Continuing the tradition of the successful poker players coming from South East Asia, the next one comes from China. Johnny Chan was born in 1957 in Guangzhou before moving first to Hong Kong and then to the United States and Phoenix, Arizona. The trip to becoming a professional online poker player begun when he was 21, dropping out of the University of Houston and going to Las Vegas.
Early Life
The indications of his stardom were evident long before he actually went pro. At the age of just 16 he bought in a cash game and turned $500 to $20,000 overnight. The game went into his veins playing against the staff of the restaurants that his family owned. In fact, when he went at the university, he studied hotel and restaurant management.
However, his destiny was set almost immediately. Rising through the ranks, he is the last poker professional to win two consecutive WSOP main events. Actually, he almost won a third, losing to Phil Hellmuth at the last hand. Throughout his career he has made it to 45 finishes on the money and 27 at the final tables. The total tally of his earnings exceeds 8 million 700 thousand dollars.
His style on the table is fast and aggressive and he has one of the most peculiar lucky charms as he always brings an orange along. Apart from poker, he also enjoys bowling, swimming, good food, cars, fashion and spending time with his family.
Major Wins
Let’s begin with the tournament that earned him the nickname «the orient Express». And that goes back to 1981 and the American Cup. In that competition, he defeated all 9 of his opponents in less than an hour. Hence, the nickname. Apart from the two titles of 1987 and 1988 at the World Series of Poker, he is the first ever poker player to win 10 bracelets. His record led to his induction in the Hall of Fame in 2002.
Bracelets
Impact
It’s not only his successes that have built up his name. He has also appeared (as himself) in two movies, has written 2 books and at some point, he initiated an online poker room. Unfortunately, it lasted just for a year. However, it shows his commitment to the world of the sport. Everyone has something to learn watching him play. And everyone can use that knowledge either playing at a regular table, or on an online live dealer casino. Of course, for this last part, opening an account for winners is required.
