Long Live the Chip

As the youngest ever poker pro to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, David “Chip” Reese was one of the most successful poker players in recent history. Read about his sudden death and the rich life that preceded it.

The poker community was shocked last week to hear that poker legend David “Chip” Reese, passed away in his sleep at only 56 years of age.

On the morning of November 27th, Reese’s son found him lying peacefully in bed at his Las Vegas home, after a brief bout of suspected pneumonia took over his senses during the night. Although he had only suffered from cold and flu-like symptoms for short while, Reese unfortunately left behind an ex-wife, daughter, son, and step-daughter. And despite that he died at the young age of 56, Reese was still able to live a rich and successful life that was of course, filled with poker.

Reese first began playing poker during his college years at Dartmouth. Competing against his fraternity brothers, he was already so successful that they decided to name one of their card rooms in his honor.

His best game was 7 Card Stud Poker. Even before he won his two WSOP gold bracelets (1978 and 1982), he was asked by poker legend Doyle Brunson to participate in the world renowned book, “Super System”, for which he wrote an entire chapter on 7 Card Stud.

Reese played namely poker tournaments for cash winnings, yet it is believed that he was one of the few big winners of some of the largest stakes in the world. Similarly, he was able for many years to support his family purely from his winnings, an ability that ha many poker pros green with envy.

Reese began appearing on televised poker tournaments in 2004, and succeeded in triumphing at an amazing 11 WSOP and WPT events over a 2 year time span. His successes at the tables were topped off with an incredible $1.7 million win at the H.O.R.S.E. final table event of the 2006 WSOP.Inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame at age 40, Reese was for a long time the youngest poker pro to have been accepted, and a legend that will be long remembered.