Johnny Chan

Who is Johnny Chan?

Johnny Chan (born November 26, 1957, Guangzhou, China) is a Chinese-American professional poker player. He holds 10 WSOP bracelets and is famous as the back-to-back WSOP Main Event champion (1987 vs Frank Henderson, 1988 vs Erik Seidel). His nickname is 'Orient Express' (sometimes 'Money Machine'). His family moved from Guangzhou to Houston, Texas when he was 9. Career live tournament earnings: ~$8.7 million. Inducted into Poker Hall of Fame in 2002. Also a Las Vegas restaurateur.

What is the famous Johnny Chan check-trap from 1988?

In the 1988 WSOP Main Event heads-up final, Chan (holding Jc-9c) flopped the nut straight on 4c-6d-7d-Q-8 — Chan rivered the unbeatable hand. The earlier slow-play sequence vs Erik Seidel (who held Qc-7) became legendary: Chan checked the flop and turn, letting Seidel believe his top pair was good, then put Seidel all-in on the river. Seidel called. Chan won. The hand was filmed by ESPN and later featured in the 1998 movie Rounders — Matt Damon's character (Mike McDermott) watches the footage on VHS repeatedly to study Chan's read.

Was Johnny Chan in the movie Rounders?

Yes. Johnny Chan appeared as himself in the 1998 film Rounders (Matt Damon, Edward Norton). Mike McDermott (Damon) is depicted as a Chan disciple who studies the 1988 WSOP Main Event footage. Chan has a brief in-person scene at a casino. The Rounders cameo dramatically expanded Chan's fame beyond the poker community and is partly responsible for the post-2003 poker boom mythology — Rounders is widely credited as the film that inspired thousands of young players to take poker seriously.

Why does Johnny Chan have an orange at the table?

Chan kept a fresh orange on the table at every WSOP final table as a superstition. The original reason was practical — to mask cigarette smoke odor in 1980s poker rooms. Over time it became his signature. Photos and ESPN broadcasts from his 1987 and 1988 Main Event wins always show the orange. The orange has since become an iconic poker-history image. Chan has worn an orange-related accent at later WSOP appearances.

How does Johnny Chan rank among all-time poker greats?

Chan ranks in the all-time top 5-10 by most metrics. 10 WSOP bracelets ties him for 3rd all-time (with Doyle Brunson and Phil Ivey, behind Phil Hellmuth's 17 and Phil Hellmuth/Brunson at the time). Back-to-back Main Events (1987-1988) is a feat matched only by Brunson (1976-1977) and Stu Ungar (1980-1981); Chan also finished runner-up in 1989, missing three-in-a-row. His tight-aggressive, deeply patient style influenced a generation. Career earnings ~$8.7M underestimate his actual wealth — much came from cash games and business ventures.