World Poker Tour

Chip Reese

Birthplace
Dayton, OH

Hometown
Las Vegas, NV

Birthday
March 28

Total Winnings
$334,669

Dear Poker Community:

The poker world just lost one of its greats " maybe the greatest of his era " Chip Reese. Chip passed away in his sleep Monday night.

Our thoughts are with his family . . .

We honor him, we were better for knowing him and we figure there must be a hell of a game in heaven for him to quit the Big Game at Bellagio . . .

We already miss you, Chip.

Steve Lipscomb and everyone at the World Poker Tour.

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David 'Chip' Reese was extremely smart, a Dartmouth graduate, probably the most successful poker player of all time and the youngest player ever inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. If there's one thing you should know about Chip Reese, however, know that he understood the 'object of the game'.

Years ago, I was talking to Chip about another Hall of Fame poker player that we lost too early, Stu Ungar. I asked Chip if he thought Stuey was the most talented player he'd ever seen. Chip said, "Natural ability-wise, yes. Certainly, he was the quickest minded guy I've ever known. Stuey's problem, however, is that he doesn't understand the 'object of the game'. The object of the game is to accumulate wealth, improve your lifestyle, and provide for your family, and Stuey will never get it." Chip did.

Poker players have always admired Chip for his success, his demeanor at the table, his lack of ego, and that he never 'steamed' or went on tilt. I'd suggest we remember him for a player who truly understood the 'object of the game'.

Rest in peace, Chip.

Mike Sexton

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David Reese is known to most as Chip Reese, one of the world's greatest players, in today's poker environment, but during his childhood, David was just one of the boys in a small town in Ohio. But the incident that would shape his life, by his own account, was the experience of being confined to his home for nearly a year with rheumatic fever, during which time his mother taught him numerous card games. By the age of six, he had playing cards in his hands and played for baseball cards with the likes of Mike Sexton and Danny Robison. Though he traveled a normal path through high school, playing football and excelling in his studies, then attended Dartmouth College to play football, participate in the debate team, and study economics, poker was a significant part of his life. He played with fellow students and professors.

Chip was accepted at Stanford Business School and intended on becoming a lawyer, but he stopped in Las Vegas on the way there. After turning $400 into tens of thousands of dollars through a seven-card stud tournament, he never got back on the road for Stanford. He took up residence in Vegas, later became the cardroom manager at the Dunes Casino, and by 1991 was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. His name has become synonymous with the all-time poker greats, and his mathematical and intuitive skills at the tables are nearly unrivaled.

Winning his first World Series of Poker bracelet in 1979 in the seven-card stud split event, he quickly accumulated more titles, winning his next WSOP bracelet in 1982 and coming close on numerous other occasions. He also made his mark on the World Poker Tour by making a final table in the show's second season at the World Poker Open, finishing in fourth place. Then, in 2006, the poker world was left with no doubts about his abilities as he took down the WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. title, which some say was more prestigious than the main event. To date, he has won nearly $3 million and the respect of the poker world. He lived in Vegas, played the tournament circuit, and represented the game as one of its greatest success stories.