Stu Ungar – A Great Player with a Tragic Lifestory
During the 20th century, competitive poker emerged on the gambling scene not only as a game of chance but as a game where people could earn a living. Its popularity grew exponentially, but only a few players were able to make it at the top. One of them was Stu Ungar who had skills and knowledge of the game only a few could compete with.
The Early Life of Stu Ungar – Gin Rummy and Poker
Born and raised in Manhattan, New York, Stu “The Kid” Ungar was exposed to gambling from a very early stage in his life. His father, Isidor, was a bookmaker, but never wanted his son to take up gambling as a career. As the story tells, this never happened, and although Stu was very talented at school and learning in general, he eventually dropped out in the tenth grade, pursuing a career in gin rummy.
At the fragile age of 10, Stu Ungar won a gin rummy tournament and continued developing his skills in the field. Not long after, he became the best player in New York, dominating his opposition left, right and centre. His aggressive playing style and will to always win made him a fierce opponent and even gin rummy professionals couldn’t find a way to outplay him.
Ungar didn’t play gin rummy only because he enjoyed it – he was pretty much forced to earn a living for his family. His father died of a heart attack in 1967 and not long after his mother suffered a stroke which left her incapacitated. Being the only man at the house, Stu continued playing gin rummy around New York, eventually coming across Victor Romano – a crime figure, which was a very good card player, but served as a mentor and protector to “The Kid”.
As you can imagine, the Stu Ungar story doesn’t end here – it’s actually just getting started! Becoming an expert in the field led him to a game with arguably the best gin rummy player of his generation – Harry Stein. After suffering a defeat of 86 consecutive games with zero wins on the scoreboard, Stein was never the same and eventually stopped playing professionally.
Meanwhile, Stu won countless tournaments and was even banned from certain casinos – players wouldn’t enter a game of gin rummy if Ungar was playing. Putting himself in a strong disadvantage to players just for the sake of entering a game also wasn’t enough. He even moved to other states like Miami and Las Vegas, but the action dried up there as well. The need for a change was inevitable.
The Beginning of Stu Ungar’s Poker Career
Since gin rummy was no longer an option for Stu Ungar, he had to think of an alternative way of making money. Gambling was all he has ever known, and poker seemed like a viable option. He learned how to play and, as it may not be a surprise for anyone, he became quite good at the game. His gambling nature and past experience helped him sit at the tables with the highest of stakes, eventually leading him to the WSOP Main Event of 1980.
| Date: | WSOP Main Event: | Prize: |
| 17 May 1980 | $ 10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship | $365,000 |
| 19 May 1981 | $ 10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship | $375,000 |
| 10 May 1997 | $ 10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship | $1,000,000 |
As the tournament progressed, so did the stack of “The Kid”. Doyle Brunson, one of the most famous gamblers of all time, was also in the tournament and he says that he never saw a player improve in the course of a tournament the way Stu Ungar did. Eventually, Ungar won the tournament, defending his title once again the following year.
“I never want to be called a ‘good loser.’ Show me a good loser, and I’ll just show you a loser.” – Stu Ungar about his views of losing
In his personal life, things weren’t going as smoothly for Stuey. A couple of years prior to his first Main Event win, Ungar started taking cocaine as the drug would help him stay awake for the long poker sessions he was participating in. He married Madeline Wheeler, a former girlfriend of his, and during their marriage, he even legally adopted her son from a previous relationship, Ricky. The boy admired Stuey but committed suicide in 1989, three years after the couple divorced.
Severe Drug Problems and Gambling Addiction
Although Stu Ungar won more than $30 million in the course of his gambling career, he would spend his money as fast as he won it. He would occasionally bet on horse racing, blackjack, and anything that would inspire his interest. Drugs were also an issue for Stu “The Kid” Ungar as he became addicted to them as well. He used cocaine so frequently that his nostrils got severely damaged and he later started smoking crack because of his inability to snort the white powder.
As you can tell, drugs, alongside gambling addiction, made Stu a difficult person to hang with. His personality at casino tables also wasn’t the brightest as he would often curse, spit, or try to humiliate dealers and other players he disliked. At one time, Benny Binion, owner and founder of Binion’s Horseshoe Casino, was contemplating to ban Stuey from entering his establishment due to bad behaviour. However, his son convinced him that this would be a bad move since Stu Ungar was the reigning poker champion at the time and attracted huge publicity.
After spending all of his money from tournament winnings and successful bets, Stu “The Kid” Ungar was asking for money from his friends with the intention to come back to the poker tables. After he was funded, Stu would eventually spend the money on crack, resulting in his friends’ future refusals to lend him any funds until he got clean from drug use. However, this would never happen, but Ungar would make one of the best comebacks in poker history.
Stu Ungar’s Final Poker Triumph Before the Innevitable
Sixteen years after his last WSOP Main Event win, Stu Ungar decided to enter the 1997 tournament in hopes to win his third title. However, it wasn’t that easy – Stu was broke, and nobody would lend him money for his entry fee. Billy Baxter, a friend of Stuey, came to his aid and gave him the needed money moments before the time for enrolling in the tournament ended.
In the first day of the 1997 WSOP Main Event, Ungar was feeling sleepy – he was up for more than 24 hours to find the needed entry fee. However, Baxter and Mike Sexton convinced him to continue playing, which eventually gave the poker pro the needed encouragement. In the following days, Stu was feeling fresh and had enough sleep, resulting in a huge chip lead. The bookies made him a favourite to win the tournament, and he constantly updated his daughter, Stefanie, on his progress. He eventually won the event and dedicated his win to her.
Just mere months after his triumphant return, Stu “The Kid” Ungar was again broke. He would occasionally stop doing drugs but just for a couple of weeks before returning to the bad habit. This led to his tragic death in October 1998. Ungar was found dead in a room No. 6 of the Oasis Motel in Las Vegas with his clothes on and with no drugs around him. Stu had only $800 in his pocket – a small part of the $25,000 advance given to him from Bob Stupak with plans to fund Ungar’s tournament play.
Interesting Facts About Stu “The Kid” Ungar
Let’s face it – the Stu Ungar poker style was enough of a reason to consider this professional player as one of the most interesting and controversial gamblers of all time. However, that’s not the only thing Stuey is famous for. Have a look at the following interesting facts around “The Kid” – they are quite interesting and will give you a different perspective on the person we’re talking about!
- Short stature – Stuey was very short in stature and players would often underestimate him for his kid-like looks, hence “The Kid” nickname.
- Never had a bank account – he would always keep his money in safe deposit boxes in hotels and never had the need to utilise bank services. He didn’t even have a social security number until he won the WSOP Main Event.
- Fast eater – Stu would eat as fast as he could as he saw food only as a necessary fuel. He would occasionally place orders at restaurants in advance, so they can be ready as soon as he arrives. He would pay the meals for him and his friends and would often rush to the casino before his companions would even start their meals.
- He was generous – whenever he had money, Ungar would always lend money to his friends and even strangers who would ask for money. Stu always tipped waiters and dealers generously, regardless whether he won or lost.
- Used cabs daily – although Stuey had expensive cars, he rarely drove them and used taxi services quite frequently. His closest friends say his year taxi spendings would surpass a regular person’s annual salary on cab services alone.
- There’s a film about him – ‘High Roller: the Stu Ungar Story’ is an autobiography movie, depicting the life of Stu Ungar in great detail.
- Had tremendous card counting abilities – he was able to count the cards from a six-deck blackjack shoe, winning a bet of $100,000 from Bob Stupak, a Las Vegas casino owner.
- Three-time WSOP Main Event winner – alongside Johnny Moss, Stu Ungar is the only other person to have won the WSOP Main Event three times.
This is just a fraction of the facts surrounding Stu Ungar’s persona. We’re sure that the most interesting ones aren’t still revealed to the world, but the ones we’ve included can give a pretty clear idea what type of person he was. Furthermore, the Stu Ungar movie is also quite interesting, and we encourage you to check it out. In our opinion, it is very underrated and has the potential to become one of the best gambling movies someday.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Stu Ungar story can be interesting not only for people who are into gambling but for the average Joe as well. Decades after the death of this poker legend, people are still asking questions about his life, and below we’ve included the most popular ones. Check them out and see what new facts you’ll learn about Stu Ungar!
