It’s the same actually. If you are from the east and want to be a great gambler like Johnny Chan, you might get a nickname like orient (al) express II. It sounds weird. But for the personality like Johnny Chan, orient (al) express is the most suitable nickname. He was born in Guangzhou (Canton) in 1957. His family moved from his birth place to Hong Kong in 1962.

After that they all shifted to Phoenix, Arizona. Again, in 1973 they moved to Houston, Texas. His family owed restaurants there. Chan had a plan earlier to join his family business after completing his study. Followed by that plan he joined the University of Houston with a major in hotel and restaurant management.

But something more thrilling was waiting for Chan. It started when he was only 16. He went on a junket to Las Vegas, Nevada. When he was 21, he dropped out his course work and moved to Las Vegas to be a professional gambler.

Chan was the first Asian player who played for the first time as an Asian against many. His early successes prove that even an Asian can be a dangerous gambler like him. But as a serious opponent he appeared in the field in late ‘80s. He won the championship event of the WSOP (World Series of Poker) in two consecutive years, i.e. 1987 and 1988.

But for the third time he finished in 2nd place and missed the golden opportunity of making a hayrick! Jerry Buss, another record maker in the field of gambling promised him an NBA championship ring if he could win three in a row. In 2005, Chan defeated Phil Laak and became the first one who won ten World Series of Poker titles, in a Texas Hold’em event.

Currently he is tied with Doyle Brunson and is placed 2nd rank holder for 10 World Series of Poker bracelets, after Phil Hellmuth (11). In 2002, he inducted into the Poker Hall Of Fame. He accomplished in the $400,000 Poker Superstars individual Tournament in February, 2005. Later he completed Poker Superstar II during summer of 2005 and there he defeated 22 of the best players and stepped to the finals. There he won against Todd Brunson.

He also attributed in 2004 and 2005 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions and as well as he featured The National Heads-Up Poker Championship in the same year. Johnny Chan has won $3,744,331 at the World Series of Poker up to 2006. His total live tournament’s prize money exceeded $6,300,000 as of 2008.

It is very interesting that Chan has maintained his family business after all his activities in poker. He now has his own fast-food franchise in the Las Vegas Stratosphere Hotel. He has written for the magazine named Card Players. He also writes for the bi-monthly magazine named Trader Monthly regularly. He also consults for various casinos and game makers. Other than this he has participated in some game shows in television.

As a legendary poker player from Asia, he is called Orient (al) Express.