Johnny Chan

Johnny Chan

aka "The Orient Express"
Nationality
United States
United States
GPI Rank 26,920
WSOP Bracelets 10
Total Live Earnings $8,791,175
The Hendon Mob Data provided by The Hendon Mob

Biography

Johnny Chan is a Chinese-American poker player. He has won 10 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets, including the WSOP Main Event in 1987 and 1988. He is the last player to win the Championship event in back-to-back years.

In 2002, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.


WSOP Legend: Two-Time Main Event Champ Johnny Chan


Biography

Born in China, Chan came to the United States in 1968 with his family to Arizona. After a few years spent there, Chan and his family relocated to Texas where his family owned a restaurant in Houston. Planning to keep with tradition and take over the family business, Chan took classes at the University of Houston. However, aged just 21, he moved to Las Vegas having decided to become a professional poker player.

Chan took a number of temporary jobs to build his bankroll, before winning Bob Stupak's 1981 American Cup, eliminating 13 of his 16 opponents in just over half an hour. This win earned him the nickname 'The Orient Express'

Chan at the WSOP

Chan won his first WSOP bracelet in 1985 in the $1,000 Limit Hold’em event. A couple years later in 1987, Chan would win the $10,000 Main Event and then follow it up with a repeat performance in 1988. What some people sometimes forget or don’t know about is that in 1989, Chan almost pulled off the three-peat after he battled all the way down to the final two players of the WSOP Main Event. Phil Hellmuth got the best of him that day, but that would be far from the end of Chan’s bracelet glory.

Chan added two more bracelets before the turn of the century, and by 2005 he became the first player to reach 10 WSOP bracelets. That same year, he was joined by Doyle Brunson (10). The following year, Hellmuth earned his tenth and has since gone on to win 16 in total.

Johnny Chan's WSOP Bracelets

YEARTOURNAMENTENTRIESPRIZE
1985$1,000 Limit Hold'em342$171,000
1987$10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT152$625,000
1988$10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT167$700,000
1994$1,500 Limit Seven Card Stud226$135,600
1997$5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball32$164,250
2000$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha156$179,400
2002$2,500 Heads Up No-Limit Hold'em28$34,000
2003$5,000 No-Limit Hold'em127$224,400
2003$5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha85$158,100
2005$2,500 Pot-limit Hold'em425$303,025

Other Poker Achievements

Chan has amassed over $8.7 million in career earnings. The largest cash of his career came in February 2005, when he finished second in the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament for $750,000.

In 2021, Chan opened a poker room in Texas called Johnny Chan’s 88 Social. However, by December that year, the venue had closed and Chan was out as owner.

Johnny Chan in Rounders

Chan famously appeared in the 1998 film 'Rounders', where he played himself. In the scene, Mike McDermott, played by Matt Damon, successfully bluffs Chan out of a pot.

WSOP Main Event Winners 1979-88

YEARENTRIESCHAMPIONCOUNTRYPRIZE
1988167Johnny ChanUnited States$700,000
1987152Johnny ChanUnited States$625,000
1986141Berry JohnstonUnited States$570,000
1985140Bill SmithUnited States$700,000
1984132Jack KellerUnited States$660,000
1983108Tom McEvoyUnited States$540,000
1982104Jack StrausUnited States$520,000
198175Stu UngarUnited States$375,000
198073Stu UngarUnited States$385,000
197954Hal FowlerUnited States$270,000

PokerNews Covered Events

Event Place Prize
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #76: $10,000 Mystery Bounty No-Limit Hold'em (8-Handed)
133rd $13,605
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #76: $10,000 WSOP Main Event World Championship
1067th $17,500
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #41: $1,500 Big O
14th $13,982
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #21: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
140th $2,209
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #73: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT - World Championship
560th $24,560
2018 Caribbean Poker Party
$5,300 Main Event
144th $12,500
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #65: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em MAIN EVENT - World Championship
612th $21,750
2012 World Series of Poker
Event 61: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Main Event
353rd $32,871
2011 PokerStars.net APPT Macau
Main Event
60th 46,700 HKD
2011 World Series of Poker
Event #16: $10,000 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship (No-Limit)
12th $24,043
2010 World Series of Poker
Event #57: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Championship
156th $57,102
2010 World Series of Poker
WSOP Tournament of Champions
3rd $100,000
2009 PokerStars.net APPT Macau
APPT Macau High Rollers Event
2nd $154,400
2009 Asian Poker Tour Macau
APT Macau Main Event
23rd $10,450
2009 World Series of Poker
Event 29 - $10,000 World Championship Heads Up No Limit Hold'em
5th $92,580
2008 PokerStars.net APPT Macau
High Rollers Event
7th $51,282
2008 World Series of Poker
39th Annual World Series of Poker Main Event
329th $32,166
2008 World Series of Poker
Event 28 - $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha w/ Rebuys
4th $246,874
2008 World Series of Poker
Event 8 - $10,000 World Championship Mixed Event
13th $27,072
2007 World Series of Poker
Event 23 - $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha
20th $5,504
2007 World Series of Poker
Event 11 - $5,000 Seven Card Stud
18th $8,460
2007 World Series of Poker
Event 1 - $5,000 Mixed Holdem
31st $13,778

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