Stuart Errol "Stu" Ungar (September 8, 1953 – November 22, 1998) was a professional poker and gin rummy player.
He is one of only two people to have won the World Series of Poker Main Event three times (Johnny Moss also has three WSOP titles but his first was obtained by a vote of the players, not by winning a tournament). He is also the only person to win Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker three times, the world's second most prestigious poker title during its time.
Childhood
Ungar was born to Jewish parents and raised on Manhattan's Lower East Side. His father, Isadore ("Ido") Ungar, was a loan shark who ran a bar/social club called Foxes Corner that doubled as a gambling establishment, exposing Stu to gambling at a young age.[1] Despite Ido's attempts to keep his son from gambling after seeing the effects of it on his regular customers, Stu began playing underground gin and quickly made a name for himself.[2] Ungar was gifted at school and skipped seventh grade, but then dropped out of school in tenth grade.[1]
Ido died of a heart attack in 1966. Following his father's death, and with his mother virtually incapacitated by an illness as well, Ungar drifted around the New York gambling scene until age 18, when he was befriended by alleged organized crime figure Victor Romano. Romano, the legends around whom include the ability to recite the spelling and definition of all of the words in the dictionary (a skill purported to have been acquired in prison), was regarded as one of the best, if not the best, card players of his time, and apparently shared a penchant and interest for calculating odds while gambling as Ungar did. By many accounts the two developed a very close relationship with Romano serving as a mentor and protector.[citation needed]
Ungar was infamous for his arrogance and for routinely criticizing aloud the play of opponents he felt were beneath him—which included just about anyone. One of Ungar's most famous quotes sums up his competitiveness: "I never want to be called a 'good loser.' Show me a good loser and I'll just show you a loser."[citation needed] However, his relationship with Romano gave Ungar protection from various gamblers who did not take his crass attitude and assassin-like playing style kindly. One man reportedly tried to hit him in the head with a chair in a bar after Ungar soundly defeated him. Ungar would claim years later that the man was found shot to death a few days after the incident. Others who were around at time say it was Ungar who threatened the man with a chair, and there was no shooting.[citation needed]
Gin rummy and transition to Poker
Ungar won a local gin tournament at age 10. He dropped out of school to play gin rummy in the 1960s full time to help support his mother and sister after his father died, and began regularly winning tournaments which earned him $10,000 or more. By 1976, he was regarded[who?] as one of the best players in New York.
Ungar eventually had to leave New York due to gambling debts at local race tracks. He later moved to Miami, Florida to find more action. In 1974, he left for Las Vegas, Nevada where he reunited with Madeline, a former girlfriend who would become his wife in 1982.
One of the reasons Ungar eventually took up poker exclusively was because gin action had dried up due to his reputation. Ungar destroyed anyone who challenged him in a gin match including a professional widely regarded as the best gin player of Ungar's generation, Harry "Yonkie" Stein. Ungar beat Stein 86 games to none in a high stakes game of Hollywood Gin,[3] after which Stein dropped out of sight in gin circles and eventually stopped playing professionally. As one observer who knew him put it, Stein "was never the same after that night."[4][unreliable source?]
After beating Stein and several other top gin professionals, Ungar was a marked man. Nobody wanted to play him in a gin match because of his superior skill, not to mention his creation of an image that he was impossible to beat. In the hopes of generating more action for himself, Ungar began offering potential gin opponents handicaps to even the playing field.[citation needed] He was known[who?] to let his opponent (professional or not) look at the last card in the deck, offer rebates to defeated opponents and always play each hand in the dealer position, all of which put him at a decisive disadvantage.[citation needed]
At the time Ungar moved to Las Vegas in 1974, gin was still popular in tournament format, much like heads up poker tournaments. Ungar won or finished high in so many gin tournaments that several casinos asked him to not play in them because many players said they would not enter if they knew Ungar was playing.[citation needed] Ungar later said in his biography that he loved seeing his opponent slowly break down over the course of a match, realizing he could not win and eventually get a look of desperation on his face.[2]
Shortly after arriving in Las Vegas, Ungar defeated professional gambler Billy Baxter for $40,000. Baxter noted when Ungar first entered the room, Baxter did not believe he was his opponent because of Ungar's youthful looks and small stature. Baxter also said that during their match a Coca-Cola crate had to be placed on Ungar's chair so he could reach the table.[1]
Though he is nowadays more well known for his poker accomplishments, Ungar regarded himself as a better gin rummy player, once stating:
| “ |
Some day, I suppose it's possible for someone to be a better no limit hold 'em player than me. I doubt it, but it could happen. But, I swear to you, I don't see how anyone could ever play gin better than me.[citation needed] |
” |
1980 and 1981 WSOP Main Event titles
In 1980 Ungar entered the World Series of Poker (WSOP) looking for more high-stakes action. In an interview for the 1997 Main Event Final Table, Stu told ESPN TV commentator Gabe Kaplan that the 1980 WSOP was the first time he had ever played Texas Hold'em.[citation needed] (Stu's first tournament, however, was the 1980 SBOP where Kaplan won the title. Stu finished in 34th out of 41 players.). Doyle Brunson remarked that it was the first time he had seen a player improve as the tournament went on.[5][1]
Ungar won the main event, defeating poker legend Doyle Brunson, and became the youngest champion in its history (he would later be surpassed by Phil Hellmuth in 1989, who would in turn be surpassed by Peter Eastgate in 2008 and later by Joseph Cada in 2009). Ungar looked even younger than he was, and was dubbed "The Kid."
The next year, Ungar would defend his title successfully at the 1981 WSOP by defeating Perry Green heads-up. Ungar nearly wasn't allowed to play in the 1981 WSOP and defend his title. Several days before the main event, he was banned from the Binion's Horseshoe by Benny Binion because he spat in the face of a dealer after losing a sizeable pot in a high stakes game. It wasn't until Binion's son, Jack, stepped in and convinced his father to let Stuey play, citing the media attention that the defending champion playing in the event would attract, that Ungar was allowed back for the tournament.[citation needed]
Blackjack
Ungar's skill and reputation as a blackjack player were so good that he was frequently banned from playing in casinos and he was eventually unable to play blackjack in Las Vegas or anywhere else.[citation needed]
In 1977 he was bet $100,000 by Bob Stupak, an owner and designer of casinos, that he could not count down a two deck shoe and determine what the final card in the shoe was. Ungar won the bet.[citation needed]
Ungar was fined in 1982 by the New Jersey Gaming Commission for allegedly cheating while playing blackjack in an Atlantic City casino. The casino said that Ungar "capped" a bet (put extra chips on a winning hand after it was over to be paid out more), something he vehemently denied.[citation needed]
The fine for this offense was $500. Ungar believed that his memory and card counting ability were natural skills and thus he didn't need to cap bets or partake in any other form of blackjack cheating. Ungar fought the case in court and won, avoiding the $500 fine. However, he did pay an estimated $50,000 in legal and travel expenses. In his biography, Ungar noted he was so exhausted from travel and court proceedings that he was not able to successfully defend his WSOP main event title.[citation needed]
In 1997, a near-broke Ungar convinced the management at the Lady Luck to let him play single deck blackjack. Being a known card counter, they agreed on the condition that his betting would have a high and low limit, thus neutralizing Ungar's card counting ability. Ungar continued to play at the Lady Luck for six months. Ungar built his bankroll up to as much as $300,000 but eventually busted.[3]
Other WSOP bracelets
As the reigning world champion, Ungar won his second bracelet in 1981 in the $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw event, defeating 1978 world champion, Bobby Baldwin, in the heads-up play. For this victory, Ungar received a $95,000 cash prize.
In the 1983 WSOP, Ungar won his fourth bracelet. He defeated professional poker player and multi-WSOP bracelet winner, Dewey Tomko heads-up in the $5,000 Seven Card Stud event, winning $110,000.
Betting, drugs and divorce
Ungar and Madeline were married in 1982 and had a daughter, Stefanie, that same year. Ungar also legally adopted Madeline's son from her first marriage, Richie, who adored Ungar and took his surname.
Ungar's mother had died in 1979. It was also around this time that Ungar began using cocaine. He noted in his biography that at first he used it on the advice of fellow poker players because of the drug's ability to keep someone up and energized for a long period of time, something that would come in handy during marathon poker sessions. However, recreational use soon led to addiction.[3]
Ungar and Madeline divorced in 1986.[2] Richie committed suicide in 1989, shortly after his high school prom.[1]
Ungar's drug problem escalated to such a point that during the WSOP main event in 1990, Ungar was found on the third day of the tournament unconscious on the floor of his hotel room from a drug overdose. However, he had such a chip lead that even when the dealers kept taking his blinds out every time around the table Ungar still finished 9th and pocketed $20,500.[2]
His drug addiction took such a physical toll that in an ESPN piece, many of Ungar's friends and fellow competitors said that they thought that he would not live to see his 40th birthday. In the same piece, one friend said that the only thing that kept him alive was his determination to see his daughter grow up.
Most of his winnings at the poker table he lost quickly betting on sports or horses, always looking for "action".[1]
Many of Ungar's friends, including Mike Sexton, began to encourage him to enter drug rehab. Ungar refused, citing several people he knew who had been to rehab previously who told him that drugs were easier to obtain in rehab than on the street (the friends noted that dealers targeted rehab facilities specifically because there were so many addicts in one place)[citation needed].
"The Comeback Kid"
In 1997, Ungar was deeply in debt, but received the $10,000 buy-in to the WSOP main event from fellow poker pro and friend Billy Baxter. Ungar clearly showed physical damage from his years of addiction, most notably to his nasal membranes, which he attempted to hide with blue sunglasses.[1] In fact, Ungar had just received the buy-in from Baxter moments before the tournament started and was the last person added to the roster, just mere seconds before the signup closed.[citation needed]
Ungar was exhausted on the tournament's first day as he had been up for over 24 hours straight trying to raise or borrow enough money to play in the event. At one point midway through the first day of play, Ungar began to fall asleep at his table and told Mike Sexton (who was also playing) he didn't think he could make it. After encouragement from Sexton and a tongue lashing from Baxter, Ungar settled in and made it through the day.[1]
During the tournament, Ungar kept a picture of his daughter Stefanie in his wallet, and regularly called her with updates on his progress. Following an up and down first day, Ungar showed up for each subsequent day well rested and mentally sharp. He would go on to amass a large chip lead and carry the lead into the final table. Ungar was so highly regarded at this point that local bookies made him the favorite to win the tournament over the entire field, an extreme rarity.[citation needed]
Ungar did not disappoint and won the main event for the record-setting third time. After his victory, which was taped for broadcast by ESPN, Ungar was interviewed by Gabe Kaplan, and he showed the picture of his daughter to the camera, and dedicated his win to her. He and Baxter split the $1,000,000 first prize evenly. Ungar was dubbed "The Comeback Kid" by the Las Vegas media because of the span (sixteen years) between his main event wins, as well as his past drug abuse.[citation needed]
During the 1997 WSOP, Ungar wore a pair of round, cobalt blue tinted sunglasses (much as John Lennon did during the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" days) to, according to co-biographer Peter Alson, "hide the fact that his nostrils had collapsed from cocaine abuse."[2] As legend has it, Ungar had undergone a rhinoplasty to fix the nasal damage that cocaine had caused. Following the surgery, he snorted cocaine again, causing his nostrils to recollapse.[citation needed]
Final years
Ungar spent all of his 1997 WSOP prize over the course of the next few months, mainly on drugs and sports betting. He attempted to give up drugs several times at the behest of Stefanie but stayed clean for only weeks at a time before using again.[citation needed]
As the 1998 WSOP approached, Baxter again offered to pay his entry fee to the main event. However, ten minutes before play started, Ungar told Baxter he was tired and did not feel like playing. Ungar later said the real reason he chose not to play in the event was due to his drug abuse in the weeks prior to the tournament. He noted that he felt showing up in his current condition would be more embarrassing than not showing up at all.[citation needed]
In the months following the 1998 WSOP, Ungar vanished from the public eye. He lived in and out of various Las Vegas hotels, rarely leaving his room. Ungar was also spotted walking around various Las Vegas poker rooms begging for money. He often said the money was to get him back on the poker tables, but would instead use it to purchase crack, which he now had to use in lieu of cocaine because his nasal membranes were so damaged he could no longer snort the drug, while crack could be smoked through a pipe. Not long after, many pros, some Ungar's former friends, refused to stake him or give him any money until he cleaned himself up. Ungar was also arrested for possession of crack cocaine during this time.[1]
In October 1998, poker player and former casino owner Bob Stupak made an arrangement to stake Ungar to several tournaments over a period of time.[citation needed]
Death
On November 22, 1998, Stu Ungar was found lying dead, face down on his bed at the Oasis Motel in Las Vegas with $882 on him, the remnants of a $10,000 advance from Bob Stupak, who earlier in the month signed a contract with Ungar, offering to pay off his debts and finance his tournament play in exchange for future winnings.[citation needed] It is unknown where the remainder of the money went.[citation needed]Michael Kaplan and Greg Reagan's book Aces and Kings quotes an anonymous 'longtime friend' of Ungar's, who claimed "Stuey bought a bunch of crack and picked up two hookers who like to troll near the Oasis. Once they found out how much money Stuey had on him he was as good as dead. They pushed him to smoke enough so that he went into convulsions - which Stuey was prone to do. The convulsions came, they took the drugs and most of the money, and left Stuey for dead." No drugs, not even paraphernalia were found in the room, which is incredibly inconsistent with Stuey's behavior.[citation needed]
An autopsy showed traces of drugs in his system, but not enough to have directly caused his death. The medical examiner concluded that he had died of a heart condition brought on by his years of drug abuse.[1]
Despite winning millions during his poker career, Ungar died with no assets to his name.[citation needed] Friend and fellow poker player Bob Stupak took up a collection at Ungar's funeral to raise funds to pay for the services.[3]
Ungar is interred at Palm Valley View Memorial Park in East Las Vegas.[1]
Legacy
Ungar is regarded by many poker insiders as one of the greatest pure talent players ever to play the game. [1][2] Along with Johnny Moss, Ungar is the only three-time WSOP main event champion. Moreover, Johnny Moss's first win at the inaugural WSOP in 1970 was by popular vote, making Ungar the only player to ever win the WSOP main event tournament itself three times. During his WSOP career, Ungar won 5 WSOP bracelets and more than $2,000,000 in tournament pay.
Ungar also won the main event at the now-defunct Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker in 1984, 1988 and 1989, when it was considered the world's second most prestigious poker title.[6] As Slim put it, "Stu musta won a jillion dollars in my tournaments." He won a total of 10 major no-limit Texas hold 'em events (events in which the buy-ins were $5,000 or higher).[citation needed]
A movie based on Ungar's life, High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story (alternate title Stuey), was made in 2003. Ungar was portrayed by Michael Imperioli.
Stu Ungar was inducted posthumously into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2001.[7]
His biography, One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey 'the Kid' Ungar, the World's Greatest Poker Player by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson was published in 2005.[2] The Emmy winning ESPN documentary One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stu Ungar was broadcast in 2006. It contained interviews with his wife and daughter and several other people who knew him; it also featured excerpts from tapes he recorded in the last year of his life for an autobiography that never appeared.
World Series of Poker Bracelets
| Year |
Tournament |
Prize (US$) |
| 1980 |
$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship |
$365,000 |
| 1981 |
$10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw |
$95,000 |
| 1981 |
$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship |
$375,000 |
| 1983 |
$5,000 Seven Card Stud |
$110,000 |
| 1997 |
$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship |
$1,000,000 |
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Al Szymanski, "One of a Kind: The Stu Ungar Story", ESPN documentary, 2006
- ^ a b c d e f g Alex Williams (June 26, 2005), "The Boy King Has Left the Table", The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/26/fashion/sundaystyles/26STUY.html
- ^ a b c d Dalla, Nolan & Alson, Peter (foreword: Sexton, Mike) (2005). One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar, the World's Greatest Poker Player. Atria Books. ISBN 0-7434-7658-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=d3jmOUuPiE4C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_navlinks_s#v=onepage&q=&f=false.
- ^ http://www.holdempoker4u.com/pokerpros/stu_ungar.html
- ^ Wise, Gary. "The World Series of Poker: 1980". Hand of the Day. Poker Listing. http://www.pokerlistings.com/poker-hand-of-the-day_the-world-series-of-poker-1980?show=all. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
- ^ Reback, Storm (2009-03-012). "From the Poker Vaults: Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker, Part II". PokerNews. http://www.pokernews.com/news/2009/03/poker-vaults-amarillo-slim-super-bowl-poker-part-2-1227.htm. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ WSOP.com: A Brief History of the Poker Hall of Fame
External links
