Professional poker player David Edward “Chip” Reese, who won almost $3 million in career tournament earnings and three World Series of Poker (WSOP) championship gold bracelets, died Monday in Las Vegas of complications from pneumonia.

He was 56.

Reese won a $50,000 buy-in H.O.R.S.E. tournament at the 2006 WSOP, the first year that particular event was held, and earned kudos as the best all-around poker player in the world, as the tourney featured five different types of poker.

For the win, Reese, who gets his nickname from a poker chip, earned $1,784,640.

He previously earned $92,500 at the 1982 WSOP for winning a seven-card stud tourney.

His first WSOP win was in 1978, when he earned $19,200 for coming in first in a seven-card stud tournament.

In addition to those three WSOP wins and the accompanying championship gold bracelets, Reese finished in the money at 19 other WSOP events over the years. All in all, he earned $2,787,738 in poker tournament winnings, which includes WSOP events as well as other events, such as World Poker Tour (WPT) events.

Born in Ohio, Reese was a college dropout who moved to Las Vegas to play poker professionally.

Unlike most who try such an endeavor–and fail–Reese quickly became successful at the game and started earning big bucks playing it.

In fact, tournament play, from which he earned almost $3 million, was not his forte–he preferred cash games for high stakes and likely earned millions of dollars more over the years playing in those kind of games with fellow pros such as Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson.

Of Reese’s death, Brunson said: “I have lost one of my oldest and dearest friends today. He was one of the most unique individuals I have ever known, and poker has lost one of the greats today.”

Todd Brunson, Doyle’s son and also a poker pro and Reese pal, said: “I have lost a mentor and friend today. He was like a family member to me.”

Reese leaves behind two children and a recently-divorced wife.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)