The Moment Johnny Chan Became a Poker Legend: The Birth of the “Orient Express”

The World Series of Poker is the most prestigious of all the poker festivals, but it was not always the massive affair we see every summer in recent years. 

The first Series was played in Las Vegas all the way back in 1970, and players like Johnny Moss, Puggy Pearson, and Doyle Brunson were among the pioneers who won the Main Event titles in those early years. 

By the 1980s, the WSOP had expanded to a bigger festival with multiple tournaments, and the Main Event had grown from a one-table event to a tournament with over 150 entrants. 

It was in the late 1980s that one of the greatest legends of poker, Johnny Chan, showed up at the Series and showed off the skills that made him known as the “Orient Express” throughout the poker world. 

This is the story of Johnny Chan’s legendary back-to-back WSOP victory that etched his name into the poker history books for all eternity. 

Chan Wins His First WSOP Main Event in 1987

Today, Johnny Chan is a name that poker players and fans around the world speak with reverence, but back in 1987, he was just a young up-and-coming poker pro with everything to prove.

Chan entered the 1987 WSOP as a 30-year-old, and he already had quite a bit of experience under his belt, including a WSOP bracelet he won at the 1985 World Series of Poker in a $1k Limit Hold’em event. 

Yet, his biggest win was not nearly as prestigious as winning the Main Event, and his total tournament winnings before 1987 didn’t amount to the first-place money in the Main Event. 

Chan was certainly not an unknown, but the more experienced pros didn’t see him as a major threat. Yet, he made his way through the tournament, day by day, until he eventually made it down to the final table. 

The final table was stacked, as was the norm in those days, with players like Howard Lederer and “Action” Dan Harrington among the finalists. 

Yet, in the end it all came down to Johnny Chan and Frank Henderson, who was also a staple of the Series in those days. 

Chan used an aggressive strategic approach to best his opponent and win the 1987 WSOP Main Event, which prompted casino owner Bob Stupak to nickname him the “Orient Express.”

The way in which Chan steamrolled everyone at the 1987 Main Event was truly spectacular, but little did they all know that it was just the start for a player who would soon become a living legend. 

Chan Goes for a Rare Main Event Repeat in 1988

Just a year after making history at the 1987 WSOP, Johnny Chan was back, and he wanted to prove that he wasn’t a one-time miracle, but rather one of the best poker players in the world at the time. 

Few would have believed he had what it takes to go all the way to the final table again, and defending his Main Event title outright was a feat that seemed impossible, as the playing field had grown to over 150 players. 

Yet, Johnny had a lot to prove, and the recognizable style of play that earned him his nickname was enough to help him accumulate heaps of chips once again. 

When the action wound down to the final table, Chan was once again among the nine finalists, this time with Humberto Brenes and Erik Seidel as two of the most formidable opponents. 

Seidel ended up being Johnny’s final obstacle on his path to a Main Event repeat, and their heads-up battle became a part of the poker lore. 

The iconic final hand, in which Chan slow-played his monster and let Seidel bluff it all off, became a part of one of the most memorable scenes in the poker movie Rounders, which many believe to be the best poker movie of all time. 

Chan won his second Main Event and another $700,000 in the process, and he showed the poker world he was one step ahead of his competition in every way. 

Phil Hellmuth Derails the Orient Express

As unlikely as it may be, Chan was able to get to the final table of the Main Event again in 1989, and nearly went for a three-peat, but this time around, he was about to be stopped by another poker legend in the making. 

Johnny Chan and 24-year old Phil Hellmuth were the final two players left in the 1989 WSOP Main Event, and this time around, the first-place prize was even greater, with $755,000 going to the winner. 

For the first time in three years, a player was finally able to eliminate the Orient Express from play at the WSOP Main Event, and Johnny was dethroned as Main Event champion. 

Despite not winning his third WSOP in a row, Chan now had the status of a poker legend, and this status was immortalized in 2002, when his peers inducted him into the Poker Hall of Fame. 

Chan remains a major part of the poker world even today. Although he plays fewer events than he used to in his prime, the Orient Express shows up at the Series every year and is still a staple in the Main Event. 

He won a total of 10 WSOP bracelets over the years, with his most recent ones coming in the 2000s as a testimony to his longevity and ability to compete with the younger generations of players. 

While many poker players have accumulated significantly higher numbers in tournament winnings in the online poker era since Johnny’s time, his incredible performances in the late 1980s will remain some of the most iconic moments in the history of poker.