Stu Ungar is a card game genius, once regarded as the GOAT of gin rummy. He would show his opponent the bottom card of the deck (a huge advantage) and still win. At some point, he was not allowed to play in the biggest gin rummy tournament due to his extreme skills.
Later, Stu had to switch to poker, proving his skills were transferable. He became one of the greatest minds to play poker, earning five WSOP bracelets, including three Main Event wins.
However, sadly, Stu Ungar didn’t live long. His addiction led to his death.
Today’s casino news tells an interesting story of brilliance and triumph mixed with addiction—a brief history of Stu Ungar’s life and poker career.
Stu Ungar: A Legacy of Skill and Controversy
Stuart Errol Ungar, the great poker and gin rummy player, was born on September 8, 1953. He found his path to gambling as a kid in a bar and social club where his father, a bookmaker and usurer, operated. Foxes Corner, as the club was called, was located on the Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City.
Stuart associated with the grownups and big guys into several vices there. Having seen the dark side of gambling in the life of his patrons, Stuey’s father tried restricting him from leading such a life. He was so smart and good with numbers that he skipped an entire grade in school. So, his father had wanted him to become a doctor.
However, Stu Ungar nested in his father’s tent. He was curious about card games, gin rummy (his major), poker, and blackjack. As time passed, he began competing in underground gin games all over the city and even won a local tournament at just 10.
Unfortunately, when Stuey was 13, his father, Isadore Ungar, died. He had a heart attack. His mother, Faye Ungar, also developed a stroke around this time. So, to fend for himself, he dropped out of Seward Park High School and was quickly recognized in every corner of New York City for his unique skills in gin rummy.
Stu Ungar: Partnership with Romano
In the early 1970s, while in his late teenage years, Stu Ungar met an organized crime kingpin, Victor Romano, his father’s old friend who was a card genius in his own right. Having seen the huge value and potential in him, Romano formed a longtime bond with Stu Ungar. He offered him mentorship and protection from the enemies he had made during his gaming ventures with a naughty attitude. In return, Stuey, nicknamed the kid, made his business more stable with his skills.
Transition to the Poker
Stu Ungar could play all forms of rummy, be it Greek rummy or Konkan, and he won them all. However, he spent all his money on racetracks, and within a few minutes, he would lose it all on races. He had accumulated so much debt, and in 1977, he decided to follow his boss, Romano, to a new city: Las Vegas.
In 1979, Stuey’s mother died after a long time of battling with a stroke. So, he no longer saw a reason to remain in New York City. That was also the period he started using cocaine, which he claimed kept him energized for long hours of gaming.
Stu Ungar’s poker tournament career began in 1980 when he participated in his first tournament, the 11th WSOP. He played well, as though he had a poker reference sheet.
Stu won the $10,000 No Limit Hold ’em Championship Main Event, which awarded him a gold bracelet and a $365,000 cash prize.
His boss, Romano, died a few days later due to bad health. After his boss’s burial in New York, poker player Stu Ungar finally moved to Las Vegas to become a poker professional. He met Madeline, a lady he first encountered in New York. They got into a relationship, and she eventually became his wife.
Stu Ungar: Notable Wins and Achievements in Poker
After defeating Doyle Brunson to secure his first bracelet in 1980, Stu Ungar won two more WSOP bracelets in 1981. He claimed his second bracelet and $95,000 after he defeated Perry Green in the 12th WSOP $10,000 No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw event. He defeated Bobby Baldwin, a 1978 WSOP champion, to secure his third bracelet and $375,000 in the $10,000 No Limit Hold ’em World Championship Main Event.
The Stu Ungar poker style was a superior one, with his aggression, well-timed bluff, and signs of clairvoyance. If not for his addiction, he may have continued winning the bracelet every year. In 1983, Stu Ungar won the WSOP again to claim his fourth bracelet and a $110,000 cash prize in the $5,000 Limit 7 Card Stud.
Stu Ungar: Struggles with Addiction
Stuey, who had been using cocaine recreationally, became addicted to it. At a point, his wife, Madeline, couldn’t bear it anymore. She had to divorce him in 1986. He became depressed and spent all his money on betting on sports and got broke and in debt. In 1990, he couldn’t properly defend his WSOP title because of a drug overdose. This continued until 1997.
The Comeback: 1997 WSOP Win
Stu Ungar participated in the 1997 WSOP. His colleagues helped and encouraged him, including Mike Sexton and his friend Billy Baxter, who secured him the WSOP’s $10,000 buy-in to the Main Event. On the first day of the event, he struggled with sleep due to the 24-hour stress of trying to raise money for the tournament.
Widely recognized among bookmakers, Stu Unger became a favorite among fans. He ultimately won the event, securing his fifth bracelet and becoming one of two players to win the Main Event three times. The other player was Johnny Moss. Stuey received $1 million for the win, his biggest poker tournament prize.
Other Notable Tournament Wins and Net Worth
Stu Ungar also had three wins in the now-halted Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker. He won the tournament thrice—in 1984, 1988, and 1989.
His total poker career win hit $30 million in his lifetime. However, his recorded live earnings were $3,677,961.
Stu Ungar: Demise and Legacy
Stu Ungar was found dead in the Oasis Motel on November 22, 1998, after a long battle with drug addiction. Medical examiners reported that he had developed a drug-related heart condition, which was probably the cause of his death.
In 2005, Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson published Stu Ungar’s biography “One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey’ the Kid’ Ungar, the World’s Greatest Poker Player.”
Stu Ungar may have been a flawed genius, but his impact will continue to ring a bell when mentioned. Visit Slots Paradise to play the most popular poker games online.