07.26
Hold em Poker Legends
Stu Ungar is thought to be by most to the finest NL Hold’em Poker player ever.
The three time World Poker Champ was born in New York in ‘53 and started playing poker prior to becomming a teenager.
The young gambler began betting gin and at the age of 10 had won his initial gin rummy tournament, while on vacation with his mother and father. By the age of 14 the small poker maestro had turned professional and stopped going to school.
In 1954 Stu entered the history books by succeeding 10 grand in a gin tournament without sacrificing a single hand, a record which still appears in New York today.
The quick speaking wiz kid has been likened, in poker terms, to sporting superstars like Joe Namath and Tiger Woods. Stu had a actual ability for playing poker but in spite of his achievements in Hold’em poker, he favored betting gin.
Stu once said that there might some day be a better NL Texas holdem player than him but he couldn’t see how anyone could ever be a far better gin player.
In ‘80 Stu Ungar was put on the global map as one of the finest Texas hold’em Poker gamblers in the entire world when he was crowned World Poker Champion for the 1st time. Astonishingly it was the very first time he had played in the tournament.
The subsequent year he dismissed any thoughts that it had been a fluke, by successfully protecting his title. And in 1997 Stu set the record by winning his 3rd World poker championship.
Except this poker master also struggled with substance abuse and a year following succeeding his third title Stu past away in his hotel room. According to medical professionals, he had died from cardiac arrest which was caused by his lifestyle.
Stu Ungar had started out with nothing but his ability and expertise for the casino game which made this poker excellent a millionaire many times over.