David Rheem

David “Chino” Rheem is an accomplished American-born professional poker player who has distinguished himself with high scores in world tournaments. He finished third in the 2008 WSOP Main Event, winning over $4.5 million. Rheem has won the World Poker Tour (WPT) title three times, making him one of Europe’s poker elite.

Main Information

David Rheem is a player who is known not only for his outstanding achievements, but also for his difficult road to success. He has made poker history for his resilience and quick recovery from tough times. Earnings in live events exceed $15 million.

Nickname: Chino;
Nationality: American;
Residence: Los Angeles, California;
Born: April 15, 1980;
Age: 44;
Last Results: WPT Lucky Hearts Poker Open finalist for $200,000 (2021), 2nd place in WSOP Circuit Los Angeles for $150,000 (2022), WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown $700,000 (2023).

David Rheem Biography

Rheem was born on April 15, 1980 in Los Angeles, California. From an early age, his life was far from a cloudless childhood. The boy grew up in a dysfunctional neighborhood, which affected his character and developed resilience. The family could not provide for the son financially. From the very beginning David independently overcame the difficulties of life.

In his school years, he was interested in math and logic games. The guy had problems with discipline, but his curiosity and ability to quickly navigate complex situations played a key role in his choice of profession. After studying, he did not go to an institute, but began to look for opportunities for self-fulfillment in Los Angeles.

At the age of about 15-16 he was first introduced to poker. The game attracted him not only because of the complexity of tactical decisions, but also because of its financial prospects. He started with small home games, and then he started to play big stakes. Since money was not always enough, Chino played 24 hours a day.

When he was young, he had problems with the law – arrests for drug possession, petty theft – which led to a short prison sentence. The difficulties, according to the player, helped him to reconsider his life priorities and focus on his career.

In the early 2000s, Rheem began competing in local poker tournaments and soon earned a reputation as a cold-blooded, risk-taking poker player. His first major success was a third place finish in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in 2008. The win secured his place among the elite and provided the impetus to build a career on the international stage.

David maintains friendly relations with famous poker players – brothers Michael and Robert Mizrachi. They met at Seminole Hollywood Casino, where the guy regularly participated in low-cost tournaments. These connections played a significant role in Rheem’s professional development.

Poker Career

David “Chino” Rheem is one of the most daring and ambitious players whose career has been full of big wins and dramatic moments. He has repeatedly found himself on the cusp of glory, winning several major events. His aggressive style and ability to “exploit” his opponents has led to success in both live and online tournaments.

In 2008, he finished seventh in the WSOP Main Event, winning $1,772,650. That same year, Rheem won the Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic on the World Poker Tour for one of his biggest wins of $1,538,730.

In 2011, the American won a major Epic Poker League tournament with a buy-in of $20,000, earning $1,000,000. His membership in the league was soon suspended due to financial debts to other players. In 2013, he caught the attention of the poker world by winning the World Poker Tour Championship, defeating Erik Lindgren in heads-up play. This earned him over $1,150,297.

Live Poker Achievements

The 44-year-old American has proven time and time again that he can beat opponents with any style of play. This is confirmed by impressive stats of performances in live events:

December 2008 – WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, $1,538,730;
August 2011 – first place in the Epic Poker League $20,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Handed tournament, $1,000,000%
May 2013 – WPT World Championship, $1,150,297;
April 2016 – Third WPT title at the Seminole Hard Rock Poker Finale, $705,885;
January 2019 – 1st place in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, $1,567,100.

Online Poker Achievements

Rheem is world renowned for his results in live tournaments. But he has achieved good results in the online format, although there are not many achievements at the virtual table:

2009 – Participated in the World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP) and won several prizes;
2015 – Had success in tournaments on PokerStars, getting into the payout zone in major series;
2017 – entered the Spring Championship of Online Poker (SCOOP) prizes.

David admits that long tournaments are not easy for him. His longest poker session was about 15 hours.

Top Five Career Cashes

“Chino” has earned an impressive amount of prize money from poker. Below are some of the biggest wins that were landmark moments in the player’s career:

Tournament	Venue	Year	Prize money	Place
WSOP Main Event	Las Vegas, USA	2008	$1,772,650	7-е
WPT Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic	Las Vegas, USA	2008	$1,538,730	1-е
Epic Poker League No Limit Hold’em 6-max	Las Vegas, USA	2011	$1,000,000	1-е
WPT World Championship	Las Vegas, USA	2013	$1,150,297	1-е
PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event	Bahamas	2019	$1,567,100	1-е

David Rheem Socials

The talented poker player shares life moments with his fans on socials. Despite his controversial reputation, thousands of fans are subscribed to his profile. They appreciate Rheem for his openness and unconventional approach to life. On his pages there are many thoughts about the game, which usually remain behind the scenes. The American is warm to his followers, answering questions and commenting on poker news.