Remembering Chip Reese

I only had the pleasure of meeting Chip Reese one time, but it was a memorable one. I was in my first year working for PokerNews covering the final table of the first inaugural $50,000 H.O.R.S.E tournament.

The table was an impressive one to say the least, composed of Phil Ivey, Doyle Brunson, Andy Bloch, Dewey Tomko, Patrik Antonius, David Singer, TJ Cloutier, Jim Bechtel, and Reese. Chip was definitely one of the most well-respected players amongst his peers - as big name after big name went bust, narrowing the field, almost all of the players I interviewed told me they were rooting for Reese. I remember Doyle Brunson telling me that Chip Reese was due, that it would be fitting for such a great and classy player to win one of poker’s most prestigious tournaments and finally get some validation in the public eye.

I was sitting next to Chip’s kid for a large duration of the tournament, and although poker tournaments oftentimes aren’t the most exciting things to watch, he was devotedly sweating Chip and leading the cheering section each time his dad won a hand.

The tournament was a memorable one because of its length; it was the longest heads up match in WSOP history. After a 9 ½ hour final table and a 7 hour heads up match, Andy Bloch and Chip Reese were the only players left standing. The final hand came around 8 in the morning when Reese finally bested Bloch. The room at the Rio, which had at the beginning of the day held thousands of people, was down to less than a dozen reporters, Andy Bloch’s fiancé, Reese’s family, and the cleaning crews. People could barely keep their eyes opened and Reese seemed more relieved than happy that the tournament was over.

While it would be more than understandable for Reese to want to go home and get some sleep, he stuck around and gave interviews to ESPN, myself, and anyone else that was still around, going above and beyond what was expected of his time. He was incredibly gracious in winning, complimenting Andy Bloch numerous times and modestly noting that he was lucky to win.

Poker is a community that is oftentimes criticized for a lack of class. Players screaming, drug problems, borrowing and going broke, and criminal activity all give poker a big black eye. Chip Reese was the antithesis of all of these things – calm and steady, polite, and regarded as untiltable. Poker today lost a great influence on the game, a great player, and a great person.

I am a Professional Poker Player

I used to love saying that back when I played full-time in 2006. When I made the decision to play full-time and move out to Vegas, I remember the excitement that followed and the feeling that I had to tell the world.

I still remember my first day as a pro. Sitting down at the table, I felt like I owned the place - this was going to be my worksite for the next year and I wanted everyone to know.

"I am a professional poker player," I said breezily while sitting down at my first table as a full-time player. I waited expectantly for the adulation, fear, and awe that my comment would arouse.

"That's nice. I'm a doctor. I save people's lives," my table-mate commented.

"Oh." That was kind of a downer. The rest of the table seemed disinterested. Something must have been wrong! People were supposed to be worshiping me, oohing and aahing. I must not have said it loudly enough!

"Hey guys! Pro here, sitting down!" I said, waving my arms. Still nothing. Eh, what do these guys at $1/2 know anyway?

I proceeded to sit down and play pretty tight for the next couple hours, mentioning that I was a pro no less than 20 times until I got sick of being check-raised and told to shut up. My stack dwindling, I got into a big pot for the rest of my chips. I had ace-high, and I was facing a huge overbet on the river that reeked of busted flush draw bluff.

"I am a pro and we can make these calls! I call!" I announced.

"Full house," my opponent responded, raking in his chips.

"Wait....but...but... I am a pro! Those are supposed to be my chips!"

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After taking a year hiatus, I am back again and this time, older and wiser, I've checked my ego at the door. I only tell people I'm a pro four or five times a session now.