Johnny Chan eliminated from WSOP Main Event
The improbable run at this year’s World Series of Poker’s Main Event by poker legend Johnny Chan ended Thursday.
Chan, a member of the poker Hall of Fame who last won the tournament’s $10,000 buy-in No-limit Hold’em World Championship more than 20 years ago, was eliminated from the 2010 tournament a little after 2 p.m. Thursday at the Rio
The Cerritos, Calif., resident entered Day 6 of the tournament in ninth place.
About an hour into play Thursday, however, his chip stack took a large hit when Chan’s pocket kings were beaten by Robert Pisano’s pocket aces.
On his final hand, Chan’s pocket jacks could not match Jonathan Driscoll’s pocket aces.
Chan is the last player to win back-to-back World Series of Poker Main Event Championships, taking the title in 1987 and 1988. A year later, Chan was runner-up to Phil Hellmuth Jr., just missing a third straight crown.
He also owns 10 World Series of Poker individual event champion gold bracelets, second only to Hellmuth’s 11 and tied Doyle Brunson, who also has 10 bracelets.
Shortly after busting, Chan wrote on his Twitter page, “Looks like 11 will come in 2011. Thanks everyone for your support.”
Chan finished in 156th place, collecting $57,102.
He was given congratulatory applause by the players and audience in the Amazon Room at the Rio while cameras followed him to the payout desk.
About 150 players from last week’s original starting field of 7,319 were left in competition by early Thursday afternoon.
By Friday the field will be cut to 27 with final table of nine being determined by late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.
Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871.