Johnny Chan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Johnny Chan
Johnny Chan at the 2008 World Series of Poker
Nickname(s)	Orient Express
Residence	Las Vegas, Nevada
Born	1957 (age 67–68) Guangzhou, China
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)	10
Final table(s)	27
Money finish(es)	45
Highest ITM Main Event finish	Winner, 1987, 1988
World Poker Tour
Title(s)	None
Final table(s)	None
Money finish(es)	6
Information accurate as of 24 January 2014.

Johnny Chan (Chinese: 陳金海) was born in 1957. He is a famous American professional poker player. He has won 10 special awards called bracelets. These include winning the main event of the World Series of Poker in both 1987 and 1988. He won these two big tournaments one after the other!

Early Life: A Journey to Poker

Johnny Chan's family moved a lot when he was young. In 1962, they moved from Guangzhou, China, to Hong Kong. Then, in 1968, they moved to Phoenix, Arizona in the United States. Finally, in 1973, they settled in Houston, Texas.

In Houston, his family owned several restaurants. Johnny started playing cards with the restaurant staff. This was his first taste of poker.

When he was 21, Johnny decided to follow his dream. He left the University of Houston, where he was studying hotel and restaurant management. He then moved to Las Vegas to become a professional poker player.

Even before he was 21, Johnny had an exciting experience in Las Vegas. At just 16, he managed to join a cash game. He reportedly turned $500 into $20,000 in one night! But, he lost all of it the very next day.

Winning Big: Johnny Chan's Poker Tournaments

World Series of Poker Wins

Johnny Chan won his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in 1985. This was in a game called Limit Hold'em. He then famously won the main WSOP event in 1987 and 1988. This made him the first player from another country to win the main event.

A video of his 1988 final match is even shown in the 1998 movie Rounders. Johnny Chan himself appears briefly in the movie! He almost won a third time in a row in 1989. But he finished second to Phil Hellmuth. Johnny is the last player to win the WSOP Main Event two years in a row.

He kept winning more bracelets in the WSOP in 1994, 1997, 2000, and 2002. In 2003, he won two more bracelets in different poker games. These were Pot Limit Omaha and No Limit Hold'em.

In 2005, Johnny Chan made history. He became the first player to win ten World Series of Poker bracelets! He won a $2,500 Pot Limit Texas hold 'em event, beating Phil Laak. He is now tied with other poker legends like Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey with 10 bracelets. Only Phil Hellmuth has more (17). Johnny was recognized for his amazing career in 2002. He was added to the Poker Hall of Fame.

Johnny continued to play well in later years. In 2008, he finished 329th in the Main Event. He earned $32,166. In 2010, he finished 156th, earning $57,102. His last recorded win was in 2019. He had a good run in the WSOP Main Event, finishing in 560th place.

Johnny Chan's WSOP Bracelets

Here are the World Series of Poker bracelets Johnny Chan has won:

Poker Superstars: More Wins!

Johnny Chan also played in the $400,000 Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament in 2005. He made an amazing comeback, starting with very few chips. He ended up finishing in second place.

Later in 2005, he competed in Poker Superstars II. He beat 22 other players to reach the finals. He then defeated Todd Brunson to win the $400,000 first prize! Johnny also appeared in Poker Superstars III. He reached the semi-finals but was again defeated by Todd Brunson.

Poker After Dark: TV Success

Johnny Chan has appeared on the TV show Poker After Dark many times. This show features a six-person tournament where the winner takes all. Johnny has won four times in six appearances, which is the most victories on the show! When he didn't win, he finished second or fifth.

Here are some of his notable appearances where he reached the final two:

• WSOP Champions (2007): He won against Chris Moneymaker.
• Champions Week (2007): He lost to Joe Hachem.
• World Champions (2008): He won against Phil Hellmuth.
• International (2008): He won against Patrik Antonius.
• Dream Table III (2009): He won against Jennifer Tilly.

Other Amazing Tournament Wins

Johnny Chan won Bob Stupak's 1981 American Cup poker tournament. He beat all 9 other players at the final table very quickly, in less than an hour! Because of this fast win, Bob Stupak gave Johnny the nickname "the Orient Express."

He also won the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em tournament at the America's Cup of Poker in 1982 and 1983. As of 2023, Johnny Chan's total winnings from live poker tournaments are over $8,700,000! A big part of this, over $4,715,015, comes from his 54 wins at the WSOP.

Life Beyond the Poker Table

Besides playing poker, Johnny Chan is also a businessman. He owns a fast-food restaurant inside the Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas. He also works as a helper for casinos and companies that make games.

Johnny has shared his poker knowledge by writing articles for Card Player magazine. He also appeared on the TV show High Stakes Poker in 2006 and 2011.

In 2005, Johnny Chan worked with Mark Karowe to write a book called Play Poker Like Johnny Chan. This book teaches people about different types of poker. In 2006, they released another book. It was called Million Dollar Hold'em: Winning Big in Limit Cash Games. This book focuses on strategies for a specific type of poker called limit hold'em.

In 2007, Johnny Chan started his own online poker website, ChanPokerOnline.com. However, it closed down in August 2008.