Saying Goodbye to a Gentleman

Early Tuesday morning, Dec. 4, 2007, the poker industry was rocked to its core. The news that Chip Reese had died spread worldwide. Complaining of flu-like symptoms the night before, Reese was diagnosed with pneumonia. The 33-year resident of Las Vegas passed quietly at his home in his sleep. It was also his father's birthday.



David Edward "Chip" Reese was born on March 28, 1951, in Dayton, Ohio. As a child, Reese was stricken with rheumatic fever, which often burdens its victims with respiratory issues and weakened heart valves during adulthood. He spent the better part of a year in recovery, and fondly related his mother helping him to pass the time by teaching him how to play board and card games. He often described himself as the product of the attention, affection, and patience that his mother had shown him back then.



Reese grew up to be an Ivy Leaguer, attending Dartmouth College. His affection for Dartmouth and his classmates was evident throughout his life. He often said that those days had not only allowed him to expand his mind, but enhance his ability to enjoy life at the same time. It was there that he honed his poker skills and built his first substantial bankroll, claiming, "I wiped out trust-fund babies." Yet, Reese earned his fraternity's respect, and upon leaving Dartmouth, the popular cardroom there where Reese gambled was named after the sophomore legend.



Reese's father was very proud that his son had been accepted by Stanford University, but Chip's story is what legends are made of – galloping off to Stanford, stopping along the way to play cards in Las Vegas, and quickly going broke. But Reese was able to turn the tide after borrowing enough money to enter a seven-card stud tournament, winning $40,000. Needless to say, he never made it to Stanford, but, due to his monumental successes in life and business, his father came to terms with Chip's controversial decision.



Reese was an integral participant and founder of an elite group of gamblers, and became a regular player in the "Big Game" – a perpetual high-stakes, multigame poker competition. He was often spotted behind the etched glass of a private suite inside the Bellagio poker room known as "Bobby's Room."



Say what you will about poker players and professional gamblers, but at the mention of the Poker Hall of Fame legend, any negative stereotypes fly out the window. The father, and true friend to many, will be remembered for more than his accomplishments at the poker table.



Those in the industry regarded Reese as the world's best all-around poker player, and his display of stamina and true grace were never more apparent to the public than during the 2006 World Series of Poker. After several grueling sessions, and more than seven hours of heads-up action against fellow professional gambler and poker player Andy Bloch, Reese captured the first WSOP $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship title. As a tribute to Chip, future winners of the $50,000 buy-in event will receive a trophy named after the legend.



In honor of Chip's legacy, Card Player has collected condolences and short stories from friends, associates, and the Reese family. But due to the sheer number of those who knew and admired him, this collection is far from complete. To the Reese family, and all who knew the true gentleman of poker, the Card Player family offers its deepest and most sincere condolences.



Thanks for the Memories

"Everyone knows what a great poker player Chip Reese was, probably the most successful poker player in history. But poker players admired Chip because of his demeanor at the table. He never chastised the dealer for making a mistake, never criticized an opponent, and never steamed or went on tilt. That is why he was so successful.



"One day I was talking to him about Stu Ungar, and I asked, 'Do you think Stuey was the most talented player ever?' He said, 'Talent-wise, he probably was. He had the quickest mind that I have ever known. But Stuey's problem was that he did not understand the object of the game. The object of the game is to increase your wealth, improve your lifestyle, and provide for your family. Stuey didn't get it.'



"Well, Chip Reese did get it. He understood the value of family and he knew it was more important than poker. If his son or daughter had a function, no matter what game he was in, Chip would go. Players admired him for that. I would say that if you took a vote among poker players regarding who was the most family-oriented, Chip's name would be at the top of the list. For that, you have to admire him. He understood the object of the game, and if you are a poker player, you have to understand that in order to be successful. Increase your wealth, improve your lifestyle, and provide for your family." – Mike Sexton



"One day at Bellagio, when Chip was involved in a mixed variation of the Big Game, there were hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table. I was 'sweating' Chip at the time and he was kind enough to offer me what he referred to as 'a little peanut' piece of the action. During the no-limit Texas hold'em round, Chip needed to use the restroom and asked that I sit in for him. I was astonished, but agreed. 'Isn't this great,' I said to myself. 'Chip has enough confidence in me to let me play with all of his money at stake.' No sooner than did Chip take off for the restroom, he rushed back to the table, out of breath, hastily tucking in his shirt and fastening his belt. 'I just realized that Chezzy was playing for me,' he exclaimed. 'I think I just took the quickest leak in the history of poker.'



"I'll always remember that night. It was like being asked to pinch-hit for Babe Ruth." – David Chesnoff (friend and family attorney)



"Five men have shaped my life and probably all of yours," said Bobby Baldwin in a eulogy at Reese's memorial; "Benny Binion, Jack Binion, Steve Wynn, Doyle Brunson, and David 'Chip' Reese.



"I met Chip and Doyle at the Flamingo Hotel poker room. Johnny Moss was the cardroom manager at the time. I was always fascinated by Chip's intellect and glowing demeanor. Chip and Doyle shared my love for the game of poker way before poker was cool. But, Las Vegas is a tough town – especially when you're trying to make a living at the poker tables. Chip was keen to introduce me to the $300-$600 seven-card stud game. Every day, I found myself looking down the gun barrels of Stu Ungar, Doyle Brunson, and Chip Reese. I don't have to tell you how that worked out. At Chip's suggestion, I went to work for Steve Wynn.



"Years ago I approached Wynn and asked him what he thought about building a private high-stakes poker salon. He asked me how much it would cost and I told him, 'Somewhere in the ballpark of $5 million.'



"Well,' he said. 'You might have that kind of money lying around.'



"So, I went to Chip with a proposal.



"'We could call it the Chip Reese room,' I offered.



"Listen, Bobby. Call it Bobby Baldwin's room and you'll attract a lot more players,' he countered. 'You call it the Chip Reese room and no one will come.'"



Baldwin spoke of the times he and Reese competed on the "other" green.



"If you thought Chip was funny at the poker table, let me tell you, he was hilarious on the golf course. He was the only golfer I ever met who would spend three hours on the practice tee negotiating the match, and then on the walk down the first fairway, he would offer you a small profit to off the bet." – Bobby Baldwin



"Everybody talked about Michael Jordan. Everybody wanted to be like Mike. Well, Chip was the Michael Jordan of poker. Everybody wanted to be like Chip. He had the coolest demeanor and never rattled. He played great under pressure and played great even when he was losing. He was the one we all wanted to emulate.



"He will be greatly missed. The poker world and the poker room will never be the same, especially when he's not there to loan everybody money when they go broke." – Todd Brunson



"He was the best overall card player I ever competed against – and I've played them all. He was just a super nice guy who never had a bad word to say about anybody. And if you ever heard him talk, his eloquence was out of this world. I loved listening to him. Chip had everything going for him. He was so full of life. Of all the guys over 50 in this industry, he seemed like the least likely to leave us. He was a super guy and always treated me and everyone he met with respect. That's how you judge people, by how they treat you." – T.J. Cloutier



"The first time I ever saw Chip was at the Sahara. I was dealing poker. He looked like a college kid with a lot of blonde hair. In those days, the biggest games were $30-$60. Jeff Sandow was the 'King of the Hill,' but Chip was taking a bite out of him during a heads-up game I was dealing. I'll never forget it. Some guy walked up to the table and introduced himself. Chip shook his hand and did the same. The guy stopped cold and asked, 'Could you be the same Chip Reese out of Dayton?'



"Reese replied, 'Well, yes.'



"The guy looked over at Sandow and said, 'Man, you've got your hands full.'



"That was the first time I realized that Chip was a renowned player in more places than just Las Vegas.



"Danny Robison and Chip came out from Dayton together. They were partners, playing poker for a living. Danny would cover the lower limits at the Sahara, and Chip would work the higher limits at the Dunes. Danny was destroying everybody, earning sometimes $10,000 a week. Chip was at the other house, usually taking in that much in a day. Nobody could keep up with their pace.



"Johnny Moss ran the Dunes poker room back then, but in 1978, his lease agreement with Morris Shenker was up. Since Moss had lost most of his money to Chip, he didn't have enough to renew the lease. Shenker was threatening to close the room, so Chip gave Shenker a substantial amount of money and told Moss, 'Doug will be running the room.'

"I went from dealer to floor to manager in three weeks. Four years later, I was still the poker room manager.



"You know, it wasn't like Chip wanted to run the room. He just wanted to play. But if the room had closed, he wouldn't have had anywhere else to go."



Dalton and Chip were not only business associates. Dalton was someone Reese could depend on to take care of business.



"Whenever Chip needed anything done, he always called upon me to step up. I just hope he doesn't come up with anything for me in the near future." – Doug Dalton (director of poker operations, Bellagio)



"I believe Chip's A-game was as good as anyone else's when it came to winning. But Chip never played as good as he did when he was losing. And if you think he was a great poker player, I'm here to tell you that he was an even better father."

Danny Robison remembered the days when he and Chip would clean up the stud tables of Las Vegas. They worked hard and played hard. Robison was, admittedly, in and out of rehab on nine occasions. It was Chip who would pay the clinic and give Robison another chance. Then one day, everything changed.



"Chip became a born-again Christian – and so did I. I got that way because of Chip, and Chip got that way because of Doyle. As Las Vegas gamblers, we'd been living the high life, winning lots of money and doing all the wrong things. Then, Doyle's world came crashing down when his daughter died. It really shook him up.



"While Doyle grieved at the wake, his wife danced, smiled, and praised the Lord. Doyle, annoyed by the spectacle, chided his wife. 'How in the world can you be celebrating?' he asked.



"'I loved her as much as you did,' replied his wife. 'But our daughter is right where she wanted to be. Even if she could come back, I don't think she would.'



"That must have brought Doyle some comfort, because it was then that he began to read the Bible. He convinced Chip and me to do the same. And although Chip was smart and able to read the whole thing faster than either one of us, he admitted later, 'I'm pretty smart, probably smarter than the two of you put together, but I just don't get it.'



"'Maybe you don't have the Holy Spirit,' Doyle told him. 'Get the spirit, read it again, and then maybe you'll understand.'



"'It would take a miracle to convince me,' Chip replied. 'So maybe I'll just wait until one comes.'



"Three days later, Chip, Doyle, and I were matched up on the golf course. Chip reached into his pocket to mark his ball, and realized his bankroll was missing. 'Danny, my money's gone,' he said. 'Don't look at me,' I told him. 'Maybe you lost it when you paid the waitress for breakfast.'



"Forty-three hundred dollars was a lot of money back in 1984. 'Danny,' he asked, 'will you rush over and check out the restaurant?' I did what he asked, but the money was nowhere to be found. And even if it was, I never thought anyone would turn in that kind of cash.



"Doyle and I both checked Chip's pockets. Nothing. Chip rifled through them the rest of the morning, and even turned them inside out. At one point, we heard him praying out loud for the money to reappear.



"Sixteen holes later, on a par 3, Chip reached into his pocket for another ball. Just then, a wad of cash fell to the ground. We all stood in shock, glaring at it, when suddenly, a gust of wind began blowing all those hundred-dollar bills across the green.



"'There's your miracle.'



"'That's great, Doyle,' Chip told him. 'And I'll be sure to pray with you just as soon as we nail down this money.'" – Danny Robison (friend and fellow gambler)



"Chip was my best friend and a heck of a guy. I don't know how many bets or ventures we got ourselves into. I think we bet on our weight more than anything else, but we finished only one. Chip, Lyle (Berman), Bobby (Baldwin), and I put our money together on a weight bet. That was the last one we made. It was about a year after my bypass surgery. I won that bet and a million dollars. I gained the weight right back; I never thought I'd be able to keep it off.



"We had our share of bonehead financial ventures. The four of us invested in prospects like raising the Titanic, finding Noah's ark, mining diamonds, running racehorses, digging oil wells, and building planes. We lost money on all of them, but we always had poker to fall back on." – Doyle Brunson



"I remember the first time I met Chip. It was at The Bicycle Club in Los Angeles. He was playing in the big game. The stakes might have been $400-$800, and I was playing in a $30-$60 game.



"I needed to talk to someone in that game, so I approached the table. Chip introduced himself to me and asked me to sit behind him and watch the game. I kindly said, 'No,' and went on my way. I was so intimidated, I could barely speak. I had been in the poker world for only a short time, and word was out that Chip was the best poker player in the world. I wanted to watch him, but I was too intimidated to take him up on his offer.



"Years later and after many hours at the poker table, I played Chip on a regular basis. It was clear to me how good this man really was. He was my mentor and he didn't even know it. I learned more from him than any other poker player. All I had to do was watch and study his game. Later, he became a friend, and if I felt like I didn't play a hand correctly, I could call Chip and ask him for his opinion. Even though we were fierce competitors, he was always there to help. He was just that kind of person.



"He gave me a piece of advice that I will never forget. There was a night that I had lost a lot of money and was still very upset. He took me aside and asked, 'Jennifer, why are you so upset? If you played the hand correctly, you shouldn't be upset by the outcome. You have no control over the cards. Don't get upset over things you can't control.' That piece of advice will stay with me forever.



"Chip was arguably the best poker player in the world. In my opinion, he was the best. I will miss him very much. He was truly a great man and a great friend." – Jennifer Harman



"We all compete at poker, and the people who are able to keep competing get our respect. When it came to respect, Chip was number one." – Barry Greenstein



"I remember Chip and Danny Robison back in the day. They acted like a couple of 'frat' boys. Sometime in the '80s, the two of them put their money together and bought a house. Chip shipped all of his college buddies out from Dayton, and if they wanted something to eat, they'd call a cab driver to deliver. All the cabbies knew them.



"They hadn't been in that house very long when the water company came out to investigate a possible leak in the neighborhood. The city couldn't figure out where tons of water was flowing. Later, Chip and Danny got a $3,000 water bill. That's when they discovered they'd left the spa running for a month.



"I also remember Chip's love for food. He'd come into the poker room and order two breakfasts. When the waiter delivered, Chip would take his order to the restroom and then call out, 'Your food is here,' to some imaginary breakfast date from behind closed doors. We all knew there was no one but Chip enjoying the meal, but we got a kick out of it anyway." – Jack Binion



"Chip was one of my best friends. I talked to him just about every day for the past 10 years. It's unbelievable. I never cry, but since the day he died and I went to his house, I can't seem to stop. All I do is think about him. I just want to call him again to hear his voice. I loved him a lot. He was the best I've ever known." – Chau Giang



"My thoughts and deepest condolences go out to Chip's family, to whom he was always devoted as a father. Although it is little consolation, it is my hope that they know of the great legacy that Chip is leaving behind." – Gus Hansen



"I have known Chip Reese for several years. We first met when I was the new 'fish' in the Big Game at Bellagio. As would any professional poker player, Chip tried hard to take every dollar I would bring to the table. Over the years, as my poker skills improved, Chip and I developed a personal friendship outside of poker. We would share advice on where to eat, where to vacation, what movies we liked or disliked. At the table, we were always poker adversaries; away from the table, we were friends who could ask the other for anything, and the answer was always, 'Yes.'



"When Chip was in the development stages of the PPL [Professional Poker League], I was honored that he chose me as co-captain of his team. We spent countless hours discussing every player and working out the strategies of our draft picks.



"Chip Reese was the most intelligent and personable person I have ever known. I would not be the poker player I am today if not for Chip. But more importantly, I am a better person for having Chip as my friend." – Eli Elezra



"I remember the time that Chip and my brother made a weight bet. Apparently, Howard [Lederer] didn't think to make the right stipulations. So, Chip had to lose a lot of weight within a year, and succeeded by having bypass surgery. He got Howard good. After that, there were so many stipulations on the next weight bet made by Doyle, it included amputated body parts. – Annie Duke



"Living in a city where we all need a little luck, I have to confess to receiving more than my fair share. While a senior in high school, I was recruited by the football office at Dartmouth. I spent a weekend there, and my host was a freshman named Chuck Thomas. His cherubic roommate was one David E. 'Chip' Reese.



"Chip and I had a lot in common. My parents and grandmother ran poker games back then. I spent the entire weekend passing the time with Chip rather than Chuck. 'When you enroll next year,' Chip said, 'make sure you look us up.'



"The following fall, I did just that, and the result was a 35-year relationship that was as rewarding as it was fun, if not one of the most important in my life.



"Chip Reese stories at Dartmouth are as legendary as the all-familiar Vegas ones. I don't remember Chip making any of his

infamous weight-loss wagers at Dartmouth, but at the Beta house, he won a bet involving a buxom coed. Much to the delight



"When Chip graduated in 1973, the average starting salary for an Ivy League grad was about $10,000 annually. He took a job in his uncle's company that paid $25,000 with a car and expense account. He lasted less than six months.



"I know it's been written that he was on his way to Stanford business school, but the truth is that Chip was never going to end up anywhere but Las Vegas. The life of poker, sports betting, and such was all he ever wanted.



"Chip amassed wealth, but those who knew him best will tell you that it never changed his play or humble nature. He was completely nonjudgmental.



"I asked Chip how he stayed atop the Big Game for so long, in light of the fact that the other players are so talented, and blessed with equal amounts of heart. Chip replied, 'On any given night, my A-game is not necessarily any better than the other players'. It's just that my D-game is not much worse than my A-game.'



"It was a remarkable life, Chip. Thank you for showing us the way, and for being such a good friend to all of us." – Dana Martino



"The tournament had Chip's name written all over it, and if the final-table players had been asked to pick a champion by vote, they'd have picked Chip. I couldn't pick a better player to lose to.



"I normally am not afraid of anyone at the poker table, but facing the best all-around poker player, with more than 200 big blinds split almost evenly between us, and with every action being recorded for TV, I have to admit that the brim of my hat hid some fear that day.



"Since Chip's death, I've been asked by many poker news outlets to share my thoughts. Although Chip and I did share the most significant seven hours of our televised poker careers, there are many more people with more to say. I'm just a poker player who, one day, was lucky enough to play his poker idol. – Andy Bloch, on his heads-up match with Reese in the 2006 World Series of Poker $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event



"Chip's heart was like no other. There was many a day that an amazing poker game was about to take place and Chip had every intention of playing. But, six big brown eyes would look up at him and convince him to stay at home. His dogs Maggie Mae, Belle, and Harley would pull harder at his heartstrings than the game could, and he would fold.



"Chip would often look at me with a grin and say, 'Cutie, you're the best.' Those words, my memory of him, and how he touched my soul will remain in my heart forever. The truth is, Chip, you are the best." – Esther Rossi



"Chip Reese was one of the richest men I've ever known, and my assessment of him has nothing to do with his net worth. Indeed, a man's value should never be measured in dollars. It should not be calculated by the amount of money he won or earned in his lifetime. It should not be determined by the number of victories and successes he enjoyed in life.



"Instead, human value should be measured by the indelible impact a person has upon other people. Does the person inspire those around him to be better, stronger, wiser, greater, and more virtuous in pursuit of the noblest of goals?



"Chip Reese was a far wealthier man than most of us can ever comprehend, for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with money. He inspired virtually everyone around him, and many thousands more who never met him face to face, to do good things. Being in Chip's presence, one took away the feeling of encouragement – to be a better person, to be a better family man, to help others, to be a good winner but an even better loser, and, most certainly, to improve as a poker player.



"Chip left all of us with the ultimate gift that one person can bestow upon another, which is the gift of inspiration. Indeed, we are all left with the inspiration to be more like Chip Reese – both at the poker table and, more importantly, away from it." – Nolan Dalla (World Series of Poker media director)

Winning Wisdom



Card Player was honored to have Chip Reese as a guest for multiple multimedia interviews. In honor of his memory, we present a short collection of his winning wisdom.



On Diving in Headfirst:

Everybody used to think I was crazy, because when I was younger, I would play any game. I figured that if I didn't know it, I could learn it. I would jump into games, even when I started playing bigger, like $200-$400 and $300-$600. I played deuce-to-seven and draw poker, and all of these other games I had never played before. I played because I was beating these same people in other games, and I knew I would learn. It was a tough learning curve; I didn't win for a long time in those games. But it came back as a blessing, because over the past 30 years, the popularity of different games has switched. It turned out great because there is not a game I cannot play now. It can come back to bite you, but if you survive it, you are way better off.



On Taking Advantage of Your Wins:

The advantage I used to have, when I was young, was that I would play in the same game that I was winning in until the bitter end. It is amazing how many talented players do not have the ability to play when they are losing. So, if you can stay until the end when you are winning, you have an edge because they are playing their worst. Everybody plays his best when he is winning.



On Realizing That the Day-to-Day Fluctuations in Poker Don't Matter:

I didn't always have control over tilt. In the early days, when I was learning, I would lose at the games that I didn't know how to play. I was so competitive that I would just go off because I thought I was going to win, but I went broke lots of times. Eventually, I came to the realization that I played every day, and if you are a great poker player, playing every day for 100 days, you might win 65 times and lose 35 times. If you cannot deal with losing, that means that 35 days out of 100 will be unhappy days in your life. When you learn that the game is really one continuous game, you can really become successful, because it doesn't mean a damn thing if you lose in one particular game. A lot of players feel like every game is the Alamo, and even in the "Big Game," guys cannot quit when they are losing. I know guys who will try to win $50,000 and run away, good players. But when they are stuck, they are going to lose $600,000 and play worse while losing than they do when they are winning. I don't know what that mentality is. I used to have it, but I realized that day to day, it does not matter if you win or lose.



On His $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship:

The H.O.R.S.E. event was a good event for me because, in relation to the field, I play all of these games all of the time, and I have been playing them for a long time. In our Big Game, we play 14 games every day; we switch games every eight hands. So, we not only play those five H.O.R.S.E. games, we play nine other games. A lot of the other players in this event are excellent hold'em players, good card players, but they just did not have the experience in all of those other games that the pros have who play every day. Their weaknesses showed up. If it didn't show up in one game, it did in another. With five games, switching every 40 minutes, their weaknesses always show up. And you could really tell that the guys who you know are great hold'em players had weaknesses elsewhere.



I don't know if this tournament seals the deal on me being one of the best. Maybe it does in some people's eyes. I knew when this tournament started that there was going to be a really good final table. I knew that amateurs, and even pros who do not play all of the games, couldn't cut the mustard of going all the way through two days of playing H.O.R.S.E. So, I knew we would see lots of good players at the final table.



Doyle, Phil, and the other cash-game players are happy that I won $1.7 million, because they know they will have a shot to beat me out of it now. Andy doesn't play in the Big Game, so I am sure they were rooting for me, because they have a chance to get it now.



On What it Takes to Survive the Test of Time:

I have seen a lot of great talent come to town and try to play in the Big Game and get washed away. That is probably the biggest difference; you have to survive all of the time and you cannot make any mistakes. The best cash-game players in the world are the best poker players in the world, primarily because of the fact that they play a lot of games, not just no-limit hold'em. The best cash-game players play all of the games and their poker skills are more well-rounded than the guys who play just tournaments. That is not to take anything away from the tournament players; that is a skill unto itself.