Stu Ungar
Encyclopedia
Stuart Errol "Stu" Ungar (September 8, 1953 – November 22, 1998) was a professional poker
and gin rummy
player, widely regarded to have been the greatest Texas hold 'em
and gin rummy
player of all time.
He is one of only two people to have won the World Series of Poker
Main Event three times (Johnny Moss
also has three WSOP titles but his first was obtained by a vote of the players, not by winning a tournament). He is also the only person to win Amarillo Slim
's Super Bowl of Poker
three times, the world's second most prestigious poker title during its time.
. His father, Isadore ("Ido") Ungar, was a loan shark
who ran a bar/social club called Foxes Corner that doubled as a gambling establishment, exposing Stu to gambling at a young age. Despite Ido's attempts to keep his son from gambling after seeing the effects of it on his regular customers, Stu began playing underground gin and quickly made a name for himself. Ungar was gifted at school and skipped seventh grade, but then dropped out of school in tenth grade.
Ido died of a heart attack
in 1966. Following his father's death, and with his mother virtually incapacitated by an illness as well, Ungar drifted around the New York gambling scene until age 18, when he was befriended by reputed organized crime figure Victor Romano. Romano was regarded as one of the best card players of his time. He had the ability to recite the spelling and definition of all of the words in the dictionary
and apparently shared a penchant and interest for calculating odds
while gambling as Ungar did. By many accounts the two developed a very close relationship with Romano serving as a mentor and protector.
Ungar was infamous for his arrogance and for routinely criticizing aloud the play of opponents he felt were beneath him—which included just about anyone. One of Ungar's most famous quotes sums up his competitiveness: "I never want to be called a 'good loser.' Show me a good loser and I'll just show you a loser."
However, his relationship with Romano gave Ungar protection from various gamblers who did not take his crass attitude and assassin-like playing style kindly. One man reportedly tried to hit him in the head with a chair in a bar after Ungar soundly defeated him. Ungar would claim years later that the man was found shot to death a few days after the incident. Others who were around at the time say it was Ungar who threatened the man with a chair, and there was no shooting.
in the 1960s full time to help support his mother and sister after his father died, and began regularly winning tournaments which earned him $10,000 or more. By 1976, he was regarded as one of the best players in New York
.
Ungar eventually had to leave New York due to gambling debts at local race tracks. He later moved to Miami, Florida
to find more action. In 1977, he left for Las Vegas, Nevada
, where he reunited with Madeline, a former girlfriend who would become his wife in 1982.
One of the reasons Ungar eventually took up poker exclusively was because gin action had dried up due to his reputation. Ungar destroyed anyone who challenged him in a gin match including a professional widely regarded as the best gin player of Ungar's generation, Harry "Yonkie" Stein. Ungar beat Stein 86 games to none in a high stakes game of Hollywood Gin, after which Stein dropped out of sight in gin circles and eventually stopped playing professionally. As one observer who knew him put it, Stein "was never the same after that night."
After beating Stein and several other top gin professionals, Ungar was a marked man. Nobody wanted to play him in gin. In the hopes of generating more action for himself, Ungar began offering potential opponents handicaps to even the playing field. He was known to let his opponent (professional or not) look at the last card in the deck, offer rebates to defeated opponents and always play each hand in the dealer position, all of which put him at a strong disadvantage.
At the time Ungar first visited Las Vegas in 1977, gin was still popular in a tournament format, much like heads up poker tournaments. Ungar won or finished high in so many gin tournaments that several casinos asked him to not play in them because many players said they would not enter if they knew Ungar was playing. Ungar later said in his biography that he loved seeing his opponent slowly break down over the course of a match, realizing he could not win and eventually get a look of desperation on his face.
Shortly after arriving in Las Vegas, Ungar defeated professional gambler Billy Baxter
for $40,000. Baxter noted when Ungar first entered the room, Baxter did not believe he was his opponent because of Ungar's youthful looks and small stature. Baxter also said that during their match, a Coca-Cola
crate had to be placed on Ungar's chair so he could reach the table.
Though he is nowadays more well known for his poker accomplishments, Ungar regarded himself as a better gin rummy player, once stating, "Some day, I suppose it's possible for someone to be a better no limit
hold 'em
player than me. I doubt it, but it could happen. But, I swear to you, I don't see how anyone could ever play gin better than me."
Ungar entered the World Series of Poker
(WSOP) looking for more high-stakes action. In an interview for the 1997 Main Event Final Table, Stu told ESPN TV commentator Gabe Kaplan
that the 1980 WSOP was the first time he had ever played a Texas Hold'em tournament. (Stu's first tournament, however, was the 1980 SBOP where Kaplan won the title. Stu finished in 34th out of 41 players.) Poker legend Doyle Brunson
remarked that it was the first time he had seen a player improve as the tournament went on.
Ungar won the main event, defeating Doyle Brunson to become the youngest champion in its history (later surpassed, first by Phil Hellmuth
in 1989
and then others). Ungar looked even younger than he was, and was dubbed "The Kid."
The next year, Ungar would defend his title successfully at the 1981 WSOP
by defeating Perry Green. Ungar nearly wasn't allowed to defend his title. Several days before the main event, he was banned from the Binion's Horseshoe
by Benny Binion
because he spat in the face of a dealer after losing a sizeable pot in a high stakes game. It wasn't until Binion's son, Jack
, stepped in and convinced his father to let Ungar play, citing the media attention that the defending champion would attract.
in heads-up play. For this victory, Ungar received $95,000.
In the 1983 WSOP, Ungar won his fourth bracelet. He defeated professional poker player and multi-WSOP bracelet winner Dewey Tomko
in the $5,000 Seven Card Stud event, winning $110,000.
and eidetic memory
contributed to his blackjack abilities, which were so sharp that he was frequently banned from playing in casinos; he was eventually unable to play blackjack in Las Vegas or anywhere else.
In 1977 he was bet $100,000 by Bob Stupak
, an owner and designer of casinos, that he could not count down a six-deck shoe and determine what the final card in the shoe was. Ungar won the bet.
Ungar was fined in 1982 by the New Jersey Gaming Commission for allegedly cheating while playing blackjack in an Atlantic City casino. The casino said that Ungar "capped" a bet (put extra chips on a winning hand after it was over to be paid out more), something he vehemently denied.
The fine for this offense was $500. Ungar believed that his memory and card counting
ability were natural skills and thus he didn't need to cap bets or partake in any form of blackjack cheating. Ungar fought the case in court and won, avoiding the $500 fine. However, he did pay an estimated $50,000 in legal and travel expenses. In his biography, Ungar noted he was so exhausted from travel and court proceedings that he was not able to successfully defend his WSOP main event title.
In 1997, a near-broke Ungar convinced the management at the Lady Luck
to let him play single deck blackjack. Being a known card counter, they agreed on the condition that his betting would have a high and low limit, thus neutralizing Ungar's card counting ability. Ungar continued to play at the Lady Luck for six months. Ungar built his bankroll up to as much as $300,000 but eventually busted.
. He noted in his biography that at first he used it on the advice of fellow poker players because of the drug's ability to keep someone up and energized for a long period of time, something that would come in handy during marathon poker sessions. However, recreational use soon led to addiction.
Ungar and Madeline were married in 1982 and had a daughter, Stefanie, that same year. Ungar also legally adopted Madeline's son from her first marriage, Richie, who adored Ungar and took his surname
.
Ungar and Madeline divorced in 1986. Richie committed suicide
in 1989, shortly after his high school prom
.
Ungar's drug problem escalated to such a point that during the WSOP main event in 1990
, Ungar was found on the third day of the tournament unconscious on the floor of his hotel room from a drug overdose
. However, he had such a chip lead that even when the dealers kept taking his blinds
out every time around the table Ungar still finished 9th and pocketed $20,500.
His drug addiction took such a physical toll that in an ESPN
piece, many of Ungar's friends and fellow competitors said that they thought that he would not live to see his 40th birthday. In the same piece, one friend said that the only thing that kept him alive was his determination to see his daughter grow up.
Most of his winnings at the poker table he lost quickly betting on sports or horses, always looking for "action".
Many of Ungar's friends, including Mike Sexton
, began to encourage him to enter drug rehab. Ungar refused, citing several people he knew who had been to rehab previously who told him that drugs were easier to obtain in rehab than on the street (the friends noted that drug dealers targeted rehab facilities specifically because there were so many addicts in one place).
, Ungar was deeply in debt, but received the $10,000 buy-in to the WSOP main event from fellow poker pro and friend Billy Baxter
. Ungar clearly showed physical damage from his years of addiction, most notably to his nasal membranes, which he attempted to hide with blue sunglasses. In fact, Ungar had just received the buy-in from Baxter moments before the tournament started and was the last person added to the roster, just mere seconds before the signup closed.
Ungar was exhausted on the tournament's first day as he had been up for over 24 hours straight trying to raise or borrow enough money to play in the event. At one point midway through the first day of play, Ungar began to fall asleep at his table and told Mike Sexton
(who was also playing) he didn't think he could make it. After encouragement from Sexton and a tongue lashing from Baxter, Ungar settled in and made it through the day.
During the tournament, Ungar kept a picture of his daughter Stefanie in his wallet, and regularly called her with updates on his progress. Following an up and down first day, Ungar showed up for each subsequent day well rested and mentally sharp. He would go on to amass a large chip lead and carry the lead into the final table. Ungar was so highly regarded at this point that local bookies made him the favorite to win the tournament over the entire field, an extreme rarity.
Ungar went on to win the main event for the record-setting third time. After his victory, which was taped for broadcast by ESPN, Ungar was interviewed by Gabe Kaplan
, and he showed the picture of his daughter to the camera, and dedicated his win to her. He and Baxter split the $1,000,000 first prize evenly. Ungar was dubbed "The Comeback Kid" by the Las Vegas media because of the span (sixteen years) between his main event wins, as well as his past drug abuse.
During the 1997 WSOP, Ungar wore a pair of round, cobalt blue tinted sunglasses to, according to co-biographer Peter Alson, "hide the fact that his nostril
s had collapsed from cocaine abuse."
. He attempted to give up drugs several times at the behest of Stefanie but stayed clean for only weeks at a time before using again.
As the 1998 WSOP
approached, Baxter again offered to pay his entry fee to the main event. However, ten minutes before play started, Ungar told Baxter he was tired and did not feel like playing. Ungar later said the real reason he chose not to play in the event was due to his drug abuse in the weeks prior to the tournament. He noted that he felt showing up in his current condition would be more embarrassing than not showing up at all.
In the months following the 1998 WSOP, Ungar vanished from the public eye. He lived in and out of various Las Vegas hotels, rarely leaving his room. Ungar was also spotted walking around various Las Vegas poker rooms begging for money. He often said the money was to get him back on the poker tables, but would instead use it to purchase crack
, which he now had to use instead of cocaine because his nasal membranes were so damaged he could no longer snort the drug, while crack could be smoked through a pipe. Not long after, many pros, some Ungar's former friends, refused to stake him or give him any money until he cleaned himself up. Ungar was also arrested for possession of crack cocaine during this time.
In October 1998, poker player and former casino owner Bob Stupak made an arrangement to stake Ungar to several tournaments over a period of time.
An autopsy
showed traces of drugs in his system, but not enough to have directly caused his death. The medical examiner concluded that he had passed of a heart condition brought on by his years of drug abuse.
Despite having won an estimated $30 million during his poker career, Ungar died with no assets to his name. Friend and fellow poker player Bob Stupak took up a collection at Ungar's funeral to raise funds to pay for the services.
Ungar is interred
at Palm Valley View Memorial Park in East Las Vegas.
During the 1992 World Series of Poker
, Ungar faced off against Mansour Matloubi
in a series of $50,000 buy-in no limit hold'em heads-up freezeout events. On the final hand of the game, Matloubi tried to bluff Ungar all-in for $32,000 on the river with a board of 3-3-7-K-Q. Ungar, who held 10-9, thought for a few seconds and said to Matloubi, "You have 4-5 or 5-6 so I'm gonna call you with this" and flipped over his 10-high to win the pot and bust Matloubi, who in fact held exactly what Ungar said he did.
attempting to fly out of the United States to Europe
for a poker tournament with several fellow pros. All of Ungar's friends had passport
s, but he did not. In fact, Ungar did not even have a Social Security number
until after his 1980 WSOP win and that was only because he was forced to obtain one in order to collect his winnings.
Upon telling the airport customs agent he needed the passport immediately to leave the country, the agent replied that for a small fee, they could push the necessary forms through quicker for him. Ungar misconstrued this as meaning the agent was requesting a bribe, something he was used to back in New York when with Romano. Ungar had no problem doing this and slipped the agent a $100 bill. However the agent was actually referring to a small "expedite fee" that was common for all passport applicants. The agent was going to call the police and have Ungar arrested for attempting to bribe a public official before his fellow poker players stepped in and smoothed things out.
Despite owning several expensive cars, Ungar rarely drove. He preferred to take a taxicab
virtually anywhere he went, even from his home in Las Vegas to the casinos which was only a short trip. Ungar was known to be a large tipper to cabbies and casino employees, regardless of whether he was winning. Mike Sexton once noted that "Stuey spent what most people make in a year on cab fares."
The fact he rarely drove could have possibly come from a time when Ungar purchased a brand new Mercedes
sports car and drove it until the vehicle ran out of oil
and broke down. Ungar brought it back to the dealership and was told by a mechanic that it had no oil and thus would not run. Ungar replied, "Why the hell didn't you tell me you had to put oil in the car?"
Ungar's friends often said he "ate like a wild animal." Ungar saw eating as something that had to be gotten over with so he could get back to gambling action. He would often call restaurants ahead of time and place an order for himself and everyone in his party so it was ready at the same time his table was when they got there.
Sexton noted that because Ungar would pay for everyone in his dining party, regardless of how expensive the meal was, it was impossible to argue with his method. Ungar would race in to the restaurant, shovel the food down as fast as he could, throw cash for the entire meal plus a generous tip on the table and be ready to leave, even if the rest of his party had just barely started on drinks or appetizers.
The same friends however also noted that Ungar, when he had money, was one of the most generous people they had ever met. He was known to always be willing to help out a friend. Ungar was once on a hot winning streak and sent his longtime sports betting friend Michael "Baseball Mike" Salem enough money to pay for several months of his mortgage. Salem did not ask for the money and had only mentioned offhand to Ungar he was in the midst of a nasty losing streak.
Ungar's own attorney recalled a time when Ungar asked him how he was doing. He responded that he was OK, but struggling a little financially. Ungar immediately took $10,000 cash out of his pocket and gave it to him, saying "Take it. It's yours. Pay me back when you can. And if you don't pay me back, that's OK too."
In fact, Sexton and Ungar became friends when Sexton was suffering a losing streak and was nearly broke. Ungar was playing in a high limit seven card stud game and had to use the restroom. Ungar told Sexton to "pick up a hand" (play the next hand) for him while he went. This is generally not allowed in card rooms today but for top pros like Ungar, rules were much more lax back then.
Sexton made a straight on the first five cards he was dealt however played cautiously at first, not wanting to be overly aggressive with another man's money. Ungar returned from the restroom in the middle of the hand, at which point (to Sexton's surprise) was thrilled that his money was involved in such a giant pot. Ungar's attitude made Sexton more comfortable with playing the hand aggressively and he ended up winning a large amount. Ungar saw another stud game going on across the room and gave Sexton $1,500 to go play in it. Sexton did and won an additional $4,000, of which he gave Ungar half and began to rebuild his bankroll.
Ungar also once won a large amount of money (over $1.5 million) on a series of horse races. That night, Ungar took all his close friends out to a strip club
and paid for the entire evening which included numerous girls, Cristal champagne and a VIP booth. Sexton estimated the night cost Ungar $8,800 and he never once asked or expected any of his group to pay for a single penny of it.
Personal hygiene was also something that tended to be lost on Ungar. He rarely washed his own hair, opting instead to pay a professional stylist at The Dunes casino to wash it for him twice a week and cut it when necessary.
Ungar never had a bank account in his own name, preferring to keep his money in safe deposit box
es in hotels across Las Vegas. He dismissed the notion of a bank or checking account. "You mean I can't go there at midnight and get my money out?", he asked (this was before the advent of ATMs). "That's ridiculous." Madeline noted that Ungar had no concept of how a bank account even worked since he paid for everything in cash. According to her, Ungar believed that if you had a bank account and wrote a check, the check would be honored; not understanding that you need to take cash to the bank and deposit it to have the funds available to write a check first.
One time Ungar was walking through Las Vegas with Doyle Brunson. A man stopped him and asked for some money. Ungar pulled out a $100 bill and gave it to the man. Brunson asked Ungar who the man was, to which Stu replied, "If I had known his name, I would have given him $200."
are the only players to have won the main No Limit hold 'em championship three times. However, Moss' first victory came in a non-tournament format, as he was elected winner by vote of his fellow players at the conclusion of a timed cash game
event. During his poker career, Ungar won five WSOP bracelets, and over $3,600,000 in tournament pay with over $2,000,000 coming from cashes at the WSOP.
Ungar also won the main event at the now-defunct Amarillo Slim
's Super Bowl of Poker
in 1984, 1988 and 1989, when it was considered the world's second most prestigious poker title. As Slim put it, "Stu musta won a million dollars in my tournaments." He won a total of 10 major no-limit Texas hold 'em events (events in which the buy-ins were $5,000 or higher) despite only entering in 30 major tournaments in his life.
A movie based on Ungar's life, High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story
(alternate title Stuey), was made in 2003. Ungar was portrayed by Michael Imperioli
.
Stu Ungar was inducted posthumously into the Poker Hall of Fame
in 2001.
His biography, One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey 'the Kid' Ungar, the World's Greatest Poker Player by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson was published in 2005. The Emmy winning ESPN documentary One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stu Ungar was broadcast in 2006. It contained interviews with his wife and daughter and several other people who knew him; it also featured excerpts from tapes he recorded in the last year of his life for an autobiography that never appeared.
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
and gin rummy
Gin rummy
Gin rummy, or simply gin, is a two-player card game created in 1909 by Elwood T. Baker and his son C. Graham Baker. According to John Scarne, Gin evolved from 18th-century Whiskey Poker and was created with the intention of being faster than standard rummy, but less spontaneous than knock...
player, widely regarded to have been the greatest Texas hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
and gin rummy
Gin rummy
Gin rummy, or simply gin, is a two-player card game created in 1909 by Elwood T. Baker and his son C. Graham Baker. According to John Scarne, Gin evolved from 18th-century Whiskey Poker and was created with the intention of being faster than standard rummy, but less spontaneous than knock...
player of all time.
He is one of only two people to have won the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
Main Event three times (Johnny Moss
Johnny Moss
Johnny Moss was a gambler and professional poker player. He was the first winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event, at the time a cash game event in which he was awarded the title by the vote of his peers in 1970, He also twice won the current tournament format of the WSOP Main Event in...
also has three WSOP titles but his first was obtained by a vote of the players, not by winning a tournament). He is also the only person to win Amarillo Slim
Amarillo Slim
Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. , known as Amarillo Slim, is an American professional gambler known for his poker skills and proposition bets...
's Super Bowl of Poker
Super Bowl of Poker
The Super Bowl of Poker was the second most prestigious poker tournament in the world during the 1980s...
three times, the world's second most prestigious poker title during its time.
Early life
Ungar was born to Jewish parents and raised on Manhattan's Lower East SideLower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
. His father, Isadore ("Ido") Ungar, was a loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
who ran a bar/social club called Foxes Corner that doubled as a gambling establishment, exposing Stu to gambling at a young age. Despite Ido's attempts to keep his son from gambling after seeing the effects of it on his regular customers, Stu began playing underground gin and quickly made a name for himself. Ungar was gifted at school and skipped seventh grade, but then dropped out of school in tenth grade.
Ido died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in 1966. Following his father's death, and with his mother virtually incapacitated by an illness as well, Ungar drifted around the New York gambling scene until age 18, when he was befriended by reputed organized crime figure Victor Romano. Romano was regarded as one of the best card players of his time. He had the ability to recite the spelling and definition of all of the words in the dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
and apparently shared a penchant and interest for calculating odds
Odds
The odds in favor of an event or a proposition are expressed as the ratio of a pair of integers, which is the ratio of the probability that an event will happen to the probability that it will not happen...
while gambling as Ungar did. By many accounts the two developed a very close relationship with Romano serving as a mentor and protector.
Ungar was infamous for his arrogance and for routinely criticizing aloud the play of opponents he felt were beneath him—which included just about anyone. One of Ungar's most famous quotes sums up his competitiveness: "I never want to be called a 'good loser.' Show me a good loser and I'll just show you a loser."
However, his relationship with Romano gave Ungar protection from various gamblers who did not take his crass attitude and assassin-like playing style kindly. One man reportedly tried to hit him in the head with a chair in a bar after Ungar soundly defeated him. Ungar would claim years later that the man was found shot to death a few days after the incident. Others who were around at the time say it was Ungar who threatened the man with a chair, and there was no shooting.
Gin rummy and transition to poker
Ungar won a local gin tournament at age 10. He dropped out of school to play gin rummyGin rummy
Gin rummy, or simply gin, is a two-player card game created in 1909 by Elwood T. Baker and his son C. Graham Baker. According to John Scarne, Gin evolved from 18th-century Whiskey Poker and was created with the intention of being faster than standard rummy, but less spontaneous than knock...
in the 1960s full time to help support his mother and sister after his father died, and began regularly winning tournaments which earned him $10,000 or more. By 1976, he was regarded as one of the best players in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Ungar eventually had to leave New York due to gambling debts at local race tracks. He later moved to Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
to find more action. In 1977, he left for Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, where he reunited with Madeline, a former girlfriend who would become his wife in 1982.
One of the reasons Ungar eventually took up poker exclusively was because gin action had dried up due to his reputation. Ungar destroyed anyone who challenged him in a gin match including a professional widely regarded as the best gin player of Ungar's generation, Harry "Yonkie" Stein. Ungar beat Stein 86 games to none in a high stakes game of Hollywood Gin, after which Stein dropped out of sight in gin circles and eventually stopped playing professionally. As one observer who knew him put it, Stein "was never the same after that night."
After beating Stein and several other top gin professionals, Ungar was a marked man. Nobody wanted to play him in gin. In the hopes of generating more action for himself, Ungar began offering potential opponents handicaps to even the playing field. He was known to let his opponent (professional or not) look at the last card in the deck, offer rebates to defeated opponents and always play each hand in the dealer position, all of which put him at a strong disadvantage.
At the time Ungar first visited Las Vegas in 1977, gin was still popular in a tournament format, much like heads up poker tournaments. Ungar won or finished high in so many gin tournaments that several casinos asked him to not play in them because many players said they would not enter if they knew Ungar was playing. Ungar later said in his biography that he loved seeing his opponent slowly break down over the course of a match, realizing he could not win and eventually get a look of desperation on his face.
Shortly after arriving in Las Vegas, Ungar defeated professional gambler Billy Baxter
Billy Baxter (poker player)
William E. Baxter, Jr. is an American professional poker player and sports bettor. He has won numerous tournament titles in his career as a professional poker player, including seven World Series of Poker bracelets....
for $40,000. Baxter noted when Ungar first entered the room, Baxter did not believe he was his opponent because of Ungar's youthful looks and small stature. Baxter also said that during their match, a Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
crate had to be placed on Ungar's chair so he could reach the table.
Though he is nowadays more well known for his poker accomplishments, Ungar regarded himself as a better gin rummy player, once stating, "Some day, I suppose it's possible for someone to be a better no limit
Betting (poker)
In the game of poker, the play largely centers on the act of betting, and as such, a protocol has been developed to speed up play, lessen confusion, and increase security while playing...
hold 'em
Texas hold 'em
Texas Hold 'em is a variation of the standard card game of poker. The game consists of two cards being dealt face down to each player and then five community cards being placed face-up by the dealer—a series of three then two additional single cards , with...
player than me. I doubt it, but it could happen. But, I swear to you, I don't see how anyone could ever play gin better than me."
1980 and 1981 WSOP Main Event titles
In 19801980 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 73 entrants to the main event, with each paying an entry fee of $10,000. This would be Ungar's first of three wins.-Final table:...
Ungar entered the World Series of Poker
World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker is a world-renowned series of poker tournaments held annually in Las Vegas and, since 2005, sponsored by Harrah's Entertainment...
(WSOP) looking for more high-stakes action. In an interview for the 1997 Main Event Final Table, Stu told ESPN TV commentator Gabe Kaplan
Gabe Kaplan
Gabriel W. "Gabe" Kaplan is an American comedian, actor, poker commentator, and professional poker player.He was born in Brooklyn, New York...
that the 1980 WSOP was the first time he had ever played a Texas Hold'em tournament. (Stu's first tournament, however, was the 1980 SBOP where Kaplan won the title. Stu finished in 34th out of 41 players.) Poker legend Doyle Brunson
Doyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...
remarked that it was the first time he had seen a player improve as the tournament went on.
Ungar won the main event, defeating Doyle Brunson to become the youngest champion in its history (later surpassed, first by Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth is an American professional poker player. He is best known for holding a record 11 World Series of Poker bracelets, for winning the Main Event of the 1989 World Series of Poker and for his temperamental, "poker brat" personality...
in 1989
1989 World Series of Poker
The 1989 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe. The 1989 Main Event was won by 24-year-old Phil Hellmuth, defeating defending champion Johnny Chan, and also breaking the record for the youngest player to win the WSOP Main Event . Had Johnny Chan won, he would have tied Johnny...
and then others). Ungar looked even younger than he was, and was dubbed "The Kid."
The next year, Ungar would defend his title successfully at the 1981 WSOP
1981 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 75 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament. The final hand saw Green with 10 9 and Ungar with A Q, and the board was 7 8 4 4 Q. -Final table:-Other High Finishes:...
by defeating Perry Green. Ungar nearly wasn't allowed to defend his title. Several days before the main event, he was banned from the Binion's Horseshoe
Binion's Horseshoe
Binion's Horseshoe, also known as the Horseshoe Casino or simply The Horseshoe, was a hotel and casino located in downtown Las Vegas, Nevada on what is now the Fremont Street Experience. The casino was named for its founder, Benny Binion and had 366 rooms, three restaurants and a rooftop pool.The...
by Benny Binion
Benny Binion
Lester Ben "Benny" Binion was a well-known American casino owner, mobster, poker enthusiast, and convicted felon.-Early history:...
because he spat in the face of a dealer after losing a sizeable pot in a high stakes game. It wasn't until Binion's son, Jack
Jack Binion
Jack Binion is an American casino operator. Jack is the son of casino magnate Benny Binion and worked for his father at Binion's Horseshoe, a casino and hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.- Biography :...
, stepped in and convinced his father to let Ungar play, citing the media attention that the defending champion would attract.
Other WSOP bracelets
As the reigning world champion, Ungar won his second bracelet in 1981 in the $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw event, defeating 1978 world champion Bobby BaldwinBobby Baldwin
Bobby Baldwin is a professional poker player, off-road racer and casino executive. As a poker player, Baldwin is best known as the 1978 world champion, becoming the youngest main event champion at that time....
in heads-up play. For this victory, Ungar received $95,000.
In the 1983 WSOP, Ungar won his fourth bracelet. He defeated professional poker player and multi-WSOP bracelet winner Dewey Tomko
Dewey Tomko
Duane "Dewey" Tomko is an American former kindergarten teacher turned professional poker player, based in Winter Haven, Florida....
in the $5,000 Seven Card Stud event, winning $110,000.
Blackjack
Ungar's genius-level IQIntelligence quotient
An intelligence quotient, or IQ, is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests designed to assess intelligence. When modern IQ tests are constructed, the mean score within an age group is set to 100 and the standard deviation to 15...
and eidetic memory
Eidetic memory
Eidetic , commonly referred to as photographic memory, is a medical term, popularly defined as the ability to recall images, sounds, or objects in memory with extreme precision and in abundant volume. The word eidetic, referring to extraordinarily detailed and vivid recall not limited to, but...
contributed to his blackjack abilities, which were so sharp that he was frequently banned from playing in casinos; he was eventually unable to play blackjack in Las Vegas or anywhere else.
In 1977 he was bet $100,000 by Bob Stupak
Bob Stupak
Robert E. "Bob" Stupak was a Las Vegas casino owner and entrepreneur.He was also a poker player, winning titles at the World Series of Poker and the Super Bowl of Poker...
, an owner and designer of casinos, that he could not count down a six-deck shoe and determine what the final card in the shoe was. Ungar won the bet.
Ungar was fined in 1982 by the New Jersey Gaming Commission for allegedly cheating while playing blackjack in an Atlantic City casino. The casino said that Ungar "capped" a bet (put extra chips on a winning hand after it was over to be paid out more), something he vehemently denied.
The fine for this offense was $500. Ungar believed that his memory and card counting
Card counting
Card counting is a casino card game strategy used primarily in the blackjack family of casino games to determine whether the next hand is likely to give a probable advantage to the player or to the dealer. Card counters, also known as advantage players, attempt to decrease the inherent casino house...
ability were natural skills and thus he didn't need to cap bets or partake in any form of blackjack cheating. Ungar fought the case in court and won, avoiding the $500 fine. However, he did pay an estimated $50,000 in legal and travel expenses. In his biography, Ungar noted he was so exhausted from travel and court proceedings that he was not able to successfully defend his WSOP main event title.
In 1997, a near-broke Ungar convinced the management at the Lady Luck
Lady Luck Hotel & Casino
The Lady Luck was a hotel and casino in the downtown area of Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned by the Los Angeles based CIM Group. Some of the rooms are owned as timeshares. The Lady Luck Hotel and Casino has been closed since early 2006 and the interior spaces largely demolished in preparation for...
to let him play single deck blackjack. Being a known card counter, they agreed on the condition that his betting would have a high and low limit, thus neutralizing Ungar's card counting ability. Ungar continued to play at the Lady Luck for six months. Ungar built his bankroll up to as much as $300,000 but eventually busted.
Betting, drugs and divorce
Ungar's mother had died in 1979. It was also around this time that Ungar began using cocaineCocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. He noted in his biography that at first he used it on the advice of fellow poker players because of the drug's ability to keep someone up and energized for a long period of time, something that would come in handy during marathon poker sessions. However, recreational use soon led to addiction.
Ungar and Madeline were married in 1982 and had a daughter, Stefanie, that same year. Ungar also legally adopted Madeline's son from her first marriage, Richie, who adored Ungar and took his surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
.
Ungar and Madeline divorced in 1986. Richie committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 1989, shortly after his high school prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
.
Ungar's drug problem escalated to such a point that during the WSOP main event in 1990
1990 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 194 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry....
, Ungar was found on the third day of the tournament unconscious on the floor of his hotel room from a drug overdose
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
. However, he had such a chip lead that even when the dealers kept taking his blinds
Blind (poker)
The blinds are forced bets posted by players to the left of the dealer button in flop-style poker games. The number of blinds is usually two, but it can range from none to three....
out every time around the table Ungar still finished 9th and pocketed $20,500.
His drug addiction took such a physical toll that in an ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
piece, many of Ungar's friends and fellow competitors said that they thought that he would not live to see his 40th birthday. In the same piece, one friend said that the only thing that kept him alive was his determination to see his daughter grow up.
Most of his winnings at the poker table he lost quickly betting on sports or horses, always looking for "action".
Many of Ungar's friends, including Mike Sexton
Mike Sexton
Michael Richard Sexton is an American professional poker player and commentator. He is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
, began to encourage him to enter drug rehab. Ungar refused, citing several people he knew who had been to rehab previously who told him that drugs were easier to obtain in rehab than on the street (the friends noted that drug dealers targeted rehab facilities specifically because there were so many addicts in one place).
"The Comeback Kid"
In 19971997 World Series of Poker
The 1997 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe. Most notably, it was the only WSOP where the final table of the main event took place outdoors, at the Fremont Street Experience, just outside of Binions...
, Ungar was deeply in debt, but received the $10,000 buy-in to the WSOP main event from fellow poker pro and friend Billy Baxter
Billy Baxter (poker player)
William E. Baxter, Jr. is an American professional poker player and sports bettor. He has won numerous tournament titles in his career as a professional poker player, including seven World Series of Poker bracelets....
. Ungar clearly showed physical damage from his years of addiction, most notably to his nasal membranes, which he attempted to hide with blue sunglasses. In fact, Ungar had just received the buy-in from Baxter moments before the tournament started and was the last person added to the roster, just mere seconds before the signup closed.
Ungar was exhausted on the tournament's first day as he had been up for over 24 hours straight trying to raise or borrow enough money to play in the event. At one point midway through the first day of play, Ungar began to fall asleep at his table and told Mike Sexton
Mike Sexton
Michael Richard Sexton is an American professional poker player and commentator. He is a member of the Poker Hall of Fame.-Early years:...
(who was also playing) he didn't think he could make it. After encouragement from Sexton and a tongue lashing from Baxter, Ungar settled in and made it through the day.
During the tournament, Ungar kept a picture of his daughter Stefanie in his wallet, and regularly called her with updates on his progress. Following an up and down first day, Ungar showed up for each subsequent day well rested and mentally sharp. He would go on to amass a large chip lead and carry the lead into the final table. Ungar was so highly regarded at this point that local bookies made him the favorite to win the tournament over the entire field, an extreme rarity.
Ungar went on to win the main event for the record-setting third time. After his victory, which was taped for broadcast by ESPN, Ungar was interviewed by Gabe Kaplan
Gabe Kaplan
Gabriel W. "Gabe" Kaplan is an American comedian, actor, poker commentator, and professional poker player.He was born in Brooklyn, New York...
, and he showed the picture of his daughter to the camera, and dedicated his win to her. He and Baxter split the $1,000,000 first prize evenly. Ungar was dubbed "The Comeback Kid" by the Las Vegas media because of the span (sixteen years) between his main event wins, as well as his past drug abuse.
During the 1997 WSOP, Ungar wore a pair of round, cobalt blue tinted sunglasses to, according to co-biographer Peter Alson, "hide the fact that his nostril
Nostril
A nostril is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbinates, whose function is to warm air on inhalation and remove moisture on exhalation...
s had collapsed from cocaine abuse."
Final years
Ungar spent all of his 1997 WSOP prize over the course of the next few months, mainly on drugs and sports bettingSports betting
Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome.-United States of America:Aside from simple wagers such as betting a friend that one's favorite baseball team will win its division or buying a football "square" for the Super Bowl, sports betting is...
. He attempted to give up drugs several times at the behest of Stefanie but stayed clean for only weeks at a time before using again.
As the 1998 WSOP
1998 World Series of Poker
-Preliminary events:-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.-External Links:*...
approached, Baxter again offered to pay his entry fee to the main event. However, ten minutes before play started, Ungar told Baxter he was tired and did not feel like playing. Ungar later said the real reason he chose not to play in the event was due to his drug abuse in the weeks prior to the tournament. He noted that he felt showing up in his current condition would be more embarrassing than not showing up at all.
In the months following the 1998 WSOP, Ungar vanished from the public eye. He lived in and out of various Las Vegas hotels, rarely leaving his room. Ungar was also spotted walking around various Las Vegas poker rooms begging for money. He often said the money was to get him back on the poker tables, but would instead use it to purchase crack
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
, which he now had to use instead of cocaine because his nasal membranes were so damaged he could no longer snort the drug, while crack could be smoked through a pipe. Not long after, many pros, some Ungar's former friends, refused to stake him or give him any money until he cleaned himself up. Ungar was also arrested for possession of crack cocaine during this time.
In October 1998, poker player and former casino owner Bob Stupak made an arrangement to stake Ungar to several tournaments over a period of time.
Death
On Friday, November 20, 1998, Stu Ungar checked into room No. 6 at the Oasis Motel, which was a cheap motel located at the end of the Strip. Ungar paid $48 per night for two nights and was found lying deceased on November 22, 1998, fully clothed with the television off and $800 of the remnants of a $25,000 advance from Bob Stupak, who earlier in the month signed a contract with Ungar, offering to pay off his debts and finance his tournament play in exchange for future winnings. No drugs were found in the room. It is unknown where the remainder of the money went.An autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
showed traces of drugs in his system, but not enough to have directly caused his death. The medical examiner concluded that he had passed of a heart condition brought on by his years of drug abuse.
Despite having won an estimated $30 million during his poker career, Ungar died with no assets to his name. Friend and fellow poker player Bob Stupak took up a collection at Ungar's funeral to raise funds to pay for the services.
Ungar is interred
Burial
Burial is the act of placing a person or object into the ground. This is accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing an object in it, and covering it over.-History:...
at Palm Valley View Memorial Park in East Las Vegas.
Gameplay
Ungar was noted for his ultra-aggressive playing style and well-timed bluffs. Mike Sexton said that Ungar's chips were constantly in motion and was described by a fellow professional poker player during the 1997 World Series of Poker as having a clairvoyant ability to see his opponents' hole cards.During the 1992 World Series of Poker
1992 World Series of Poker
The 1992 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe. Among notable participants was actor Telly Savalas of Kojak fame.-Preliminary events:-Main Event:...
, Ungar faced off against Mansour Matloubi
Mansour Matloubi
Mansour Matloubi is an Iranian-British professional poker player.Matloubi won the 1990 Main Event, making him the first non-American to do so. He also made the final table of the 1993 Main Event, finishing in fourth place. He was eliminated by the event winner, Jim Bechtel.As of 2011, his total...
in a series of $50,000 buy-in no limit hold'em heads-up freezeout events. On the final hand of the game, Matloubi tried to bluff Ungar all-in for $32,000 on the river with a board of 3-3-7-K-Q. Ungar, who held 10-9, thought for a few seconds and said to Matloubi, "You have 4-5 or 5-6 so I'm gonna call you with this" and flipped over his 10-high to win the pot and bust Matloubi, who in fact held exactly what Ungar said he did.
Personality
Growing up with street smart wiseguys such as Romano often presented Ungar with some interesting situations later on in his adult life. Ungar was once at an airportAirport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
attempting to fly out of the United States to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for a poker tournament with several fellow pros. All of Ungar's friends had passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
s, but he did not. In fact, Ungar did not even have a Social Security number
Social Security number
In the United States, a Social Security number is a nine-digit number issued to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents under section 205 of the Social Security Act, codified as . The number is issued to an individual by the Social Security Administration, an independent...
until after his 1980 WSOP win and that was only because he was forced to obtain one in order to collect his winnings.
Upon telling the airport customs agent he needed the passport immediately to leave the country, the agent replied that for a small fee, they could push the necessary forms through quicker for him. Ungar misconstrued this as meaning the agent was requesting a bribe, something he was used to back in New York when with Romano. Ungar had no problem doing this and slipped the agent a $100 bill. However the agent was actually referring to a small "expedite fee" that was common for all passport applicants. The agent was going to call the police and have Ungar arrested for attempting to bribe a public official before his fellow poker players stepped in and smoothed things out.
Despite owning several expensive cars, Ungar rarely drove. He preferred to take a taxicab
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
virtually anywhere he went, even from his home in Las Vegas to the casinos which was only a short trip. Ungar was known to be a large tipper to cabbies and casino employees, regardless of whether he was winning. Mike Sexton once noted that "Stuey spent what most people make in a year on cab fares."
The fact he rarely drove could have possibly come from a time when Ungar purchased a brand new Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
sports car and drove it until the vehicle ran out of oil
Motor oil
Motor oil or engine oil is an oil used for lubrication of various internal combustion engines. The main function is to lubricate moving parts; it also cleans, inhibits corrosion, improves sealing, and cools the engine by carrying heat away from moving parts.Motor oils are derived from...
and broke down. Ungar brought it back to the dealership and was told by a mechanic that it had no oil and thus would not run. Ungar replied, "Why the hell didn't you tell me you had to put oil in the car?"
Ungar's friends often said he "ate like a wild animal." Ungar saw eating as something that had to be gotten over with so he could get back to gambling action. He would often call restaurants ahead of time and place an order for himself and everyone in his party so it was ready at the same time his table was when they got there.
Sexton noted that because Ungar would pay for everyone in his dining party, regardless of how expensive the meal was, it was impossible to argue with his method. Ungar would race in to the restaurant, shovel the food down as fast as he could, throw cash for the entire meal plus a generous tip on the table and be ready to leave, even if the rest of his party had just barely started on drinks or appetizers.
The same friends however also noted that Ungar, when he had money, was one of the most generous people they had ever met. He was known to always be willing to help out a friend. Ungar was once on a hot winning streak and sent his longtime sports betting friend Michael "Baseball Mike" Salem enough money to pay for several months of his mortgage. Salem did not ask for the money and had only mentioned offhand to Ungar he was in the midst of a nasty losing streak.
Ungar's own attorney recalled a time when Ungar asked him how he was doing. He responded that he was OK, but struggling a little financially. Ungar immediately took $10,000 cash out of his pocket and gave it to him, saying "Take it. It's yours. Pay me back when you can. And if you don't pay me back, that's OK too."
In fact, Sexton and Ungar became friends when Sexton was suffering a losing streak and was nearly broke. Ungar was playing in a high limit seven card stud game and had to use the restroom. Ungar told Sexton to "pick up a hand" (play the next hand) for him while he went. This is generally not allowed in card rooms today but for top pros like Ungar, rules were much more lax back then.
Sexton made a straight on the first five cards he was dealt however played cautiously at first, not wanting to be overly aggressive with another man's money. Ungar returned from the restroom in the middle of the hand, at which point (to Sexton's surprise) was thrilled that his money was involved in such a giant pot. Ungar's attitude made Sexton more comfortable with playing the hand aggressively and he ended up winning a large amount. Ungar saw another stud game going on across the room and gave Sexton $1,500 to go play in it. Sexton did and won an additional $4,000, of which he gave Ungar half and began to rebuild his bankroll.
Ungar also once won a large amount of money (over $1.5 million) on a series of horse races. That night, Ungar took all his close friends out to a strip club
Strip club
A strip club is an adult entertainment venue in which striptease or other erotic or exotic dance is regularly performed. Strip clubs typically adopt a nightclub or bar style, but can also adopt a theatre or cabaret-style....
and paid for the entire evening which included numerous girls, Cristal champagne and a VIP booth. Sexton estimated the night cost Ungar $8,800 and he never once asked or expected any of his group to pay for a single penny of it.
Personal hygiene was also something that tended to be lost on Ungar. He rarely washed his own hair, opting instead to pay a professional stylist at The Dunes casino to wash it for him twice a week and cut it when necessary.
Ungar never had a bank account in his own name, preferring to keep his money in safe deposit box
Safe deposit box
A safe deposit box or wrongly referred to as a safety deposit box is an individually-secured container, usually held within a larger safe or bank vault. Safe deposit boxes are generally located in banks, post offices or other institutions...
es in hotels across Las Vegas. He dismissed the notion of a bank or checking account. "You mean I can't go there at midnight and get my money out?", he asked (this was before the advent of ATMs). "That's ridiculous." Madeline noted that Ungar had no concept of how a bank account even worked since he paid for everything in cash. According to her, Ungar believed that if you had a bank account and wrote a check, the check would be honored; not understanding that you need to take cash to the bank and deposit it to have the funds available to write a check first.
One time Ungar was walking through Las Vegas with Doyle Brunson. A man stopped him and asked for some money. Ungar pulled out a $100 bill and gave it to the man. Brunson asked Ungar who the man was, to which Stu replied, "If I had known his name, I would have given him $200."
Legacy
Ungar is regarded by many poker insiders as one of the greatest pure talent players ever to play the game. Ungar and Johnny MossJohnny Moss
Johnny Moss was a gambler and professional poker player. He was the first winner of the World Series of Poker Main Event, at the time a cash game event in which he was awarded the title by the vote of his peers in 1970, He also twice won the current tournament format of the WSOP Main Event in...
are the only players to have won the main No Limit hold 'em championship three times. However, Moss' first victory came in a non-tournament format, as he was elected winner by vote of his fellow players at the conclusion of a timed cash game
Cash game
Cash games, also sometimes referred to as ring games or live action games, are poker games played with "real" chips and money at stake, usually with no predetermined end time, with players able to enter and leave as they see fit...
event. During his poker career, Ungar won five WSOP bracelets, and over $3,600,000 in tournament pay with over $2,000,000 coming from cashes at the WSOP.
Ungar also won the main event at the now-defunct Amarillo Slim
Amarillo Slim
Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. , known as Amarillo Slim, is an American professional gambler known for his poker skills and proposition bets...
's Super Bowl of Poker
Super Bowl of Poker
The Super Bowl of Poker was the second most prestigious poker tournament in the world during the 1980s...
in 1984, 1988 and 1989, when it was considered the world's second most prestigious poker title. As Slim put it, "Stu musta won a million dollars in my tournaments." He won a total of 10 major no-limit Texas hold 'em events (events in which the buy-ins were $5,000 or higher) despite only entering in 30 major tournaments in his life.
A movie based on Ungar's life, High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story
High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story
High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story is a 2003 biopic focusing on the life of American professional poker and gin player Stu Ungar. Stuey is the film's alternate title. The film features cameos from several figures from the world of professional sports and poker, including Vince Van Patten, Andy Glazer...
(alternate title Stuey), was made in 2003. Ungar was portrayed by Michael Imperioli
Michael Imperioli
James Michael Imperioli , commonly known as Michael Imperioli, is an American actor and television writer. He is perhaps best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. He also...
.
Stu Ungar was inducted posthumously into the Poker Hall of Fame
Poker Hall of Fame
The Poker Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional poker playing in the United States. Founded and located in Las Vegas, Nevada, it was created in 1979 by Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest poker players and to serve...
in 2001.
His biography, One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey 'the Kid' Ungar, the World's Greatest Poker Player by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson was published in 2005. The Emmy winning ESPN documentary One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stu Ungar was broadcast in 2006. It contained interviews with his wife and daughter and several other people who knew him; it also featured excerpts from tapes he recorded in the last year of his life for an autobiography that never appeared.
World Series of Poker Bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 1980 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 73 entrants to the main event, with each paying an entry fee of $10,000. This would be Ungar's first of three wins.-Final table:... |
$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship | $365,000 |
| 1981 1981 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 75 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament. The final hand saw Green with 10 9 and Ungar with A Q, and the board was 7 8 4 4 Q. -Final table:-Other High Finishes:... |
$10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw | $95,000 |
| 1981 | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship | $375,000 |
| 1983 1983 World Series of Poker The 1983 World Series of Poker was held May 9th to May 12th, 1983 at Binion's Horseshoe.-Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 108 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament. Doyle Brunson fell just short in his attempt to win the main event for a third time when he... |
$5,000 Seven Card Stud | $110,000 |
| 1997 1997 World Series of Poker The 1997 World Series of Poker was held at Binion's Horseshoe. Most notably, it was the only WSOP where the final table of the main event took place outdoors, at the Fremont Street Experience, just outside of Binions... |
$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship | $1,000,000 |