‘89 Encores : On this last day of the year, and of the 1980s, the View staff pays a return visit to some of the people who made news in 1989. : A Better Hand

Johnny Chan, the two-time world poker champ born in the People’s Republic of China and reared in Houston, thought for sure he would be the first player ever to win the World Series of Poker three years in a row.

Before last May’s event, Chan had even declared himself to be “the most aggressive poker player in the world.” But Chan finished second in the grueling, four-day meet, which attracted more than 100 players from around the world. Ironically, Chan lost to Phil Helmuth, whom he once predicted would one day be world champ.

Last week, Chan, whose story was told in View May 15, evened the score. Well, almost. On Dec. 23, he beat Helmuth and all other contenders in the final round of the Hall of Fame Poker Classic in Las Vegas. With a $232,000 payoff for the winner, the Classic tournament is second only to the World Series. “It’s a nice Christmas present,” said Chan, a Cerritos resident, after the meet. He added that he plans to donate part of his winnings to the homeless.

Despite his May loss at the World Series, Chan said he had a good year both at and away from the poker tables. He turned down offers to write his autobiography, to have a film about his life made and to manage a casino in San Bernardino.

But there was one offer he accepted this year: “I endorsed a video on how to play Texas Hold ‘Em.”

Makes sense. That’s the game by which world champs are made--or broken. And Chan has every intention of regaining his world title playing Texas Hold ‘Em in Las Vegas next May.