Chip Reese

Despite only having three World Series of Bracelets in his collection, David “Chip” Reese’s extremely impressive record in cash games sees him regarded as one of poker’s top players. Seven-card stud is his speciality; Doyle Brunson singles Reese out as the best seven-card stud player he has ever been up against and got him to author the relevant section in his book, Super System, which is often regarded as the poker players’ bible.

Reese stumbled into the profession poker. As a child, he was struck down with rheumatic fever and spent the best part of a year at home. To entertain him, his mother taught him to play cards and this is where his love affair began. He would play for fun with his friends and would soon beat much older opposition.

However, cards were still nothing more of a hobby and remained as such during his time at Dartmouth University, albeit a lucrative hobby as he regularly cleared out students and staff. Having put his economics degree to good use in the card room, upon his graduation it was renamed The David E. Reese room in honour of his achievements.

With the aim of becoming a lawyer, Reese set out to Stanford University in 1974. Before getting to California he stopped off in Las Vegas, and although different stories list different amounts, it is thought he turned around $400 into $60,000. Encouraged by his winnings, Reese decided to abandon his plans of studying law and instead set his mind to playing poker. Although the decision was an easy one to make, breaking the news to his parents was somewhat harder and it took a year for him to pluck up the courage.

His decision to take the more risky option needn’t have worried his parents as within two years it is estimated that Reese had won more than $2million from poker.

In 1978, Reese won his first WSOP bracelet playing seven-card stud split. He won his second four years later in the limit seven-card stud and with the $92,500 prize money came his decision to quit the tournament world to focus on cash games. Years later, he relented on this decision following pressure from his children who wanted to watch their dad on television. He reached the final of his first televised tournament, finishing fourth, and in 2006 he collected a third bracelet, and £1.7million, winning the HORSE event.

In 1991, at the age of 40, Reese became the youngest player to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame.

Opting to spend more time with his family, Reese took a step back from his hectic poker schedule and joined a sports-betting syndicate which has earned him tens of millions of dollars.