Johnny Chan

Name: Johnny Chan
Nickname: The Orient Express
Residence: Cerritos, Kalifornien, USA
Born: 1957, Canton, China
Tournament Winnings: $4.000.000
Tournament Victories: 10
WSOP Bracelets: 10
In the Money: 36 times
Style: Tight-Aggressive (TAG)

Johnny Chan first saw the light of the world in Canton, China 1957. His family moved to Hong Kong in 1962 looking for a new perspective, and again in 1968 to that land of boundless possiblilities, to Houston, where Johnny's father opened a restaurant. But the new daily life was hard for Chan, who had to learn how to get around with an unknown language. Thanks to his sporting spirit, he was able to assimilate. He became captain of his bowling team and met with aquaintances in the evenings to play poker. Johnny Chan's will to win along with his discipline made him one of the best. "The more pressure is put on me, the more I concentrate," said Chan.

Where would things go for Chan if not Las Vegas? His first contact with the capital city of gamblers was at the age of 16. A pleasure trip took him there, where he would later start his pro poker career at the age of 21. To this end he quit his studies to be a hotel and restaurant manager and gave up the role of taking over the family restaurant later on.

It was an advantage for Johnny Chan to have Asian roots. His opponents had no experience playing against Asians and underestimated Johnny's gaming ability. In the Asian magazine Goldsea Chan expressed himself as follows: "Whether Jew, Italian, or whatever else, they had never before had an Asian opponent. All their lives the had played against each other and they gave me more action than I deserved. When I bet, I would usually have a hand but they would call anyway. They wanted to see what I had just to placate their conscience. They just threw money at me."

Things went well in cashgames and so it was just a matter of time before Chan took part in the World Series of Poker. His first experience was in a fixed limite event in 1985, which he also won. Just 2 years later in 1987, he was able to book his first WSOP Main Event Title. In the following year he made a sensational defense of his title against 166 challengers, becoming a celebrated star of the poker scene. With these successes Chan came abreast of Johnny Moss, Stu Ungar and Doyle Brunson, the only players to win 2 consecutive WSOP Main Events.

The Orient Express, as Bob Stupak called him, found himself at the final table of the WSOP Main Event for the third time in a row. Would he really win 3 consecutive victories? His greatest competitor was the as yet unknown Phil Hellmuth. Both of them made it through the field of 178 participants and ended up heads-up for the title. But in the deciscive hand, Chan's A 7 had nothing on Hellmuth's 9 9 (the the board K T K Q 6) . "The Orient Express" had been stopped by Phil Hellmuth Jr.

This defeat has haunted Johnny Chan ever since: "I was the only one who was ever given this chance. No one has come closer or will come closer. I blew it and I won't be able to repeat it." However, Johnny didn't let himself be completely brought down. The proof is his collection of 10 WSOP bracelets that he has accumulated so far. In any case: Johnny often brings a fresh orange with him to the table for good luck. It was actually meant to combat the cigarette smoke before smoking was banned in casinos, Chan has said.

An overview of Johnny's bracelets

Year	Tournament	Prize
1985	$1,000 Limit Hold'em	$171,000
1987	$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship	$625,000
1988	$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship	$700,000
1994	$1,500 Seven Card Stud	$135,600
1997	$5,000 Deuce to Seven Draw	$164,250
2000	$1,500 Pot Limit Omaha	$178,800
2002	$2,500 No Limit Hold'em Gold Bracelet Match Play	$34,000
2003	$5,000 No Limit Hold'em	$224,400
2003	$5,000 Pot Limit Omaha	$158,100
2005	$2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em	$303,025

Johnny Chan's success in Vegas spurred many Asians to follow in his footsteps. "They all dream of being the 2^nd orient express," said Chan. He never had a role model, and nowadays he has no more need for one. Chan is at the top of the career ladder. Still a consultant for casinos and bookies alike, the proud father of six children will soon reach his goal of having a casino of his own.