For the last twenty years, Johnny Chan has been one of the most feared men at the poker table. With nine World Series of Poker bracelets including back to back wins in the main event in 1987 and 1988, he is near the top in career WSoP winnings. He’s married with six children and lives in Las Vegas where he is a cash game specialist, playing in the infamous Big Game with the likes of poker legends Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese.
Johnny became a cult figure after the release of the poker film Rounders (1998), when he was featured in two memorable scenes playing himself. The first scene involved Matt Damon’s character Mike McDermott watching the video of Johnny Chan playing heads up with Erik Seidel and winning the 1988 WSoP. The other scene was one of my favorites, when Chan butted heads at a high limit table with Mike McD at the Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City and was promptly bluffed out of a pot.
The 1998 WSoP win was a huge one for Chan, especially after he had lost the biggest pot in the history of the WSoP earlier in the tournament and came from behind to win his second main event.
Nicknamed “The Orient Express”, Johnny Chan was born in China and came to America with his parents via Hong Kong when he was a young boy. Growing up in Arizona and Texas, he worked in his family’s restaurant and would often hit the casinos in Las Vegas with the money he saved up. Eventually he dropped out of college and moved to Las Vegas full time to pursue a career as a professional gambler. Like many young players, he had his ups and downs and took on plenty of different day jobs to survive all the bad beats and mistakes he made at the poker table. He eventually got a grasp on his game and became a more controlled and disciplined player. At the tables, he is fearless and aggressive.
Source: http://www.professional-poker.com/poker-players/johnny-chan.htm