Stu Ungar is thought to be by most to the very best NL Texas hold em Poker player ever.
The three time World Poker Champ was born in New York in 1953 and started wagering poker before becomming a teenager.
The young gambler began playing gin and at the age of 10 had won his first gin rummy tournament, while on vacation with his parents. By the age of fourteen the small poker genius had become a professional and stopped going to school.
In ‘54 Stu entered the record books by succeeding 10 grand in a gin tournament without losing a single hand, a record which still remains in New York these days.
The fast talking superstar has been compared, in poker terms, to athletic greats such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Stu had a actual talent for wagering poker but in spite of his successes in Holdem poker, he favored wagering gin.
Stu once said that there may some day be a improved NL Holdem player than him but he could not see how anyone could ever be a improved gin player.
In 1980 Stu was put on the global map as one of the greatest Holdem Poker players in the entire world when he was crowned World Poker Champion for the very first time. Astonishingly it was the first time he had played in the tournament.
The following year he put aside any thoughts that it had been luck, by successfully defending his crown. And in ‘97 Stu set the record by succeeding his third World poker championship.
Except this poker legend also fought with drug abuse and a year following winning his 3rd title Stu Ungar died in his hotel room. According to physicians, he had passed away from cardiac arrest which was brought on by his lifestyle.
Stu Ungar had started with absolutely nothing but his skill and expertise for the game which made this poker excellent a millionaire many times over.