It didn't take long for Chip Jett, the casino poker dealer from Arizona, to realize he could make more money sitting on the other side of the table.

Consequently, he is now known as Chip Jett, the world-class poker pro from Las Vegas.

Born Sept. 22, 1974 in Scottsdale, Ariz., a teenaged Jett dabbled in lifeguarding in his home state before a few hands of poker at the local casino led him to dealer school at the age of 18.

Shortly after graduating, Jett landed a job at Fort McDowell Casino. There, he quickly climbed the ladder from floorman to shift boss to proposition player - a job he held for six years. By the age of 21, Jett was a working poker pro.

But it wasn't until 2001 that Jett really made his mark in the poker world. It was at the L.A. Poker Classic where Jett - still relatively unknown - picked up the tournament's best all-around player award after making final tables in Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo, Omaha Hi-Lo, H.O.R.S.E, Seven-Card Stud, and No Limit Hold'em.

The same year, Jett began racking up final tables, eventually winning his first tournaments in 2002 - one in No-Limit Hold'em and one in Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo at Foxwoods. He performed consistently in 2003, earning big pots and final table seats.

In Season 1 of the World Poker Tour, Jett placed second in the PartyPoker.com Million and took home a $175,900 pot. Season 2 saw Jett at the final table of the Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo tournament of the World Poker Open. In the same series, Jett took the $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em event and pocketed $130,000. In February he won the H.O.E. tournament and earned a seat at the final table of the $500 Pot-Limit Hold'em event at the L.A. Poker Classic.

The year just got better for Jett, as the poker pro took second again in the PartyPoker.com Million for a $175,000 pot, and then bested that with a $214,000 win at the California State Poker Championship's main event. The same year, Jett landed Phil Hellmuth's 2003 Champion of the Year award for his success - which also included seats at two World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour final tables.

In 2005, Jett made the WSOP final table in the $5,000 Seven-Card Stud event, where he placed third for a nearly $100,000 win. Jett was a familiar face at multiple final tables that year and has maintained his presence at poker tournaments in 2006. At the 2006 WSOP in the No-Limit Hold'em w/re-buys event, he finished in 21st place. To date, he has career tournament winnings of $1.9 million.

Recognized for his slicked blond hair and shades at the table, Jett is also known for his fearless style of play - a trait he says is both his greatest strength and greatest weakness. Jett is married to fellow poker pro Karina Jett; the couple has a daughter, Athena, and a son, Apollo.

Jett has appeared in several publications, including Sports Illustrated and on the cover of Poker Digest, and released a deck of cards commemorating poker pros in which he was featured as the ace of spades. In addition to playing poker, Chip says he enjoys spending time with family, woodworking, do-it-yourself projects and the writings of Hunter S. Thompson.