Stu Ungar is thought to be by many to the greatest No Limit Texas hold em Poker player ever.
The 3 time World Poker Champ was born in New York in ‘53 and started playing poker before reaching his teens.
The young gambler started out betting gin and at the age of ten had won his initial gin tournament, while on holiday with his mother and father. By the time he turned fourteen the little poker genius had turned professional and dropped out of school.
In 1954 Stu entered the record books by winning 10 grand in a gin rummy tournament without dropping a single hand, a record which still remains in New York these days.
The quick talking superstar has been likened, in poker terms, to sporting superstars such as Joe Namath and Kobe Bryant. Stu Ungar had a real ability for wagering poker except regardless of his successes in Texas hold’em poker, he favored betting gin.
Stu once said that there may a number of day be a improved No Limit Hold’em player than him but he couldn’t see how anyone could ever be a greater gin player.
In ‘80 Stu was put on the global map as one of the very best Texas holdem Poker gamblers in the world when he was crowned World Poker Champion for the very first time. Astonishingly it was the first time he had entered the tournament.
The subsequent year he put aside any thoughts that it had been luck, by successfully defending his title. And in 1997 Stu set the record by succeeding his 3rd World poker championship.
Except this poker legend also battled with substance abuse and a year after winning his third title Stu died in his hotel room. According to physicians, he had died from a cardiac event which was triggered by his lifestyle.
Stu had began with absolutely nothing but his skill and talent for the game which made this poker fantastic a millionaire numerous times over.
