Famous Poker Legends

Archive for the ‘Main’ Category

Johnny Chan is known also as “the Oriental Express”. When he was 9 years old he arrived in the United States from China. His parents opened a restaurant in Houston. At the age of 21, Chan came to Las Vegas where he worked as a cook on Fremont Street. He played poker frequently after work. In time Chan made enough money to become a poker player on full-time basis and to quit the unsatisfactory job he had that time. He participated in the biggest games in Houston and Las Vegas for a decade before in 1987 he managed to win his first world championship. The year after, Chan won the title again. In 1989, Chan was shooting for his third championship, which would have been an extraordinary feat, but he finished on the second place. The winner of that tournament was Phil Hellmuth Jr. From that moment Chan mainly takes part only in the biggest games, even if in the 1998 he made an appearance in the poker movie “Rounders” with Matt Damon.

“Texas Dolly” or Doyle Brunson was born in 1933 in Longworth, West Texas. He was scouted by the former Minneapolis Lakers and earned a full basketball scholarship for Hardin-Simmons University. Brunson crushed his knee and the history of his life changed forever. Brunson, who earned a degree in education, toured the underground gambling in the South like many of his poker competitors. He won hundreds of thousands of dollars while getting robbed many times and dodging the law. In 1976 and 1977 Brunson won the world back-to-back poker championships. In 1980 he managed to finish second. He won six totals World Series of Poker events, as well as his most recent victory in the Seven-Card Stud Razz event in 1998. By making the final table at the inaugural Tournament of Champions in 1999, Brunson defied again the odds by vanquishing practically 500 other poker players. Brunson is valued for his contributions to the development of poker. He wrote a book published in 1978 which many people call the “Bible” of Poker: “How I Won A Million Dollars Playing Poker”, known also as “Super/System: A course in Power Poker”. He also wrote a very popular column, which for more than a decade ran in Gambling Times magazine. Today Brunson lives in Las Vegas and he is still taking part almost every day in the biggest Bellagio’s games.

Amarillo Slim is most probably the best-known poker player in the world. His natural charm and down-home style have made him a household name. His full name is Thomas Austin Preston and he was born in Arkansas. He took his outstanding name many years later after he bought with his gambling winnings a ranch in West Texas. When he was young, Preston made most of his money as a pool hustler not at the poker table. Preston won over $100,000 in cash while traveling around the West Coast during a stint in the navy. Slim’s love for gambling introduced him to other legendary players of that time including Johnny Moss, Brian “Sailor” Roberts, and Doyle Brunson. In 1972 Slim won the World Series of Poker and continued to be in the poker world a dominant force for a very long time. Slim’s true genius has been marketing himself with homespun quips and colorful yarns and that have amused audiences of millions and attracted the new generations to the game of poker. Slim has numerous television and radio appearances. He also organized the second-largest tournament - the Super Bowl of Poker. At present, Slim lives in his namesake Amarillo and you can see him in many big poker tournaments.