Stu Ungar is thought to be by many to the finest No Limit Texas hold em Poker player ever.
The 3 time World Poker Champion was born in New York in ‘53 and started playing poker before becomming a teenager.
The young bettor started out playing gin and at the age of 10 had won his initial gin rummy tournament, while on holiday with his mother and father. By the time he turned fourteen the little poker genius had turned pro and dropped out of school.
In ‘54 Stu Ungar entered the history books by succeeding 10,000 dollars in a gin tournament without sacrificing a single hand, a record which still remains in New York today.
The quick speaking wiz kid has been likened, in poker terms, to sporting superstars such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Stu Ungar had a genuine ability for wagering poker except regardless of his successes in Texas hold em poker, he preferred wagering gin.
Stu once said that there might several day be a much better NL Texas holdem player than him except he couldn’t see how anyone could ever be a improved gin player.
In ‘80 Stu was put on the world map as one of the very best Texas holdem Poker gamblers in the entire world when he was crowned World Poker Champ for the very first time. Amazingly it was the first time he had entered the tournament.
The following year he dismissed any thoughts that it had been a fluke, by effectively defending his title. And in ‘97 Stu set the record by winning his 3rd World poker championship.
Except this poker master also struggled with drug abuse and a year after succeeding his 3rd title Stu Ungar died in his hotel room. According to physicians, he had passed away from cardiac arrest which was caused by his lifestyle.
Stu had began with nothing but his ability and natural talent for the casino game which made this poker fantastic a millionaire quite a few times over.