Stu Ungar - Professional Poker Player

Updated 2008/2009
Stu Ungar was one of the world's best poker players. He played the game since he was a child. Children with an IQ like Stu make the news quite often. He got a doctorate in Physics at the age of 13 from MIT. By doing this he made the news, but not for anything related to academics. At the age of 14 he was a professional card player being considered for the finest gin rummy, blackjack, and No Limit Texas Hold'Em player that ever lived on this planet.

Most of the times, card players are good at several games, but to be the best in all is a unique trait. He knew he had extra ordinary skills with Poker, but he was extremely proud of his gin rummy game. This was the game with which he started and he considered it to be the best. One of the very well known statements he quoted was "Some day, I suppose it's possible for someone to be a better No Limit Hold'Em than me. I doubt it, but I could happen. But, I swear to you, I don't see how anyone could ever play gin better that me."

It wasn't only that he loved to play the cards; he actually loved to gamble. He liked to gamble on almost anything irrespective of its importance. All he needed was some money to gamble. Most of the stories that start with an addiction don't have happy endings. Same is the case with Stu. He got addicted to drugs and had a massive debt to pay which he could not. Even with this condition he used to play the games and win them too.

He is known for winning the final event of World Series of Poker thrice, two of which came back to back in 1980 and 1981. This could be surprising for most of the people. He also won WSOP in 1997. In all he ended with five WSOP bracelets, a remarkable achievement. The other two came in the $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw in 1981 and $5,000 Seven Card Stud in 1983.

One fine day he had the self realization that he was spoiling life for himself and decided that he would revert back to normal ways. Bob Stupak who was a very close friend of Stu and a casino owner tried helping him in cleaning up his life. Both of them together made arrangements to pay off his debt, and get him off drug abuse and provide stake money for tournaments. Things changed for quite some time, but there was no happy ending like a Greek Tragedy.

The great player died in 1998. It was found out that he died of heart attack, but it was also proved that he had some amounts of cocaine and methadone in his body. The game of Poker suffered the maximum loss as it lost one of the worlds most talented and intelligent poker player.

Another famous quote of Stu is "Show me a good loser, and I'll show you a loser". He died at an early age but people know that he lived his life according to his own style. He would not have enjoyed life without drugs, high stakes gambling and excitement. It would have been difficult for him to live a normal life. He can never be considered a loser because he lived his life his own way. Stu was inducted in the Poker Hall of fame posthumously in 2001. his career ended with more than $2,000,000 in winnings.