David 'Chip' Reese Dead at 56

Perhaps the most successful poker player of all time, David "Chip" Reese, passed away earlier today. He began his poker career the summer following his graduation from Dartmouth College. Although he planned to enroll in Stanford Business School that fall, poker was too good to Reese. He never went to business school and instead stayed in Vegas where he played poker professionally for more than 30 years.

In 1991, just 40 years old at the time, Chip was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. He still holds the record as the Hall's youngest inductee.

Known for his cash game prowess, Chip largely avoided tournaments to spend time with his family. He won a WSOP bracelet in 1978 and 1982, and only sporadically participated in tournaments over the rest of his career. In 2006, Chip won the inaugural $50,000 buy-in WSOP H.O.R.S.E. event for $1.8 million. He won close to $3 million in his career from tournaments, and undoubtedly much more from cash games.

Chip died in his sleep early this morning after being sent home from the hospital. The exact cause of his death is not yet known.

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