Santiago García tells us the life story of this player who is considered by the most influential people in the poker world to be one of the greatest, capable of mastering every variant of the game.
A common question in poker media is who was the best player in the world. The answers usually vary depending on the era and the type of game, but most professionals agree that David “Chip” Reese was the one who best mastered all poker formats.
And he proved it in 2006 by winning the $50K H.O.R.S.E. event at the World Series of Poker in one of the toughest final tables in history. A year later, he passed away at just 56 years old. Let's take a look back at his great career and the memories he left among his tablemates.
Playing Games Since Childhood
David was born on March 28, 1951, in Centerville, Ohio. As a child, he suffered from a serious bout of rheumatic fever that kept him homebound for almost a year. That’s when his mother taught him card and board games, and he turned out to be very good.
He recalled in an interview:
“I learned to play cards at age 5 while in kindergarten. One day I saw some neighbor kids playing and betting baseball cards. I joined them and after winning all their cards, one of their dads came to complain to my mom so I’d give them back. That’s how my poker career started.”
In high school, he played football and was on the debate team, winning the Ohio State Championship. He went to Dartmouth College, studied economics, and was so successful at cards that the playing room was named the “David Reese Memorial Card Room.”
A One-Way Trip to Las Vegas
After finishing his economics degree at Dartmouth, Reese was accepted into Stanford Law School, but he never attended his first class. In 1974, he visited Las Vegas for just a weekend. With $400, he won a poker tournament at the Sahara for $60,000. He hired someone to clean his apartment in Arizona and bring his car to Vegas.
“I was 23 years old and having the time of my life. I had no intention of going back.”
In the mid-70s, there was more money in cash games than in tournaments. Chip climbed the stakes until he reached the Bellagio, where the highest-stakes games were played. That’s where he met Doyle Brunson, who became his best friend.
Las Vegas still had some mobsters, and Reese had to deal with a dangerous one. Doyle Brunson wrote this in his biography:
“Chip had just finished college when he got to Vegas. Naively, he got caught in Tony Spilotro’s web. But as soon as Chip realized what he was involved in, he got out—something few did successfully with those mafia guys. Spilotro told him to cheat. Chip said, ‘I can’t do that.’ Spilotro replied, ‘There’s no such thing as can’t, only won’t.’ But Chip stood his ground, and I admired him for confronting Tony.”
In 1977, he finished second in a $500 Razz event at the WSOP, and in 1978 he won his first bracelet in a $1K Seven Card Stud Split event, earning $19K. In the 1981 WSOP, he made five final tables, and in 1982 he won his second bracelet in a $5K Limit 7 Card Stud event for $92K. In 1985, he finished second in two WSOP events, earning $80K.
He was a regular at Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio, where the highest stakes “Big Game” was played against legends like Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Eli Elezra, John Hennigan, Barry Greenstein, Phil Ivey, and Chau Giang.
There, he met banker Andy Beal, who challenged the pros to heads-up matches for millions of dollars. Chip was part of the team that faced Beal.
In 2004, David made his first World Poker Tour final table at the $10K Tunica event with 367 entries. He finished 4th for $207K. He was eliminated by his friend Barry Greenstein, who shook his hand. Chip told him, “See you in the Big Game.”
Bracelet at a Star-Studded Final Table
In 2006, the first-ever $50K H.O.R.S.E. event was held at the WSOP. 143 players entered, and the final table included some of the world’s best: Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Patrik Antonius, T.J. Cloutier, Andy Bloch, Dewey Tomko, Jim Bechtel, and David Reese. Together, they held 27 bracelets.
After a grueling 7-hour heads-up match with Andy Bloch, Chip won, earning the biggest prize of his career: $1.7 million. He said after his victory:
“Being the best isn't about winning one or two days, but every day. Someone once asked Doyle Brunson who he thought was the best poker player, and he said, ‘I don’t know. Ask me again in twenty years.’ Being the best is about long-term consistency.”
An Early Death
On December 4, 2007, Chip died in his sleep at his Las Vegas home from cardiac arrest. He was just 56 years old. It’s speculated that his death might be related to a previous gastric bypass that caused a blood clot.
Doyle Brunson wrote in his biography:
“After the funeral, Chip’s remains were cremated, and some of his ashes were placed in gold alloy formed into crosses to wear on necklaces. Each family member received one. I did too. I wore it for a couple of days, and while it brought warmth, the memories were too strong. I had to put it away. For two months after Chip’s death, I rarely left my house. I’m sure God has a special place for Chip.”
Opinions About Chip
Some testimonials from top players:
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Mike Sexton: “He’s probably the most respected player among his peers. His behavior was impeccable—I never saw him get angry after a bad beat or criticize an opponent. He was very smart and never went on tilt.”
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Barry Greenstein: “His legacy will outlast time, and his name will always come up when discussing who was the greatest player in history.”
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T.J. Cloutier: “He’s the best player I’ve ever seen. Period.”
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Jeffrey Pollack: “The best cash game player and a WSOP legend.”
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Howard Lederer: “He was successful in the highest cash games for over two decades.”
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Doyle Brunson: “He had traits no one else had. The most natural poker player I ever saw, and probably the only one who came to Vegas and succeeded immediately. He could win in all variants, and his H.O.R.S.E. win confirmed he was the best.”
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Eli Elezra: “The best player I ever saw and a true professional—always relaxed, at peace, and smiling. He stood out because when he was winning, he stayed and stacked chips, and when things went bad, he just left.”
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Annie Duke: “The most consistent poker player I’ve ever seen.”
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Patrik Antonius: “He had a unique playing style and was one of my idols.”
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Doyle Brunson: “If I had to create a Mount Rushmore of poker players, it would be Johnny Moss, Walter 'Puggy' Pearson, David Reese, and Bryan 'Sailor' Roberts.”
However, there was one player and writer who didn’t have fond memories of Chip—David Sklansky, 3-time bracelet winner and author of strategy books like Theory of Poker. He wrote in his biography:
“He even admitted it publicly. But he downplayed it, saying he had to do certain things to be allowed to play in the big games without cheating himself. But it went further—I know for sure. I overheard some conversations that clearly showed he was willing to cheat. This was during the time Chip was Cardroom Manager at the Dunes. The poker room at the Dunes was already corrupt before, but it got worse under Chip. Stacked decks, marked cards, etc.”
Legacy and Teachings
Chip earned $3.9 million in live tournaments, $2.2 million of which came from the WSOP where he had 25 cashes, 16 final tables, 4 runner-up finishes, and 3 bracelets. Most of his earnings came from the biggest cash games in Vegas.
In 1978, Doyle Brunson asked him to write the Seven Card Stud section for Super System.
“I didn’t want to be part of the project, because people didn’t know how to play and we were going to wake everyone up. That book gave the foundations for how to think about and play each variant.”
In 1991, he became the youngest living player inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame, prompting the creation of the 40-year-old age requirement. He was one of the players interviewed for Gambling Wizards by Richard Munchkin (2002).
Some of his teachings from interviews:
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“One of the most important qualities for a good poker player is learning how to lose. When I was young and first came to Vegas, I lost my bankroll several times because I didn’t know when to leave the table. Young players hate losing and often try to win it all back before getting up.”
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“Why did I choose poker over law as a career? I chose the more honorable profession.”
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“The pain of losing is interesting. I think we like living on the edge. I enjoy the biggest games because the pain of losing must be real. Walking the edge gives you the best view—and the thrill of risk. That pain keeps us sharp.”
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“Two things make me a good poker player: I can endure adversity, and I can adapt to different personalities and their changes. Many players change their style during a session, and I can adjust accordingly.”
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“What excites me most is the intensity of the competition. I get excited for the biggest games where the stakes are high and tournaments like the WSOP H.O.R.S.E. where you play against the best.”
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