WSOP 1987
There are certain years in American history, in particular history that has unfolded in the latter half of the twentieth century, which are remembered for introducing colorful characters onto the national stage. In this way, 1985 is certainly no exception.
For in that year we as a national populace got out first look at Colonel Oliver North. We could we know back then that this buzz-cut soldier, who was the focus of some rather shady dealings in the Iran-Contra scandal, would become such a lasting celebrity on our televised airwaves.Yes, 1985 was quite a memorable year in the high-stakes world of political intrigue. Oliver North was not the only person of a high-profile who held our attention during the Iran-Contra hearings. At the center of the whole mess, of course, was our very own president Ronald Reagan.
Fortunately, for all Americans regardless of political persuasion, there were other wild things happening to keep us occupied. Television entered a bold new era with the introduction of the much heralded primetime show "Thirty Something." Man, that show seemed like it would be around forever but thanks to some benevolent Hollywood power broker it only ended up lasting a few years before getting the ax.
On a much brighter note, the World Series of Poker typified the general trend that I was referring to at the start of this article by introducing one of the truly great champions onto the professional poker stage. There are players and then there are legends and without any question Johnny Chan falls into the latter category. Not that anyone honestly suspected such was the case back in 1985, when Chan entered the World Series of Poker.
Maybe Benny Binion, who always had a notoriously sharp eye for talent, suspected that we would be seeing Mr. Chan at the big tables for a long time to come. But, speaking for myself, I remember totally underestimating the value of this player and was as shocked as most of my colleagues when he ended up becoming the world champion in 1985.
By winning his first of numerous WSOP bracelets, Johnny Chan single-handedly disproved a lot of outdated stereotypes regarding Asian players in a filed that was until then largely dominated by Caucasian American men. The class and character which he brought to the game set a high bar for other players, one which Chan himself has maintained throughout his long career.
by Mason Raymond
