Things you might not know:
David Chiu is famous for his ability to read other players. - Chiu's parents spent their entire lives in China and never would have approved of his career.
- Chiu learned how to play poker in home games once he arrived in the United States.
- Chiu is partially deaf in both ears due to a swimming accident. He considers it an advantage which allows him to concentrate more on reading his opponent at the table.
- Chiu once owned a restaurant in Colorado.
- Chiu was a poker dealer in his early days before his first major victory in 1996 when he won the U.S. Poker Championship.
- Chiu defeated a tough final table to win the 2000 WSOP which included Scotty Nguyen, Mel Judah and Ken Flaton.
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."
"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."
"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."
Chiu video after a WPT win and a WSOP final table video:
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