Stu Ungar might be the greatest No Limit Hold’em if not general greatest poker player of all time. He is a three-time World Champion (with five WSOP bracelets). In addition, he won ten major No Limit Hold’em championship events (in which the buy-ins were $5,000 or higher). The runner-ups for this prestige record are, T.J. Cloutier (all-time leading money winner at the WSOP) and Johnny Chan (two-time World Champion), respectively; who have won half that many. What is so mind-boggling is that Ungar only played in about 30 of these championship events in his life!
For years, the second largest poker Tournament in the world was Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker. Every great player attended these tournaments. Like the WSOP, the main event at the Super Bowl of Poker was a $10,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em championship. Only Stu Ungar captured titles at both the WSOP and the Super Bowl of Poker. He actually won them three times each!
When Ungar came on to the scene he was a streetwise, fast-talking kid, fresh out of New York. He headed to Vegas to play high stakes gin rummy against whoever would dare him, (and he played for any amount), and every time he came out as the victor.
When the gin action dried up, Ungar turned to Las Vegas poker. In 1980, with hardly no experience at No Limit Hold’em, Ungar entered the $10,000 buy-in World Championship event at Binion’s Horseshoe and won it. (The press dubbed him Stu “the Kid” Ungar.) The next year, (the second time he played in it), he defended his title with success. He was a two-time World Champion at the age of 25! Mysteriously he captured his third world championship (1997) the last time he played in the event.
Ungar had a genius IQ and a photographic memory. He was barred from playing blackjack nearly everywhere. He never had a real job in his life. He was always a gambler – and I mean an ultra high-stakes gambler at everything – poker, gin, sports, horses, golf – you name it.
Unfortunately Ungar gambled with more than just money. For twenty years, he abused himself with drugs. And in 1998 at the age of 42, Ungar died.
However it is a mistake to confuse his lifestyle, bad habits, and sickness with his ability and extraordinary talent. Stu Ungar was truly in a league of his own.
