Stu Ungar

Stu Ungar was the greatest card player the world has ever seen. Raised on the Lower East Side in New York , the son of a bookie, Stu first made his reputation as a gin rummy player. With his genius IQ and photographic memory Stu cut a swatch in the gin rummy world that extended from upstate New York all the way to Miami . By the time he was in his twenties he simply couldn't find a game- he was just that good.

After the gin action dried up Stu decided to take up poker. He had virtually no experience playing the game when he entered the $10,000 main event in 1980, and yet he won it. To prove it wasn't a fluke he won it again in 1981. In 1997, now in the twilight of his life, Stu Ungar won the main event for a third time. A year later he was found dead in a motel room in Las Vegas , the victim of an apparent overdose.

Tales of Stu's gambling exploits continue to confound the imagination. He once lost 1 million dollars in a craps game. Another nine hundred thousand lost in a game of Razz. Five million won from Larry Flint in a series of heads-up poker matches. When it came to betting big, Stu Ungar had no rival.

Further fueling the legend of Stu Ungar are the accounts of his astonishing memory. He once made a bet with casino owner Bob Stupak that he could count down every card in the last three decks of a six deck blackjack shoe. He correctly named every card, and Stupak cut him a check for a hundred grand. Similar stories involve Stu naming every card left in an opponent's hand in gin rummy. His astounding recall, combined with his utter fearlessness at the green baize, made Stu Ungar one of the only 'naturals' the game of poker has ever seen.