HubDub04 0 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Pretty straightforward actually, I play with this 31 year old guy who's name is Jeff, college graduate, fairly decent winner at the live $3/5 NL game I sometimes frequent, nice guy etc. I was playing yesterday in the live game and some shortstacker who liked to talk a lot asked the table who they thought was the best poker player ever, obv I don't pay much attention until Jeff, who is sitting to my right in seat 4, asks me who I think is the best, and I think for a second and say that I think poker is so diverse that it's tough to pin "Greatest of all time" on any one poker player. He immediately tells me that it's gotta be Johnny Chan because of his multiple WSOP championships, 10 bracelets, back to back wins etc. I told him that he really isn't that solid from what i've heard from other poker friends I know who travel the circuit and have played with him. Anyways long story short, he couldn't be moved on his stance about Chan being the best ever, LOL, crazy as that sounds.But............It got me to thinking, is Johnny Chan really a world class poker player or is he just another average TV pro who has just run well/won a lot, similar to Hoyt Corkins or Phil Hellmuth?Thoughts from any of the guys who might have played with him? Or is this just a stupid question to begin with? Link to post Share on other sites
SGFULTON83 0 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Yeah, he's so average. Link to post Share on other sites
BeaverStyle 1 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I consider Johnny Chan to be up there with the greats like Chip Reese and Doyle Brunson... if you think they are random TV pros who made it big by running well, then I guess Chan is too. Link to post Share on other sites
kobe2odom8 14 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Pretty straightforward actually, I play with this 31 year old guy who's name is Jeff, college graduate, fairly decent winner at the live $3/5 NL game I sometimes frequent, nice guy etc. I was playing yesterday in the live game and some shortstacker who liked to talk a lot asked the table who they thought was the best poker player ever, obv I don't pay much attention until Jeff, who is sitting to my right in seat 4, asks me who I think is the best, and I think for a second and say that I think poker is so diverse that it's tough to pin "Greatest of all time" on any one poker player. He immediately tells me that it's gotta be Johnny Chan because of his multiple WSOP championships, 10 bracelets, back to back wins etc. I told him that he really isn't that solid from what i've heard from other poker friends I know who travel the circuit and have played with him. Anyways long story short, he couldn't be moved on his stance about Chan being the best ever, LOL, crazy as that sounds.But............It got me to thinking, is Johnny Chan really a world class poker player or is he just another average TV pro who has just run well/won a lot, similar to Hoyt Corkins or Phil Hellmuth?Thoughts from any of the guys who might have played with him? Or is this just a stupid question to begin with? thisbut seriously i have no idea about chans abilities. i still think he is a great player. maybe negreanu with chime in with his opinion! Link to post Share on other sites
bbgun 0 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 He did fold to Mike McD's 5-bet bluff that one time at the Taj... Link to post Share on other sites
fighter 4 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Tournament Accomplishents: 10 WSOP Braclets, tied with Doyle Brunson for the lead3rd All-time money winner at WSOP $3,706,543Won Back to Back WSOP Championships followed by a second!27 Cashes at the WSOPOnly two cashes on the WPTTotal Tournament earnings: $3,858,505 (17th) compiled by www.pokerpages.comCash Game Accomplishments: Johnny plays as high as the sky against the best players in the world. For years he was a fixture in the "Larry game," playing Stud with Larry Flynt and co. at the Hustler in California. Johnny now plays in the big game at Bellagio as well and is a winning player.Best game: No Limit Hold'em- He also plays a mean game of pot limit Omaha, but there is no question about it, Johnny's best game is no limit hold'em. He is arguably the best no limit player who ever lived, and his accomplishments at the WSOP over the years are unparalelled. Worst Game: Limit Hold'em- Strangely, despite his profieciency in no limit, limit hold'em doesn't suit Johnny style quite as well. Johnny is a trapping type of player and that approach is ideal for no limit, but a little weak in a game like limit hold'em where it's important to be much more aggressive on the flop. He doesn't suck at it obviously, but he would be an underdog against players like Jennifer Harman, Todd Brunson, or Phil Ivey in limit hold'em.Strengths: Players often talk about seeing through a players soul, but Johnny's ability to recognize tells might just be the bet in the business. If he looks at your eyes, your fingers, your throat, or your body language in general... he will know. This is a strength that should be respected and feared. If you take him lightly, he will crush you.Weaknesses: Johnny is a no limit and/or pot limit genius, but what makes him strong in those game hurts him a little bit in the limit games. He has a cautious approach to limit poker that costs him a little bit of value in certain situations.Cash Games: 7.5 Tournaments: 10 Emotional Stability: 6Heart: 9 Short Handed: 6.5Ring Game: 8 No Limit Hold'em: 10 Other notes: While Johnny doesn't gloat, or look for much publicity on his own, he does take great pleasure in staying ahead of Phil Hellmuth. Johnny, along with most of the high limit players scoff at what they call, the "TV players" that claim they are the best in the world, but won't put their money where their mouth is. Johnny has an ego just as any top player does, but he makes his claims by being one of the most dominant tournament players in the history of poker. His 10 bracelets have come despite the fact that Johnny hasn't been playing in all of the events regularly, choosing the big money cash games instead of the bling. Recently, though, I think a fire was lit under his butt and he is out to prove that he is the best poker player in the world. Link to post Share on other sites
silkyjonson 1 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Chan is probably no where near a top player in the world in this day and age, he was prob good when everyone was bad but can't compete now. I don't think he has tore up the big cash games in the last 5 or so years from what I have heard. Obviously this is just speculation and from what I have seen of his play. Link to post Share on other sites
GWCGWC 83 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 maybe negreanu with chime in with his opinion!Only if you post it on 2+2.He did fold to Mike McD's 5-bet bluff that one time at the Taj...7th level thinking to fold in minbet. Link to post Share on other sites
loogie 115 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 He's no Matt Damon. Link to post Share on other sites
AAsnake88 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 He's Johnny Fucking Chan! Link to post Share on other sites
WhatArunAA 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Everything ive heard about him is that he is a huge D-bag A hole and limps aces and goes broke on 789 flops with 9000 bbs. Link to post Share on other sites
Jam-Fly 8 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I think he's a pretty good player. From what I've heard he was able to hold his own with guys like Townsend etc. in the 1k/2k PLO/NLHE game during the summer. Link to post Share on other sites
HubDub04 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Everything ive heard about him is that he is a huge D-bag A hole and limps aces and goes broke on 789 flops with 9000 bbs.LOL Link to post Share on other sites
Jelly-Filled Ace 1 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hall of Famer. A Legend. Yeah, he's all that. I don't really care for him, tho. Sorry, John. Link to post Share on other sites
NoSup4U 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 maybe negreanu with chime in with his opinion! Only if you post it on 2+2.LOL so true, so true....As for Chan, my only experience with him was for a few hours at a table when I made my wsop run. Last hand before dinner break everyone at the table folds and leaves, I bluff 3bet a guy, he calls. Whole table left except for Chan who stayed to watch the entire time, and I took a while when I bet/folded on the flop. So I always had some respect for him based on that. As far as how he played, nothing out of the ordinary in the few hours he was at my table.Mark Link to post Share on other sites
Init2WINitHI 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Warning - brag post.I played with Johnny Chan at the WSOP 2006 3k Short Handed. I played with him for about two hours and isolated him to heads up in 5 hands all of which I won - no showdown. Two good hands - I flopped a straight (holding AJ) and slow played (check called) him on the flop - tried it again on the turn but he checked back to me, then at the river bet a medium bet, and he folded. A couple of hands later similar flop but this time I had air - played it the same and he folded and flashed me an A which would have beaten me. I thought he was pretty timid (read nitty), but it was early in the tourney so maybe he was conserving chips or something. I didn't see him get involved in many pots. Definitely not the best of all time. I would have to say Doyle Brunson holds that title .... Link to post Share on other sites
DonkSlayer 1 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Only if you post it on 2+2.zing. Link to post Share on other sites
steve7stud 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I used to play with him fairly often in cash games. He's a solid player with great table selection. Link to post Share on other sites
Jam-Fly 8 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I used to play with him fairly often in cash games. He's a solid player with great table selection.Anyone?? Link to post Share on other sites
steve7stud 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Anyone??No joke there or irony. When you play at higher limits, the key is to have really good table selection. My being there doesn't fit into the equation. Link to post Share on other sites
GWCGWC 83 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 No joke there or irony. When you play at higher limits, the key is to have really good table selection. My being there doesn't fit into the equation.See, he's implying that you were the catalyst which is kind of funny in it's own way. You're being there does fit into the equation since you are also practicing good table selection. That's not really funny unless you tell the joke about an Asian, a Jew and a priest were playing poker................ Link to post Share on other sites
bbgun 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 I used to play with him fairly often in cash games. He's a solid player with great table selection.TTIWWJC+S7SP Link to post Share on other sites
Suited_Up 2 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 No joke there or irony. When you play at higher limits, the key is to have really good table selection. My being there doesn't fit into the equation.So he's at least as good as quite a few FCPers, but with a bigger bankroll and good table selection.Got it.Hub, your friend loses. Link to post Share on other sites
steve7stud 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 See, he's implying that you were the catalyst which is kind of funny in it's own way. You're being there does fit into the equation since you are also practicing good table selection. That's not really funny unless you tell the joke about an Asian, a Jew and a priest were playing poker................Yes I understood the implication, and I was aware of it before I posted. Having said that, in a limit mix game, I don't mind him there. Perhaps he feels the same about me. Regardless, he is known for having good table selection. It takes more than one other guy to comprise a table. Link to post Share on other sites
steve7stud 0 Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 TTIWWJC+S7SPTranslation? Link to post Share on other sites
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