Stu is considered by many to the finest NL Holdem Poker gambler ever.
The 3 time World Poker Champ was born in New York in 1953 and began playing poker prior to becomming a teenager.
The young bettor started out playing gin and at the age of ten had won his initial gin rummy tournament, while on holiday with his mother and father. By the time he turned 14 the little poker maestro had turned professional and dropped out of school.
In 1954 Stu Ungar entered the history books by succeeding 10 grand in a gin rummy tournament without dropping a single hand, a record which still appears in New York today.
The fast talking superstar has been likened, in poker terms, to sporting superstars such as Joe Namath and Kobe Bryant. Stu had a real skill for playing poker except despite his successes in Texas hold’em poker, he preferred wagering gin.
Stu once said that there may a number of day be a greater No Limit Hold em player than him except he could not see how anyone could ever be a much better gin player.
In 1980 Stu Ungar was put on the global map as one of the finest Texas hold em Poker gamblers in the entire world when he was crowned World Poker Champ for the first time. Amazingly it was the 1st time he had entered the tournament.
The following year he dismissed any suggestions that it had been a fluke, by effectively defending his crown. And in 1997 Stu set the record by succeeding his third World poker championship.
But this poker master also fought with substance abuse and a year following succeeding his 3rd title Stu Ungar past away in his hotel room. According to doctors, he had died from a heart attack which was triggered by his lifestyle.
Stu Ungar had started with practically nothing except his ability and talent for the game which made this poker good a millionaire numerous times over.