David Chiu
- by Oliver Gaywood
As a child, David Chiu was involved in an accident in a swimming pool that seriously affected his hearing for life. As a result he has had to continually be alert and he feels that his concentration has improved as a result. As well as owning a restaurant in Colorado, he worked as a poker dealer. Observing hands at close quarters gave Chiu great insight into the habits and reactions of players.
He is considered as one of the top Limit Hold ‘em players in the world – three of his six tournament wins have come in this event as well as many of his final table appearances. He is predominantly a tournament man who plays very few cash games.
Chiu has an impressive collection of four World Series of Poker bracelets. He won the first in 1996 in his beloved Limit Hold ‘em and earned a cool $400,000 for his efforts. This accomplishment came 15 years after he first cashed out at the WSOP when he finished fourth in the 1981 Limit Ace to Five Draw. At the time, Chiu was only 21 and that was his first final table at a major tournament, he has now finished in the money at the WSOP 25 times.
In 1998, Chiu won the LA Poker Classic Limit Hold ‘em event in February and three months later he collected his second Limit Hold ‘em bracelet. So far, his career carried a heavy focus on his top game but he soon began to branch out in to new areas. This decision paid off handsomely with a 2000 WSOP win in 7 Card Stud and his fourth bracelet was won in 2005 in the Omaha Hi/Lo event.
He did not neglect Limit Hold ‘em during this time; he came second in the 2002 WSOP in this event and the Heavenly Hold ‘em event in that same year.
Chiu regularly plays in the World Poker Tour; however, he is yet to win an event in that tournament. He came closest in the 2003 invitational No Limit Hold ‘em where he finished third behind Jerry Buss and, winner, Layne Flack.
Chiu was born in China but was raised in the United States after his parents moved whilst he was a young child. He now lives in Roland Heights, California.
By the beginning of 2007, Chiu had earned over $2,300,000 from tournament play. Over a million of this has come from playing Limit Hold ‘em at the WSOP, making him the most successful player in this discipline. His biggest pay out came with his first bracelet win; although, he came close to matching that with his last bracelet win which earned him $350,000.
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