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Jimmy Cha

b. 1951

American poker player

Go professionalPoker player
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About Jimmy Cha

Born 1951. Jimmy Cha is a South Korean go professional and poker player.

Jimmy Cha (, born January 15, 1951), also known as Ch'a Min-su, is a South Korean professional go and avid poker player. He is also a black belt in martial arts and a talented classical pianist.

Jimmy was born in Seoul, and grew up playing go and poker. He turned professional in 1974 and was the best player at Dongguk University when he attended. Along with these accolades, he was also the South Korean National Amateur Champion two times in a row.

The Hanguk Kiwon awarded him four dan for spreading go around the world in 1984, after he moved to the United States in 1975. As of 2021, he is 6 dan.

Cha has a nickname, "eternal Mr. Quarter-Finalist", because in many professional tournaments he would usually lose in the quarterfinals. In 1989, he beat Yamashiro Hiroshi and Ohira Shuzo to advance to the quarterfinals of the Fujitsu Cup, only to lose. The next year, he made it to the quarterfinals of the Fujitsu Cup again after beating Cho Chikun. In March 2008, he defeated Imamura Toshiya 9P in the Chunlan Cup.

Today, he splits his time between go, poker, and managing businesses.

Cha has almost $400,000 in career poker earnings.

Runner-Up titles Title Years Lost Defunct 2 North American Masters Tournament 1995, 1998

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Go professional, poker player
Nationality
Education
Yongsan High School
Employers
Kwangwoon University

People in Jimmy Cha's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jimmy Cha's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Jimmy Cha?

American poker player

When was Jimmy Cha born?

Jimmy Cha was born on 15 January 1951 in Seoul.

What is Jimmy Cha's occupation?

Jimmy Cha is a go professional and poker player.

What nationality is Jimmy Cha?

Jimmy Cha is South Korean.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jimmy Cha

· Wikidata: Q483013

· DBpedia: Jimmy Cha

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jimmy Cha. https://biography.guide/jimmy-cha/

MLA: "Jimmy Cha." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jimmy-cha/.

Chicago: "Jimmy Cha." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jimmy-cha/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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