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WSOP Profile: Johnny Chan

Johnny Chan was born in Canton, China, but soon after moved with his family to Hong Kong. It wasn’t long before they uprooted their Chinese roots and moved to the warmth of Phoenix, AZ, and eventually settled in Houston, TX.

The family owned restaurants where Johnny took part in the work. He eventually planned on taking over and staying in the family business.

What comes to Vegas stays in Vegas

However, like many poker pros, things changed when Johnny, at the age of 16, had his first visit to Las Vegas. He came back home to Houston, but never truly left Las Vegas and the lucrative poker games he’d seen there. While attending the University of Houston, Chan decided he would leave behind his studies in Hotel and Restaurant Management and move to Las Vegas to pursue life as a professional gambler.

He began winning consistently, and in 1985 one his first World Series of Poker bracelet. Little did he probably expect, he would explode into a poker star in only two years when he would win the $10,000 No limit WSOP championship in 1987. The payouts were not as big as they are now, but he still took home a nice chunk of change totaling $625,000.

Not to be easily satisfied, Chan turned his success around to repeat as the $10,000 No-limit World Champion the next year, 1988; a scene that has been used as archival footage in the very popular film Rounders.

Chan almost shocked the world of poker the next year when he found himself in the finals again, but falling short to the young and talented Phil Hellmuth.

One of the truly great in WSOP

Johnny Chan owns ten WSOP bracelets, and built a $4 million fortune playing in WSOP events. He has landed in the money in a variety of games, truly making him one of the world’s best all-around players. In 2002 he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, and in April 2006, he released his second book on poker, entitled Million Dollar Hold ‘em: Winning Big in Limit Cash Games.

Beyond the world of poker, Chan enjoys spending time with his six children, swimming, playing pool, and bowling. He is still involved in the restaurant business, as he owns one in the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. In regards to business ownership, Chan aspires to someday own his own casino.

Keep your fingers crossed for Johnny Chan in the 2008 World Series of Poker!

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