When Chance Kornuth sits down with someone as raw, honest, and battle-tested as David “Chino” Rheem, you know it’s not just another poker interview. It’s a life conversation disguised as a podcast.
In this new episode of the Chip Leader Coaching Podcast, the longtime friends go deep into high-stakes poker, addiction, fatherhood, the golden age of the game, and why Chino believes the real edge in modern poker is rooted in life balance, not GTO charts.
📺 You can watch the full video podcast a bit further down in this article.
We highly recommend it — this is one of the most personal and reflective conversations ever recorded with Chino.
“To Be Good at Poker, You Must First Be Good at Life” — Chino’s Opening Message
Before Chance even finishes his intro, Chino drops a perspective that sets the tone for the entire podcast:
“If you want to be a good poker player, you have to balance all your life decisions the same way you balance your poker decisions.”
For a guy who has survived the boom era, gone broke, battled addictions, rebuilt his career, and earned over $18 million in tracked live winnings, that sentence carries weight. And he means all of it — rest, health, food, exercise, boundaries, emotional control, vices, and the ability to walk away.
This is where the themes of poker addiction and poker life balance enter the conversation — not as clichés, but as lived experience.
From LA to Florida to Everywhere — The Early Years
Chino grew up all over the U.S.: LA, Boston, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia.
He explains how constantly moving forced him to become a naturally social person:
- Always the new kid
- Always needing to make new friends
- Always adapting quickly
It didn’t make him “tougher” — but it did shape him into someone who can read people easily, a skill that would later translate to elite intuition at the poker table.
A Childhood Drenched in Gambling Culture
Chino’s introduction to gambling came early — way too early.
His father took him on Florida’s offshore casino boats when he was just 17.
“My dad would hand me a credit card, tell me the PIN, and say: go pull $2,000.”
Chino would hand over the cash, get $500 to play blackjack with, and fire away like a kid who had discovered the greatest game in the world.
Looking back, he says:
“It was so bad. I came into poker with zero foundation — just a stone degenerate.”
He isn’t glamorizing it. This is the core of his story.
Discovering Poker — $135 Omaha Hi/Lo Sit & Gos
Around the same age, he started playing Omaha hi/lo SNGs at Seminole Indian Casino.
- $135 buy-in
- 20 hands
- Top 3 paid
- Winner decided by final chip count
- One early win → “this is the easiest money ever”
Of course, he now laughs about how delusional that confidence was.
These games also led to his nickname “Chino,” given by a Cuban player named Santos who didn’t know his name. Rob Mizrachi later reinforced it on a tournament entry slip — and the name stuck forever.
Hustler Casino, the Mizrachis & the First Real Glimpse of the Big Leagues
His first poker trip to LA was surreal.
At Hustler Casino, Chino found himself watching legends like Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein, Scotty Nguyen, and Kathy Liebert casually greeting Rob Mizrachi as if it were nothing.
For a kid who grew up watching these players on TV, this was the moment he realized:
“Oh sh*t — I’m really in this world now.”
The 2008 November Nine: A Surreal Breakout Moment
Chino’s mainstream breakout came during the golden age of poker — at the 2008 WSOP Main Event final table, where he finished 7th for $1.77M.
But here’s the twist:
“I didn’t know what the f*ck I was doing.”
Despite that, he was still considered the “pro” of the table.
Add in his WPT win the same year, and 2008 became his career-defining breakthrough.
He refers to this era as the freest money in poker history:
- Online poker booming
- Stakes everywhere
- Sponsorship deals everywhere
- Infinity rakeback
- Weak players flooding the ecosystem
- Money flowing between sites and players 24/7
He also recognizes the downside:
Easy money + youth + addiction tendencies = long-term danger.
The Golden Age Ends — Addiction Tightens Its Grip
When Chance asks for his most “degenerate story,” Chino avoids specifics but is deeply honest:
“There was a lot of growth I needed as a person. Back then I was reckless. I wasn’t in the right mindset to survive long-term.”
He describes:
- Drinking heavily
- Pit games
- Big losses
- Owing people money
- Keeping cash in casino boxes
- Running up and dusting down bankrolls repeatedly
Chance contrasts Chino’s path with his 10-year, $10k bet against Shaun Deeb to stay out of pit games — and is now 9+ years in.
Chino’s turning point came during PCA, when he saw Phil (his future recovery sponsor) smoking on break. Phil asked how he was doing.
“I said, ‘I’ve been doing some sh*t I shouldn’t be doing.’ And he told me, ‘When you get back to Vegas, hit me up.’”
It took another year — but eventually Chino committed to rebuilding his life from the ground up.
Surviving the Solver Era — Without Being a Solver Grinder
Chance asks the key question:
How has Chino survived and stayed relevant without doing intense solver work?
Chino is fully honest:
- He hasn’t studied like today’s elite kids.
- He doesn’t run deep solver sims.
- He doesn’t grind every GTO detail.
But he survives because of:
- Natural feel
- Adaptability
- Ego-free willingness to learn
- In-depth understanding of people
- Massive experience
- A tight circle of elite players he can ask
“Being likable goes a long way.”
He’s also slowed down significantly:
- Less punting
- More discipline
- More patience
- More respect for the modern game
As he puts it:
“Kids today are insanely good. If you’re not aware of how they think, you can’t beat them.”
PokerGO High Rollers, Mixed Games, & Chino’s PLO Strengths
Despite not being a solver-heavy student, Chino still performs in PokerGO’s toughest lineups.
- High Roller fields
- PGT Mixed Games
- Big Bet Mix
- High-stakes PLO lineups
- Deep runs in modern elite fields
- Playing against Chidwick, Schulman, Foxen, Seiver, and other killers
In particular, Chino continues to shine in PLO and mixed games, where intuition, experience, and street smarts still hold real value.
Because the themes of this podcast — instinct vs study, life balance vs burnout — map perfectly to the PLO community’s experience.
The Reality of Private Games — Opportunity & Danger
Chino and Chance both know the private game world well.
They describe it exactly as pros experience it:
- Huge stakes
- Soft lineups
- Huge rake
- Big edge
- But also: cheating risks, non-payment risks, and dangerous social environments
Chino has stepped away from many of these — and now prefers structured tournaments, PokerGO events, and healthy cash game lineups.
Fatherhood, Life Stability & the Bracelet That Keeps Slipping Away
Chino becomes visibly emotional when talking about his two-year-old son Leo.
His goals moving forward:
- Live closer to his son in Florida
- Co-parent smoother
- Keep a stable lifestyle
- Grind selectively, not compulsively
- Profit every year, not chase glory
The one poker goal still burning?
A WSOP bracelet.
Multiple second-place finishes, multiple heartbreaks — and he wants it badly:
“It’s the monkey on my back.”
Chance promises to needle him into winning one next summer.
Chino Rheem by the Numbers — A High-Stakes Career Few Can Match
According to his Hendon Mob profile, Chino has:
- Over $18.2 million in live tournament winnings
- WSOP Main Event November Nine (7th place, 2008)
- WPT Champion — 3 titles
- PCA Main Event Champion (2019) – $1.567M
- PGT Mixed Games II & Big Bet Mix successes
- Deep high-roller runs against elite players
When the discussion is about balancing instincts, survival, high stakes, and rebuilding, few players embody that story the way Chino does.
“Be Good at Life, Then Be Good at Poker.” — Final Message
The conversation ends with Chino summarizing his entire life arc in one message:
“Learn to balance your life — that’s how you become good at poker.”
The advice is simple but deep:
- Sleep well
- Eat well
- Exercise
- Respect your vices
- Don’t chase
- Take losses
- Walk away
- Build a life foundation
- Make decisions clearly, not emotionally
And this final line says it all:
“Poker isn’t just bankroll management. It’s life management.”
Watch the Full Podcast Episode
As a PLO enthusiast with nearly 12 years of experience, I’m passionate about breaking down the complexities of Pot Limit Omaha, helping you sharpen your strategy and grow your bankroll – no matter your current level. I also share exclusive bonus and rakeback deals, along with discounts on poker courses and tools, so you can get an extra edge. When I’m not writing, you’ll usually find me online, playing PLO cash games and turbo MTTs.
