Poker Greats

"Poker Greats" - Stu Ungar (Part II)
By Mike Sexton

Stu Ungar was one of a kind. His talent was extraordinary and he had more "heart" than anyone I've ever seen. At the table, he was a fearless, relentless warrior, and his sense of timing and feel were uncanny. Ungar was a maestro on the green felt, especially if he got a hold of some chips. (He always controlled the table and it seemed like he raised every pot.) His record in No Limit Hold'em championship events is by far the best in history. Stu Ungar is not only a Poker Great, but a Poker Legend.

Ungar is actually a gambling legend. He was the ultimate high-roller. Ungar got the attention of every pit boss, race and sports book manager in Las Vegas. They may have let him play, but trust me, they feared his action. As for bookies, well, he bet whatever they would let him bet (and it didn't matter much to Stuey whether he had money or not - he fired with both hands).

Stu Ungar gambling stories are plentiful. My favorites are the golf stories, which are truly legendary. For example, the first time he ever walked on a golf course in his life, he lost $80,000! Incredibly, Ungar didn't even make it to the first tee before losing his money (to Jack Strauss - also an ultra high-stakes gambler and "Poker Great"). He lost it on the putting green! In the history of the world, do you think that has ever happened before or since?

Stuey was something to see on the golf course. He looked like he was 15 years old, weighed 105 pounds, wore golf gloves on both hands, played from the ladies tee markers, and used a tee on every shot. (Yes, that's right. On every shot, including in the rough, sand traps, and water hazards). On most days, he couldn't break 100 (even with this spot), yet he gambled sky-high.

You must understand that gamblers are not golf purists. They simply love action. Golf is a great place for guys to gamble, regardless of skill level, because of being able to "match-up". With the right spot, for example, I could play Tiger Woods for money. I would probably need to scramble three balls from the ladies tee while Tiger played one ball from the tips, but I could "match-up" to where I think I would have the best of it, or at least have a fair game. And once you match-up, you bet on it. (Incidentally, if anyone knows Tiger, call him to see if he'll play me this game.)

Ungar was one of the worst game-makers you can imagine. His problem was that he loved to gamble too much. (No one created action on the golf course like Ungar.) He took many games that he had the worst of it just to be in action. I would estimate that Ungar lost several million dollars playing golf in his life.

Ungar was funny and had the quickest wit of anyone I've ever known. To give you an idea of how quick his mind was, here are some entertaining Stu Ungar "quick wit" stories.

Once, a group of us had gone to Palm Springs, CA to play golf. Four of us went to dinner one night at a place that was recommended to be the best in town. We get there and it's packed. We make our way to the maitre D and tell him we would like a table for four. He asked if we had reservations and we said, "No". He said there was no way he could fit us in. Stuey gave him a $100 bill and said that if anything opened up, we would be at the bar. (Ungar always let Benjamin Franklin make his reservations.)

We fight our way to the bar and line up four across. The bartender says, "What'll you have?" The first guy orders a Scotch and water, I order a beer, and Stuey ordered a Rum and coke. The bartender looks at him and says, "I need to see some I.D." Stuey hollers at him, "What are you talking about? I'm 35 years old!" The bartender says, "Well, you might be, but you look young to me, and if you don't have any I.D., I can't serve you."

Without hesitation, Stuey says to him, "You want to see some I.D.? I'll show you some I.D." He quickly reaches both hands into his front pockets and pulls out two rolls of cash that were $10,000 each. He slams them on the bar, points at them and says, "There. There's my I.D. Do you think any teenager would be carrying around that kind of money?" The bartender nodded, smiled, and said, "You know, you've got a good point there. What'll you have?" And just about then, the maitre D came over to tell us our table was ready.

Once, during the WSOP, I was talking to Stuey when Al Ethier ("Al Jay") was walking towards us. To say Al Jay was a tight poker player in those days is like saying the Baltimore Ravens had an OK defense this year or Michael Jordan could play a little hoops. Al Jay was a rock!

So, as Al Jay gets close to us, Stuey says loudly, "Mike, you can't believe the nightmare I had last night. I said, "Really?" Stuey said, "Yeah. I broke out in a cold sweat. I'm not kidding you - it was the worst nightmare of my life." I said, "What was it about?" And Stuey blurts out, "I dreamed I was playing Al Jay a heads-up No Limit Hold'em freeze-out with no blinds and no antes!" It was classic.

I loved Stu Ungar. I can't imagine we will ever see another player with talent or wit like him. Thanks for the memories.