A legend in the poker world has died at the age of 56. Chip Reese, who was the 2006 winner of the inaugural $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event at the World Series of Poker, passed away Monday night.

Reese was admitted into the hospital late Monday evening in Las Vegas and then passed away in his sleep during the night, reported by a few media outlets. The cause of his death has not yet been announced but it has been stated that he was admitted with pneumonia-like symptoms.

He was born David Reese in Ohio in 1951 and attended Dartmouth College and had every intention of becoming a lawyer. His poker career started in the 70s when he was deciding whether he should go on to graduate school or not. Reese ended up not going to graduate school but he is regarded as one of best poker players to ever pick up poker chips.

A stop at a Las Vegas Casino and his resulting success, made him stay in Las Vegas, so he never became the lawyer that he thought he was going to be.

He is widely regarded as one of the greatest cash game players in the history of poker. In Doyle Brunson’s seminal book SuperSystem, Reese had a part in writing a section for that book. He wrote the Stud section, but later on his life, he became more of a tournament player.

Throughout his whole career, Reese acquired almost $3.5 million in winnings and three World Series of Poker bracelets. His final win assured his place in poker history. He went up against one of the hardest final tables in World Series of Poker history. Some of the players were Doyle Brunson, Dewey Tomko, David Singer, and Phil Ivey just to name a few. Reese ended up outlasting Andy Bloch in a head to head game that lasted eight hours.

By doing that he took home the first ever championship in the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. tournament, which is the largest buy-in event in the history of the World Series of Poker.

Chip Reese will be greatly missed in the poker world but he will forever be in poker history as one of the greatest poker players to play the game.

Obit from the website Poker on the Mac

After running “roughshod” over the home games in Dayton Ohio, Chip and his pal Danny Robinson came West with a small bankroll and big egos and began playing and beating middle limit Stud at the Sahara and various other card rooms, and, the rest as they say, or in this case “was history”.

I met Chip in December of 1974 at the Sahara Hotel's poker room. I had just been hired as the 1st female "Brushman" on the strip (Brushman were used in those days to seat players in the games, but they had always been male,) and Chip was a steady poker player there.

I sat behind Chip on many occasions when he was playing Stud. He'd whisper to me what his opponent had in the pocket (the two down cards,) and EVERY TIME he told me what they had he was EXACTLY right, including not only what the card spots were, but their suits as well.

Doyle was right on when he stated "I knew him for 35 years, I never saw him get mad or raise his voice. He had the most even disposition of anyone I've ever met...". I agree, I never heard Chip say one bad thing against anyone and never heard a bad word spoken against him either.

Chip was enshrined in 1991 at age 40, as the youngest Poker Hall-of-Famer ever. An amazing feat in anyone's book.

Chip will be greatly missed by the many people whose lives he touched over the last 34 years here in Vegas, and that have called him friend, I know I will.

Rest In Peace Chip!

Marleen Marino, VCO Publisher