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David “Chip” Reese was an American professional poker player widely regarded by his peers as the greatest all-around player to ever live. Born in Ohio, he moved to Las Vegas in the 1970s and quickly became the centerpiece of the highest-stakes cash games in the world. A true legend of the game, Reese was the youngest player ever inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame at age 40 and remains the benchmark for excellence in mixed-game poker.
Career Earnings & Biggest Results
With total live tournament winnings of just under $4 million (according to The Hendon Mob), Reese’s stats only tell a small part of his story, as he spent most of his life crushing private cash games. His most famous tournament victory came at the 2006 World Series of Poker , where he won the inaugural $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship. He took home $1,784,640 after an epic seven-hour heads-up battle that is still remembered as one of the toughest tests in poker history.
Reese was also a three-time WSOP gold bracelet winner, with his titles spanning three different decades. He won his first bracelet in 1978 in Seven-Card Stud Split for $19,200 and his second in 1982 in Limit Seven-Card Stud for $92,500. Proving he could compete with any generation, he also made the final table of the WPT Jack Binion World Poker Open in 2004, finishing 4th for $403,596.
Biography & Poker Background
Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Chip Reese’s path to poker was legendary. He was a brilliant student who turned down Harvard to attend Dartmouth College, and he was even accepted into Stanford Law School. However, a summer stop in Las Vegas with just $400 in his pocket changed everything. He quickly turned that small stake into a massive bankroll and decided to stay in Nevada to play professionally. He became such a master of Seven-Card Stud that Doyle Brunson asked him to write the chapter on the game for the famous book Super/System. Despite his fame, Chip was known as a private family man who treated poker as a professional business.
Play Style & Strategy
Reese was the ultimate mixed-game specialist, meaning he was elite at every single version of poker, not just Texas Hold’em. He was famous for his unshakeable composure and his ability to read his opponents with incredible accuracy. While other players might get emotional or “tilt,” Chip remained steady, using a deep mathematical understanding of the game to outplay his rivals over long sessions. He preferred cash games over tournaments because they allowed for more consistent play, and he was a regular in “The Big Game” at the Bellagio, where the stakes were the highest in the world.
Social Media & Online Presence
Chip Reese passed away in 2007, but his legacy is kept alive through the prestigious “David ‘Chip’ Reese Memorial Trophy” awarded every year to the winner of the WSOP Poker Players Championship. You can explore his historic results and career stats here:
