Johnny Chan holds an immortalizing poker record that prognosticators say might never be broken. He won back-to-back World Series of Poker main-event championships in 1987 and 1988, and followed them with a second-place finish in 1989 against Phil Hellmuth. Considering the large fields of the WSOP in recent years, he will likely be the last person ever to win two main-event bracelets in a row. Also known as the “Orient Express,” Chan was born in China in 1957. He moved to the United States in 1968, and briefly attended the University of Texas. When he was 21, he dropped out to become a professional gambler.

Chan was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1992. He currently is tied at 10 with Doyle Brunson for second-most WSOP bracelets (Phil Hellmuth has the most, at 11). He has more than $5 million in winnings, and is a high-stakes cash-game player. He has his own poker site at ChanPoker.net, where fans can play and chat with him.