Still considered to be one of the top professional tournament and cash game players in the world the “Orient Express” sports a swagger that can be backed up by his abilities at the table. He was essentially the first Asian breakout poker player and is the self-proclaimed role model for Asians on the current poker circuit.
Despite his 10 WSOP bracelets (a number that he shares with a fellow poker legend Doyle Brunson), he may be best known by non-poker players for his cameo appearance in the poker movie Rounders, starring Ed Norton and Matt Damon.
Johnny’s fame set in stone by “Rounders”
Chan boasts one of the best showings ever at the World Series of Poker Main Event, winning back-to-back titles in 1987 and ’88 while sporting those oversized ‘80s sunglasses. His trap set for Erik Seidel during heads-up play in the ’88 Championship is predominantly featured in Rounders.
He almost made poker history by winning 3 titles in a row but was edged by then-24-year-old Phil Hellmuth in ’89. Other major accomplishments include winning the second version of the Poker Superstars Invitational in 2005, beating out a couple dozen of the best poker players in the world.
The 1998 film Rounders, starring Matt Damon and Edward Norton, featured real footage of Chan’s 1988 Main Event victory. The movie is widely credited with sparking the early 2000s poker boom.
Johnny Chan and his lucky orange
Seen most often in the ‘80s and ‘90s in his designer track suits, Chan mostly sports flamboyant (costly) and colorful shirts at the table. He certainly isn’t a frugal character and won’t shy away from spending his winnings on frivolous pleasures.
“The Orient Express” is also famous for keeping his lucky orange next to him at the table, but the reasoning didn’t stem from superstition.
Chan has said the orange started as a way to mask the smell of cigarette smoke at the table. It became his trademark — and one of poker’s most recognizable rituals.
Back in the smoke-filled and less glitzy days of the poker room, Chan would keep the orange at hand and use its fragrance to break the persistently unpleasant vapors that would envelop non-smoking poker players.
From emigration from China to poker stardom
Johnny Chan was born in Guangzhou, China. His family moved to Hong Kong in 1962, then emigrated to Phoenix, Arizona in 1968, and finally settled in Houston, Texas in 1973, where they ran a family restaurant. After struggling to learn English and help his father with the family restaurant business, Chan enrolled at the University of Houston, majoring in hotel and restaurant management.
At 21, Chan dropped out and moved to Las Vegas to become a professional gambler. He initially took beatings at the blackjack and poker tables. Learning from players like Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese at the high-stakes tables, Johnny Chan finally honed his skills and won his first WSOP bracelet in 1985.
He’s never looked back and continues to use his observant and aggressive style to be successful in both cash games and tournaments. Mostly, he’s a friendly and outgoing character that appeals to audiences and fellow players.
For decades, Chan was a fixture in the biggest cash games in Vegas, frequently appearing on GSN’s High Stakes Poker.
Johnny Chan remains one of only two players to win the WSOP Main Event in consecutive years. His combination of aggressive play, psychological warfare, and Hollywood crossover made him one of poker’s first true celebrities.