one of the first poker players to realise the benefits to his poker game of following a good diet, exercising and getting enough rest. He gave up a four-pack a day smoking habit and used to carry an orange with him to the table to combat the smell of cigarettes in poker rooms. Chan's "lucky orange" became something of a trademark.
Chan still works out most days and he recently started a business selling the All-In energy drink (allinenergy.com) which contains herbs, vitamins and minerals and is designed to help players stay alert while playing for a long time.
Johnny Chan was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2002. He is married with six children. His eldest son runs his energy drink business.
Legends Details
Name: Johnny Chan
Age: 59
Born: Guangzhou, China
Lives: Las Vegas
Nickname: Orient Express