Poker Legend: Johnny Chan

Winner of 10 World Series of Poker bracelets and two Main Event tournaments, Johnny Chan became the first Chinese professional poker player to make it into the Poker Hall of Fame, when he received the honor in 2002.

Born in the southern Chinese province of Guangzhou in 1957, Chan moved with his family to neighboring Hong Kong aged just five, before making the big leap to the United States in 1968.

Chan grew up first in Phoenix and then Houston, but passed on the opportunity to take over the family-owned restaurant, instead heading to Las Vegas aged 16 to compete in a poker tournament. At the age of 21, Chan finally made the full-time move to professional poker player, quitting his hotel and restaurant management course at the University of Houston and moving to Vegas. The decision proved to be the right one.


Chan became a household name a decade after his move to Vegas, when he won back-to-back WSOP main events in 1987-88 (still the last player to do so), and went within striking distance of a third, finishing second in 1989 to Phil Hellmuth. Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss reportedly told Chan he would give him an NBA championship ring if he became the first player to win three main events in a row.

Chan didn't follow through, but he did deliver outside the main events, becoming the first player to win 10 World Series of Poker bracelets in 2005. Phil Hellmuth has since overtaken him with 11.

Chan has won over $4 million in World Series of Poker events, and almost $7 million with all other tournaments taken into consideration.

Outside of playing professional poker, Chan is the owner of a fast-food franchise in the Las Vegas Stratosphere Hotel. He has written for Card Player magazine and Trader Monthly. He has co-authored two instructional books with Mark Karowe, entitled Play Poker Like Johnny Chan and Million Dollar Hold 'em: Winning Big in Limit Cash Games.

Chan's online poker room, Chanpoker.com, closed down in August 2008, shortly after its launch in 2007.