In 2002 Johnny Chan was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame which came as no surprise to a man who dominated the No Limit Hold’em tournament scene in the late 80’s and early 90’s. However this aggressive poker player with back-to-back world championship events and ten WSOP bracelets was not supposed to be a poker player.

Originally from Canton, China, Johnny Chan moved with his family from their then current residence Hong Kong to Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Johnny Chan was 9 years old at the time. After a subsequent move to Houston, Texas, Chan was supposed to enter the family business. The family business was restaurants but Chan preferred poker. To get away with time needed to learn and play poker he often told his family he was bowling which were another one of his hobbies and one more excepted to get out of helping out more with the restaurants. His talent was apparent early on but it was not accompanied with the needed discipline at first. By the age of 21, Chan dropped out of college at the University of Houston to become a professional poker player in Las Vegas. By acquiring experience he was able to tune his natural aggressiveness into a groundbreaking strategy.

Chan’s great game was reflected in great accomplishments. Chan has ten WSOP gold bracelets. His greatest accomplishment is winning back to back main events in 1987 and 1988. This feat is only has only been achieved by one other player, that other player is the legend Doyle Brunson. Chan almost topped it by making it a three-peat in 1989 when he finished second to the then young up and coming Phil Hellmuth. These are the only three persons with ten bracelets. Another player who has done well in this category is Erik Seidel who Chan had an immortalized battle with in ’88.

Chan made a cameo appearance in the poker movie Rounders. A central theme in the movie is the main character played by Matt Damon watching the WSOP final table heads-up play between Johnny Chan and Erik Seidel on videotape. In this match Chan lost the so far biggest pot in the history the tournament but still managed to take the title. In the movie Damon is mesmerized by how Chan in the decisive hand is able to slowplay and trap Seidel into moving all in with his pair of queens when Chan his holding the nut straight.

Johnny Chan is known to play an extremely aggressive game; a game plan that has worked in tournaments and cash games alike. He adopted this style of play long before many Internet generation players tried to make it work for them. As Chan puts it himself "I like to attack. Not too many players try to bluff me. If there's any bluffing or stealing, I'm going to be the one to do it." His talk has gotten him far away from the tables too. He still spends time at the tables but what he accomplishes at them no longer alone merits his fame. He now divides his time between many projects. He owns a fast food restaurant in the Las Vegas Stratosphere. He does consulting for casinos and game makers. He is also part of Doyle’s Room which thereby is home to both repeat world champions. As a curiosity, Chan is often found with an orange in front of him at the poker table. When it has been implied to him that it would be for luck – knowing Chan is superstitious enough to ask for deck changes after a big loss to fight the tilt it is not far fetched – he has answered that he likes the smell of it, especially over cigarette smoke.