Stu Ungar: Welcome to the Hall of Fame - Part I

When anyone talks about the greatest poker players of all time, Stu Ungar's name surfaces immediately. If it doesn't, it should. His accomplishments in poker are second to none. I'm happy to tell you that Ungar will be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame at Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas on May 14.

Ungar is considered by many, and put me on that list, to be the greatest no-limit hold'em player of all time. But don't take my word for it – just check the record books. Ungar was a three-time world champion, and had five World Series bracelets. He won 10 major no-limit hold'em championship events in which the buy-ins were $5,000 or more. The next two guys in line, T.J. Cloutier (the all-time leading money winner at the WSOP) and Johnny Chan (a two-time world champion), have won half that many. Amazingly, Ungar played in no more than 35 of these championship events in his life!

To further understand Ungar's greatness, think about this: For years, the second-largest poker tournament in the world was Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker. Throughout the 1980s, every great poker player attended Slim's tournaments. Like the WSOP, the main event at the Super Bowl of Poker was a $10,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em championship. Only one man in history captured titles at both the WSOP and the Super Bowl of Poker. That man was Stu Ungar – and he won them three times each!

Ungar had a genius IQ and a photographic memory. He also had the quickest mind of anyone I've ever known. I first met him in 1978. He was a 22-year-old (but looked 14) streetwise, fast-talking whiz kid out of New York. He ventured to Las Vegas to play high-stakes gin rummy against all comers. He played anyone for any amount of money. He beat the best gin players in the world like Secretariat handled the Kentucky Derby.

As great as Ungar was in no-limit hold'em, he was better at gin rummy. Several months after he captured his third world poker title, he said to me, "Someday, I suppose it's possible for someone to be a better no-limit hold'em player than me. I doubt it, but it's possible. But I swear to you, Mike, I don't see how anyone could ever play gin better than me."

Ungar turned to poker when his gin action dried up. From the outset, he played in the biggest games in town. In 1980, with virtually no experience at no-limit hold'em, he entered the $10,000 buy-in world championship event at Binion's Horseshoe for the first time – and won it. And he beat the toughest players in the world. Two-time world champion (and eight-time bracelet winner) Doyle Brunson finished second, Jay Heimowitz (five-time bracelet winner) was third, and the legendary three-time world champion (and eight-time bracelet winner) Johnny Moss finished fourth. The press dubbed him Stu "The Kid" Ungar.

The next year, he successfully defended his title. Think about that! Ungar had entered the world championship twice and was a two-time world champion at the age of 25. In what seems to be fitting, he captured his third world championship (in 1997) the last time he played in the event.

Ungar was a relentless, fearless warrior in no-limit hold'em. He took control of every table at which he played. And if he got ahold of some chips, look out. Describing how Ungar played no-limit hold'em is like talking about someone with the focus of Tiger Woods, the artistry of Mozart, the moves of Michael Jordan, and the killer instinct of a gladiator. He hated to lose, and was a poor loser. He always said, "Show me a good loser and I'll show you a loser."

Ungar was a gambler, and I mean an ultra high-stakes gambler at everything – poker, gin, sports, horses, golf, you name it. He never had a job in his life, so he never really had respect for money. Money was simply a tool with which to gamble, and the more he had, the more he bet.

For most of his life, money came easy to him. It also disappeared quickly. He was a high roller and a big spender. He was also a big tipper, whether he had money or not. He went from being broke to a millionaire to broke again at least four times. Gambling was his life. He craved action. He was hyper and couldn't sit still. He never sat through a meal. He had to get back to the action.

Sadly, all is not cheerful and bright when talking about Stu Ungar. His biggest problem was his sickness. For 20 years, he abused himself with drugs. I can't help but think what might have been. His life, even with the exciting times and conquests, was a tragedy. Drugs consumed him. I'm astounded when I think of what he achieved in poker, but I shudder to think of what he might have accomplished. He died in 1998 at the age of 42.

Some can't see the "greatness" of Ungar. To them, he was a gambling degenerate and a drug addict who died broke. They confuse his lifestyle, bad habits, and sickness with his ability, extraordinary talent, and poker accomplishments. Don't make that mistake. When it came to "playing the game," Stu Ungar was in a league of his own. At no-limit hold'em, he was the best of all time.

Forgive Ungar for his drug abuse and mistakes, and recognize him for what he was: the greatest player ever to grace the green felt. He deserves his place in the Poker Hall of Fame. On behalf of poker players everywhere, "Congratulations, Stuey!"

I'll tell you more about "Hall of Famer" Stu Ungar in my next column. Take care.

Mike Sexton can be reach by E-mail at: [email protected].