Thanks for the Memories, Chip

In this issue, we honor one of the game's greatest gentlemen, Chip Reese. Reese passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 4. In honor of his legacy, Card Player has collected memories from his family and friends, and we're honored to share this collection with you in this issue. Fittingly, as we go to press, the World Series of Poker announced that future winners of the $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. event will receive a trophy named after Reese, the winner of this inaugural event in 2006. Rest in peace, Chip … you were the greatest.



With our first issue of 2008, Card Player is proud to be celebrating its 20th year of publishing the world's oldest and most popular poker magazine. When The Card Player was introduced, its primary goal was to tell readers what was happening, where it was happening, and who was making it happen. We're proud to still be doing that two decades later. The first issue's 40 pages covered poker, blackjack, gin, pan, bridge, pai gow, and red dog. All of us at Card Player would like to thank our dedicated readers for our 20 years of success. Over this time, Card Player has evolved into more than just a poker magazine; it's a hub for all things poker. If you enjoy the magazine 26 times a year, also be sure to get your daily dose of poker at CardPlayer.com. Our team has a number of exciting additions planned for the magazine this year, and, as always, we're interested in feedback and suggestions (send us an e-mail at [email protected]) from our readers.



With the 2007 Player of the Year (POY) race decided (see The Inside Straight for more information), the competition for the next poker champion will see little downtime. Early 2008 is packed with events; here are a few of the larger events, with serious POY ramifications, to keep on your radar:



• $10,000 World Poker Tour World Poker Open (Jan. 20-24)

• $7,500 World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit event in Tunica (Jan. 19-21)

• $10,000 World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Poker Open (Jan. 27-31)

• $5,000 World Series of Poker Tournament Circuit Rincon event (Feb. 5-7)

• $10,000 World Poker Tour L.A. Poker Classic (Feb. 23-28)

• $2,600 Venetian Deep-Stack main event (Feb. 24)