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 Johnny
Chan
One of
poker's
most
well
known
names. He
is a
legend
in the
poker
world
for
winning
nine
gold
bracelets
(tying
Doyle
Brunson
and Phil
Hellmuth
Jr.),
but more
impressively
is that
two
bracelets
were
from
back to
back
Championship
events
in 1987
and
1988.
Amazingly
he
almost
won in
1989
too, but
finished
second
to Phil
Hellmuth.
He is
not only
known by
poker
players,
but also
by movie
goers
for
playing
himself
as the
best
poker
player
in the
world in
the
movie
Rounders.
The
movie
contained
actual
footage
of
Chans
victory
against
Erik
Seidel
in the
1988
World
Series.
Chan,
nicknamed
"The
Orient
Express",
flopped
a
straight
and got
Erik to
move all
his
chips in
with a
pair of
queens.
Chan
moved
with his
family
from
Hong
Kong to
Phoenix
in 1968.
They
later
moved to
Houston
where
his
family
owned
some
restaurants.
He was
expected
to
continue
in the
family
business,
but
poker
took him
on a
life
detour.
He
started
playing
in the
early
80s and
hasn't
looked
back
since.
When he
started
playing
poker,
he also
was an
avid
bowler.
He used
to hide
some of
his
poker
escapades
by
saying
he was
at the
bowling
alley.
The nine
gold
bracelets
from the
World
Series
of Poker
are from
the two
Championship
events
in 1987
and
1988,
Limit
Holdem
in 1985,
Seven-Card
Stud in
1994,
Deuce to
Seven
Draw in
1997,
Omaha
Pot
Limit in
2000, No
Limit
Holdem
and Pot
Limit
Holdem
in 2003,
and the
last
bracelet
was from
a match
between
previous
bracelet
winners.
The
event
was a
series
of heads
up
matches
and the
final
two
players
were
Chan and
Phil
Hellmuth
Jr. This
time
Chan was
victorious.
When I
did the
research
on his
wins, I
was
impressed
with the
variety
of games
he has
won.
This
validates
what
many
say,
that he
is one
of the
best all
around
poker
players.
He was
inducted
into the
Poker
Hall of
Fame in
2002.
One last
note
If
you are
ever
able to
witness
Chan in
a
tournament,
you will
see him
with a
lucky
orange
in front
of him.
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