Poker Legends: Stu Ungar

Stu Ungar (1953-98) became a household name before most of today's current crop of professional poker players had been heard of, but continued to dominate until just before his death in the late 90s.

Still the only person to have won three World Series of Poker Main Event tournaments, Ungar also won the now defunct Super Bowl of Poker three times - a tournament that during its day was the second most important competition in the world. Ungar won a total of five World Series of Poker bracelets between 1980 and 1997.

Born and raised on Manhattan's Lower East Side to a Jewish family, Ungar was exposed to gambling from a young age via his father Ido, who ran a bar that doubled as a gamble club. He started playing tournament gin following the death of his father and turned it into a full-time career after dropping out of school to support his sick mother and his sister.

Later, like all the major poker players of yesteryear and today, he found his way to Las Vegas, where he took up poker, mainly because he had become so infamous in gin circles that nobody would play against him under those rules.

Equipped with a photographic memory and genius-level IQ, Ungar was capable of succeeding at any game he took up. Playing in what he later said was his first ever experience of Texas hold 'em, Ungar won the main event at the 1980 World Series of Poker, defeating Doyle Brunson. He became known as "the kid" due to his youthful appearance and the fact that he was the youngest ever winner of the tournament at the time. He showed it was no fluke when he came back the next year and won the tournament again.

Ungar died in 1998, but not before what was perhaps the extraordinary moment of his professional career. Clearly showing the effects of years of cocaine addiction, Ungar beat all comers in the $10,000 buy-in WSOP main event to take out the $1 million first prize, which he shared with fellow poker pro and financial backer Billy Baxter. He received the nickname "the comeback kid" for his efforts.
Ungar was found dead in his room at a Las Vegas motel in 1998. The autopsy found he had died of a heart condition caused by years of drug abuse. Ungar was survived by his daughter Stefanie and step-son Richie, the result of his failed marriage to Madeline.

Despite the fact Ungar won an estimated $30 million at the poker table during his career, critics say he would have won more if he had learnt to hustle. Ungar was so naturally gifted and so feared by opponents that he would often win tournaments quickly, without finding a way to raise his opponents' stakes.

A movie about Ungar was produced in 2003. Entitled High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story, it starred Michael Imperioli in the lead role.