Those that have earned the term "immortal" in the world of poker have taken differing paths to their success. Some, such as Doyle Brunson, earned their greatness over decades of traveling through cash games across the United States before striking into the tournament poker world. Others, such as Phil Hellmuth, have staked their immortality almost purely on their performance in the tournament arena. When it comes to "the best all around player ever", as Chip Reese has been called, he has seemed to shun the tournament world to a point while simply beating everyone who ever crossed his path!
Born in Dayton, Ohio and now residing in Las Vegas, the man born as David Reese started playing poker at six for baseball cards with his childhood friends. He polished these skills as he moved through college, but didn't seriously look at poker as a future. After graduating from Dartmouth in 1974, he decided to make a trip west. There were dual reasons; a girlfriend in Los Angeles wanted to see him and there was an interview for law school at Stanford. "The road less traveled" popped up, however, somewhere between the two in Las Vegas. On a lark, Chip entered into a Seven Card Stud tournament while in Las Vegas and took down the championship worth $60,000...and Reese never left Nevada!
He continued to ply his trade (and, to this day, is still at it) in the cash game world of poker. He would take on any game that crossed the table and, usually, would be the one who walked away with the lion's share of the stakes. He gradually climbed up the ladder into the upper echelons of the poker world, where playing high stakes poker against Brunson, Billy Baldwin, Lyle Berman and others was a daily activity. His performance in these games have led many (including those same men who play against him) to call him the best all around player ever and also led to his induction into the Poker Hall Of Fame in 1991 at the age of 40, the youngest man ever inducted into the hall.
If it wasn't for his children, it is possible that Chip would have never stepped from behind the scenes into the World Poker Tour. After their prodding to be able to see him on television, Reese started playing more tournament events which culminated in a final table finish during the Second Season of the WPT. He has had other cash finishes in WPT events, but it is the World Series of Poker where Chip has truly made his mark.
Since starting to play in the World Series in 1978, he has cashed in eighteen events and made the final table in thirteen of those tournaments. He has won three WSOP gold bracelets with perhaps his greatest coming in 2006. In the star-studded $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event, surrounded by 143 of the finest all around poker players in the world, Reese solidified his standing as the best all around player ever by defeating them all to take the gold. His six hour heads up battle against runner-up Andy Bloch is considered by some to be one of the all time great battles in World Series competition and battling through the field over three days and fifty one hours shows that Chip still has the endurance to play the game as well. Overall in his tournament poker career, Chip has earned almost $3 million dollars and it is unfathomable how much he has earned in cash games in his lifetime.
Because of his abilities to play any game, Chip is highly dangerous. While he personally admits that No Limit isn't one of his best games, he still has the highly analytical style that makes him a winner. The real danger that he presents is in the mixed game or cash game formats. If you come across a game where he is playing outside of a tournament, it is best to save your money for another night.
Away from the tables, Chip is an unassuming figure who isn't approached as much as the current "stars" of the game are. This is unfortunate, as with his wealth of experience in differing disciplines and time in the game he would be a great player to learn from. While he contributed his Seven Card Stud knowledge to the seminal poker work "Super System", Reese hasn't written much else; it would truly be a treat to see him contribute to the poker literature world with the entirety of his poker expertise.
While the current world of poker focuses on the tournaments that populate the schedule, Chip Reese's overall record of excellence in cash games as well as tournament poker demonstrate that, arguably, he has to be considered one of the greatest players ever. As he continues to demonstrate, there is more than one path to poker immortality. There also could potentially never be another like him as No Limit Texas Hold 'Em and the tournament world dominate poker more and more nowadays.
Born in Dayton, Ohio and now residing in Las Vegas, the man born as David Reese started playing poker at six for baseball cards with his childhood friends. He polished these skills as he moved through college, but didn't seriously look at poker as a future. After graduating from Dartmouth in 1974, he decided to make a trip west. There were dual reasons; a girlfriend in Los Angeles wanted to see him and there was an interview for law school at Stanford. "The road less traveled" popped up, however, somewhere between the two in Las Vegas. On a lark, Chip entered into a Seven Card Stud tournament while in Las Vegas and took down the championship worth $60,000...and Reese never left Nevada!
He continued to ply his trade (and, to this day, is still at it) in the cash game world of poker. He would take on any game that crossed the table and, usually, would be the one who walked away with the lion's share of the stakes. He gradually climbed up the ladder into the upper echelons of the poker world, where playing high stakes poker against Brunson, Billy Baldwin, Lyle Berman and others was a daily activity. His performance in these games have led many (including those same men who play against him) to call him the best all around player ever and also led to his induction into the Poker Hall Of Fame in 1991 at the age of 40, the youngest man ever inducted into the hall.
If it wasn't for his children, it is possible that Chip would have never stepped from behind the scenes into the World Poker Tour. After their prodding to be able to see him on television, Reese started playing more tournament events which culminated in a final table finish during the Second Season of the WPT. He has had other cash finishes in WPT events, but it is the World Series of Poker where Chip has truly made his mark.
Since starting to play in the World Series in 1978, he has cashed in eighteen events and made the final table in thirteen of those tournaments. He has won three WSOP gold bracelets with perhaps his greatest coming in 2006. In the star-studded $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event, surrounded by 143 of the finest all around poker players in the world, Reese solidified his standing as the best all around player ever by defeating them all to take the gold. His six hour heads up battle against runner-up Andy Bloch is considered by some to be one of the all time great battles in World Series competition and battling through the field over three days and fifty one hours shows that Chip still has the endurance to play the game as well. Overall in his tournament poker career, Chip has earned almost $3 million dollars and it is unfathomable how much he has earned in cash games in his lifetime.
Because of his abilities to play any game, Chip is highly dangerous. While he personally admits that No Limit isn't one of his best games, he still has the highly analytical style that makes him a winner. The real danger that he presents is in the mixed game or cash game formats. If you come across a game where he is playing outside of a tournament, it is best to save your money for another night.
Away from the tables, Chip is an unassuming figure who isn't approached as much as the current "stars" of the game are. This is unfortunate, as with his wealth of experience in differing disciplines and time in the game he would be a great player to learn from. While he contributed his Seven Card Stud knowledge to the seminal poker work "Super System", Reese hasn't written much else; it would truly be a treat to see him contribute to the poker literature world with the entirety of his poker expertise.
While the current world of poker focuses on the tournaments that populate the schedule, Chip Reese's overall record of excellence in cash games as well as tournament poker demonstrate that, arguably, he has to be considered one of the greatest players ever. As he continues to demonstrate, there is more than one path to poker immortality. There also could potentially never be another like him as No Limit Texas Hold 'Em and the tournament world dominate poker more and more nowadays.
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