It is safe to speculate that any reputable examination of the World Series of Poker would certainly include the name "Johnny Chan" in a most prominent fashion. This legendary player, born in 1957, has established himself as a dominant and genuinely intimidating force on the professional poker circuit for many years running.

Johnny Chan originally hails from China, but settled in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968 before moving to Houston, Texas a few years later. At the age of 16, when most of his colleagues were worried about getting their driver's license or copping a feel at a high school mixer, Johnny Chan made a road trip that would alter his life forever. He went on a junket to Las Vegas and got his first introduction to the world of high stakes gambling. Neither he nor the game of poker would ever be the same again.

Five years after that mind-expanding trip, Johnny officially declared his intentions to pursue a career as a professional gambler. He truly was a pioneer in numerous ways, most notably being the first Asian to make a major impact on the highest echelons of poker. It was in the latter half of the 1980s that Johnny established himself as a world-class champion. He won the main event at the World Series of Poker two years running, in 1987 and 1988, a feat that a only a very short list of competitors can put on their resumes. In fact, Johnny came dangerously close to pulling off a hat trick in '89, only to fall to Phil Hellmuth late in the match.

It must be said that Johnny Chan is not a player devoid of eccentricities. But rather than hinder his play, they only serve to add to his mystique and inscrutable persona. He is famous for keeping a lucky orange in front of him on the table at all times during competition. This has proven to be a rather catchy technique, as other players have since brought along items of produce to bring them good luck, though none have ever replicated Johnny's formula for success.

Currently, Johnny Chan occupies a very special place in the poker world. He has won a total of ten World Series of Poker bracelets, which no other player except the great Doyle Brunson can claim. A permanent member of the Poker Hall of Fame, Johnny Chan is a giant among men, someone whose contributions to and influence on the game of poker cannot be overstated. And, most amazingly of all, Johnny Chan shows no sign of slowing down.