Nicknamed "The Orient Express", Johnny Chan threatened to dominate the game of poker like no one before him in the late 80s. He won back-to-back World Series Of Poker titles in 1987 and 1988, where he defeated Erik Seidel in a hand immortalized in the movie "Rounders". Seidel was widely acknowledged to have played the best poker in that year's WSOP, and had led most of the way. But in the final hand Chan flopped a straight and induced Seidel to go all-in with a pair of Queens. The tournament was over and Chan was a repeat champion.

In 1989 he threatened to three-peat but came unstuck against a brash 24-year old named Phill Hellmuth, the self-proclaimed wunderkind whose obnoxious ways are legendary. Chan finished second that year to Helmuth's pocket nines, an incident that one can read about ad nauseam on Phil's website, in his books, or you could ask him in person and he would be more than happy to regale you about what pocket nines mean to him.

But back to Johnny Chan. If you arrive at a casino parking lot and see a red Mercedes SL parked in front with the vanity plate reading 333JJ you would be well advised to proceed with caution, for the Orient Express is in the house. Chan also has six houses that match up nicely with his six kids, and has earned in excess of $60 million (it is reported) during his glittering poker career. In "Rounders" Chan has a delightful cameo, and in the screenplay beating Chan in one hand is the shorthand way of announcing that Matt Damon's character can hang with the world's best.

But is Chan still one of the world's best? He was schooled by Chris Moneymaker in last year's WSOP, and even Chan's lucky orange and diamond rattlesnake ring couldn't prevent a total unknown from outplaying him. That was just one tournament, and it is foolish to extrapolate anything from one tournament, but Chan is now a marked man. Everyone wants to take down Johnny Chan, and most players fear and respect him. He is probably the one poker player that most American's could name. One could argue that this makes it harder for him to operate at the table. Still, don't shed any tears for the man. He is the all-time leader in WSOP winnings, has won seven bracelets, and remains a ferocious opponent. He was inducted into the Poker Hall Of Fame in 2002.