A legend dies

I stated among the few people out of billions world wide, several years ago on myspace that David "Chip" Reese is one of those I would love to meet. Chip Reese is a Poker legend. His story is inspiring, interesting, breath taking, shocking, and simply remarkable. I have never heard anyone mention anything negative about him. In the only interview I have ever heard he acted as a gentlemen and with class (which is saying something for Poker players). His story is something I will attempt to sum up in what little media attention he has received (by his own wishes).

Chip Reese arrived in Las Vegas during the 1970's after graduating from Dartmouth and on his way to Law School at Stanford University in California. He had only a few hundred dollars with him and made so much money playing 7 card stud (over $500,000 back in the 70's) over the summer that he never made it to Law School. Chip Reese is regarded as the best Poker player ever by his peers. He has won at the highest level cash games for over 30 years. He wrote the best chapter I have ever read in the famous Super System book that has made Doyle Brunson famous.

Chip was never really shown on TV because he didn't play tournaments because there was far more money to be made playing the big cash games. Chip stated he wanted to stay out of the limelight. Vegas in 1970 was corrupt. There was a very large Mafia presence. It was smart to flaunt nothing back then.

Chip has a rare ability that only he was blessed with; his steam control. It would be near impossible for any human to play the highest stakes (sometimes for over 3 days straight, with no sleep, while losing 7 figures and play "your game"). I have never met the man although a close friend of mine brought me back a Poker Chip signed by Chip Reese while at the WSOP in 2005. My friend approached Chip sometime around Midnight when he was leaving Bobby's Room at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and asked if he would mind signing a chip. I was told Chip was gracious and signed the poker chip and chatted with my friend Matt for about 10 minutes about Poker, life, and sports. I would pay a lot of money to switch places with Matt in that instance. I would give up possessions, talents, and even years off my life to chat with not only my favorite poker player but a person I admire for there actions away from the table. I rarely get jealous of other people but I was and still am very jealous that I didn't go to Vegas that Summer. I had planned on renting a large house with several friends for about 1 month. I instead stayed home and took Summer classes at College.

I found some really cool stuff and quotes about Chip I will attach now. The man has true stories that anyone could listen to for days.

I have no clue the limits it was small like 1/2 nl, or 2/5nl. I remember he just sat down, to waste sometime, before he had to leave somewhere. We were all talking and I can remember him talking alot about girls, because the kids like me, were just chit chatting about them. He started saying about his childhood, and what not cracking jokes. 1. But the thing that stuck out to me the most, was what he did. A man, about 25 years old, real nice quiet man, but looked real down, and poorish, was in a hand with Chip. I believe the man had AA/KK and pushed PF, and chip called with AKss, and flopped a flush. We all could tell the man was about to cry, and didn't even say a word. 2. The man went walking away, while chip got out of his seat, to catch this guy. He walked him back near the table, and took his wallet out. He told the man listen I am not going to say I am sorry for what I did, but I do feel bad. Take this and build your dreams upon it, because I feel some potential in your game. Come back 20 years from now, and I will remember you. Chip smacked a bundle of 100's into the mans hand, maybe 15 or so.

3.
one day while playing in a 200 400 game chip was first on the list. i told him i was quitting in a round or two and he should stick around. he said he would give me 200 to leave on my next blind. i said dont bother as i likely am going anyway. business is businees chip said as he threw me two blackbirds (100 dollar chips).

And some stories about what money means to a gambler after living a life where it's essentially a tool and not a means to an end:

1. Chip Reese had something like 250k or 500k worth of chips in a bag. He put this bag on top of his car while getting into it one day and accidently drove around Vegas with the bag on top of his car. When he arrived at his destination, he realized his mistake. The bag was still there. he had been playing heads up lowball with archie karas (that guy that went on the heater of all heaters at the craps table) and when he busted him, chip lent him some money so that he could continue. when he met him to get paid back he somehow left the money sitting on the top of his car.


2.
Chip: Yeah the worst was I was stuck about 900k one day in the 80s and had to quit the game to go to my son's soccer game. Old guy: Well did they win the game? Chip: I didnt even watch it I was too busy being pissed about being down 900k.


3.
my best story about him is the day he had to collect 1 mill from a bet and he told the guy to come to the ball park were his son was playing a base ball game he put the mill in the tunk of his car in a paper bag and went to watch the game...


4.
Chip moved into a new house that had a massive water leak. The first month's bill was like $2000. He paid it. The next month's bill was like $2000. He paid it. He didn't really know what things cost or what money was worth. Then they discovered the leak. Gamblers and leaks. I don't know if my numbers are right.

And some stories about what kind of a gentleman he was:


1. Chip was playing in the big game, and the game ran for a while. He ended up playing something like 3 days straight. Finally his girlfriend came to pick him up from the bellagio. When he got outside, he felt refreshed by the fresh air, and decided to take his gf out for dinner and a movie.


2.
this is from a guy that i've played cards with who works at UNLV doing sports medicine or something like that for the sports teams at the college: We lost a good one today. Although I had only known Chip for six or seven months, he made a pretty big impact on me. I looked forward to the phone call each week where I updated him on his son's progress at UNLV. I used to be a nervous wreck when I saw his number, but quickly realized he was just one of the guys. He wanted nothing more than to see his son graduate from UNLV's prestigous College of Hotel Administration and hopefully have a successful college baseball career along the way. I never wanted Chip to know that I was a fan of poker; I didn't want to come off as someone who was helping Casey hoping to get something in return. I slipped one day and let Casey know that I was a pretty big fan of poker. He told Chip and I was greeted at our next appointment by autographed copies of Supersystem I and II; signed by authors that had been sitting at the Big Game at the Bellagio. Just a few weeks ago, Chip reserved a suite at the Bellagio for the weekend and secured me front row seats at Cirque de Soleil's "O" show. As appreciative as I was, I told Chip that I could not accept the gift. I told him that I hadn't accomplished anything with Casey yet, and that I would accept that gift on his graduation day. I think he was more impressed that (with all the grease-balls in this city), there are still a few good people out there that really care about helping out. That is why his passing today sucks so bad. Chip was a great guy. He enjoyed taking care of the little guy. He loved his son and daughter and all of the good people that surrounded them. I looked at his number in my cell phone today and just couldn't even comprehend the fact that I would not receive or send a call to that number anymore. I don't know that I'll be able to delete his number for quite a while. It hasn't yet sunk in. Today's tragedy was a complete shock to those that loved Chip; he will be missed.


And finally, some Chip Reese quotes:

"I had to make a choice between being a lawyer or a professional gambler. I chose the more honorable of the two."

- Chip Reese

“I’ll stop playing at my funeral, and only God knows what I’ll do after that.” -Chip Reese

Hopefully, everyone who reads this blog read these and will pass some of these stories along. Chip was a class act and a great guy.

I respect his beliefs and values more than his poker still (which is phenomenal). I guess part of me thought I would meet him in the near future (since my bankroll isn't in the millions it wouldn't be in Bobby's Room). I have plenty of life things I would like to blog about but find in necessary and correct to put him before myself. Not only did the world lose a world class poker player it also lost a fantastic person.

R.I.P.