Stu Ungar is considered by most to the finest NL Texas hold’em Poker player ever.
The three time World Poker Champion was born in New York in ‘53 and started playing poker before reaching his teens.
The young bettor started out playing gin and at the age of 10 had won his very first gin rummy tournament, while on vacation with his parents. By the time he turned 14 the little poker maestro had become a pro and dropped out of school.
In 1954 Stu entered the record books by succeeding $10,000 in a gin tournament without dropping a single hand, a record which still stands in New York today.
The fast talking wiz kid has been compared, in poker terms, to athletic superstars such as Joe Namath and Tiger Woods. Stu Ungar had a real ability for playing poker but despite his successes in Holdem poker, he favored playing gin.
Stu once said that there may a few day be a greater NL Texas holdem gambler than him except he couldn’t see how anyone could ever be a much better gin player.
In 1980 Stu was put on the world map as one of the ideal Texas hold em Poker players in the earth when he was crowned World Poker Champ for the 1st time. Extraordinarily it was the first time he had entered the tournament.
The following year he dismissed any suggestions that it had been luck, by effectively defending his crown. And in ‘97 Stu set the record by winning his 3rd World poker championship.
But this poker master also struggled with substance abuse and a year after winning his third title Stu Ungar died in his hotel room. According to medical professionals, he had passed away from cardiac arrest which was triggered by his lifestyle.
Stu Ungar had started with nothing except his ability and talent for the casino game which made this poker fantastic a millionaire a lot of times over.