David Chiu

David Chiu

  • Name: David Chiu
  • Current Residence: Roland Heights, Calif.
  • Birth Place: China
  • Poker Room: Full Tilt Poker
David Chiu was born in China. He learned how to play poker in home games upon arriving in the United States. He has owned a restaurant and been employed as a poker dealer. He holds several tournament titles.

It was in 1999 at the Orleans Casino in Las Vegas that David Chiu won the first Tournament of Champions, a victory which assured his place among the world's top players and sent him away in a new Lincoln Town Car with a $214,542 cash prize. He has since won three WSOP bracelets, two state championships, and millions of dollars.

David is famous for his ability to read other players. When asked about what constitutes that ability, he revealed: "Concentration and it's a gift that God gave me. I pay attention to people's reactions, to the card they look at, or the way they put their chips in the pot. Sort of like Sherlock Holmes figured out murder mysteries, I use any and all the information that can give me a clue about what my opponents have. A lot of it is deductive reasoning. But I'm not 100 percent right all the time. If I was, I'd be a billionaire by now."

David's talent for concentration in part stems from a physiological mishap. He says: "When I was a child in China, I swam a lot. The water got inside my ears, damaging my eardrums. I lost about 35 percent of my hearing, so I've had to pay close attention to how people act to understand what they are saying. Also, I was a poker dealer at the Gilpin Hotel in Black Hawk, and I would see how people reacted to their hands, the way they looked at their cards. A lot of people squeeze their cards when they really like their hand. I paid attention. I tried to turn my hearing weakness into a strength."

David's parents, who spent their entire lives in China, would never have approved of his career. They have passed away, but when asked what their reaction to his status as a poker professional would be were they here to see it, he says, "They would spank me."

David has a natural passion for poker, though not all of his games are equally earnest. He admits, "I do play for fun once in a while. When I'm playing for $30,000 to $50,000 a night, I am very serious. If I am betting $1,000 or $2,000, then I'm playing for fun. If the hand is for $100 or $200, I might not even look at my cards."

David has met some illustrious opponents at the green felt table, including Larry Flynt, Ben Affleck, Jerry Buss, and Celine Dion's manager-husband, Rene Angelil. Of his games with Rene, he says: "There I was betting more than $2,000 a hand. And I don't want to say how he did, but let's just say he lost less and less."

Trivia

  • Former restaurant owner
  • Poker dealer
  • Holds four WSOP gold bracelets

Notable Tournament Cashes

Tournament Place Winnings
2009 WSOP, Event 56 - $5,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em 22nd $26,823
2009 WSOP, Event 49 - $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. World Championship 12th $99,590
2009 WSOP, Event 44 - $2,500 Seven-Card Razz 28th $4,745
2009 WSOP, Event 30 - $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha 15th $13,026
2009 WSOP, Event 2 - $40k No-Limit Hold'em 21st $71,858
WPT Season 7, Bellagio Cup IV 59th $19,390
2008 WSOP, Event 37, World Championship Omaha Hi-Lo Split... 8th $71,793
2008 WSOP, Event 16, Omaha Hi-Lo Split 8-or-Better 53rd $4,025
WPT Season 6, WPT World Championship 1st $3,389,140
WPT Season 6, Legends of Poker 35th $20,575
WPT Season 6, Bellagio Cup III 14th $51,640
2007 WSOP, Event 50, World Championship Pot-Limit Omaha 10th $33,943
2007 WSOP, Event 47, No-Limit Hold'em 61st $10,571
2007 WSOP, Event 32, 7-Card Stud 12th $5,621
2007 WSOP, Event 16, H.O.R.S.E. 23rd $7,974
2006 WSOP, Event 45, No-Limit Hold'em 20th $3,372
2006 WSOP, Event 39, No-Limit Texas Hold'em Championship... 147th $47,006
2006 WSOP, Event 18, Pot-Limit Hold'em 50th $2,685
2006 WSOP, Event 13, No-Limit Hold'em 15th $37,088
2005 WSOP, Event 32, $5,000 Omaha Hi-Lo Split 1st $347,410
2005 WSOP, Event 28, $5,000 Limit Hold'em 26th $7,585
2005 WSOP, Event 4, $1,500 Limit Hold'em 25th $7,240
2004 WSOP, Event 29, Limit Hold'em 5th $60,060
2004 WSOP, Event 26, Seven Card Razz 9th $4,840
WPT Season 1, WPT Invitational 3rd $20,000
1996 WSOP, Event 2, Limit Hold'em 1st $396,000
1998 WSOP, Event 13, Limit Hold'em 1st $205,200
2000 WSOP, Event 19, Limit Seven-Card Stud 1st $202,000
2002 WSOP, Event 2, Limit Hold'em 2nd $206,420
1989 WSOP, Event 9, Limit Ace-to-Five Draw 3rd $29,850
2003 WSOP, Event 34, Limit Hold'em 3rd $63,530
1981 WSOP, Event 11, Limit Ace-to-Five Draw 4th $8,800
1986 WSOP, Event 1, Limit Omaha 4th $7,260
1986 WSOP, Event 6, Limit Hold'em 4th $26,370
1999 WSOP, Event 3, Limit Hold'em 4th $35,550
1982 WSOP, Event 13, Seven-Card Stud 5th $5,600
1985 WSOP, Event 3, Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo 6th $5,960
2000 WSOP, Event 3, Limit Seven-Card Stud 6th $14,700
2003 WSOP, Event 26, Limit Hold'em 8th $10,740
1996 WSOP, Event 16, Limit Hold'em 8th $10,020
1996 WSOP, Event 4, Limit Omaha 13th $2,565
1987 WSOP, Event 7, Limit Hold'em 15th $1,500
2000 WSOP, Event 5, Limit Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo 15th $3,270
1999 WSOP, Event 10, Limit Hold'em 16th $5,575
2002 WSOP, Event 4, $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em 16th $6,760
2002 WSOP, Event 21, Pot-Limit Omaha 17th $3,840
2002 WSOP, Event 7, Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo 19th $2,040
2001 WSOP, Event 3, $1,500 Omaha Hi-Lo 22nd $2,670

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Read Review (Score: 8.65)