[Archive 2007-12-05] American poker player Chip Reese dies at age 56

Historical archive — originally published 2007-12-05. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

David Edward "Chip" Reese, an American professional poker player, died on December 4, 2007, at the age of 56. Reese died in his sleep at his Las Vegas, Nevada home from the effects of pneumonia.

Reese is generally considered a legend in the world of poker. In 1991, he became the youngest living player to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. His last major win came at the 2006 World Series of Poker, where he won US$1,784,640 in the HORSE event.

His career spanned multiple decades and Reese made the majority of his money when poker gained publicity through national television exposure starting around the turn of the century. Though he never won the "Main Event" in Texas hold'em at the World Series of Poker, Reese was very successful.

Reese earned a degree from Dartmouth College and was accepted to law school at Stanford University, but he was drawn by the lure of big winnings and chose instead to earn his living at the poker table. He once told a reporter that law "doesn't have the same monetary incentive as poker."

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