Stu is considered by many to the very best No Limit Texas holdem Poker gambler ever.
The 3 time World Poker Champ was born in New York in 1953 and began playing poker before becomming a teenager.
The young gambler started out betting gin and at the age of ten had won his primary gin rummy tournament, while on holiday with his parents. By the time he turned fourteen the little poker maestro had turned pro and stopped going to school.
In ‘54 Stu Ungar entered the history books by winning 10 grand in a gin tournament without dropping a single hand, a record which still appears in New York today.
The fast speaking superstar has been compared, in poker terms, to sporting superstars like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Stu had a true ability for playing poker except regardless of his achievements in Holdem poker, he preferred betting gin.
Stu once said that there might a few day be a greater No Limit Texas hold’em player than him but he couldn’t see how anyone could ever be a greater gin player.
In 1980 Stu Ungar was put on the world map as one of the ideal Holdem Poker gamblers in the planet when he was crowned World Poker Champ for the very first time. Amazingly it was the first time he had played in the tournament.
The subsequent year he put aside any thoughts that it had been a fluke, by successfully defending his crown. And in 1997 Stu set the record by succeeding his third World poker championship.
Except this poker master also battled with substance abuse and a year following winning his third title Stu died in his hotel room. According to physicians, he had died from a heart attack which was triggered by his lifestyle.
Stu Ungar had started out with absolutely nothing but his ability and expertise for the game which made this poker wonderful a millionaire several times over.