Johnny Chan - Worst Choke of All Time

[DesertCat]

No I'm not talking about his suckout with QQ vs. AA in the Pot Limit event where he won his tenth bracelet. That's poker.

I'm talking about the time where the hopes of the entire world rested on Mr. Chan's shoulders, and he gacked. The one time in his life, that if he rose to the challenge, your life, my life and the lives of millions of people would have been made so much better.

I am of course, talking about the 1989 WSOP, where if he beats Phil Hellmuth, there is no world famous "poker brat". No Phil faced poker chips, mugs, and chip protectors. No Hellmuth shirts. No everpresent Phil Hellmuth being lionized by Norman Chad, making smarmy comments in response to silly questions.

I thought of all this while I watched ESPN's coverage of Johnny's 10th bracelet. While Phil came to the table and actually wished Johnny luck. We all know what a painfully insincere moment that was, by the look on his face Johnny didn't buy it either. Johnny just endured it, looking like he wanted for Phil to go far, far away.

It made me smile. Johnny deserved that painful moment, his "payback" for not taking care of business in 89.

Don't even let me get started on his laying down to Mike McDermott...