Stu Ungar - The Legendary Rise and Fall of Poker’s Greatest Prodigy

Author: Tadas Peckaitis

Stu Ungar, often called "The Kid," is a true legend in the poker world. He won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event three times – in 1980, 1981, and 1997.

That’s something only one other player has ever done. Ungar is one of just four players to win the WSOP Main Event back-to-back, joining Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, and Johnny Chan in that exclusive club.

He also won Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker three times, a big deal back in the day.

Aside from Stu being an exception poker player, he was terrific at blackjack and gin rummy, too. His memory and quick thinking made him a force to be reckoned with in any card game.

He was so good at gin rummy that people stopped playing it because they knew they couldn’t beat him.

Full Name

Stuart Errol Ungar

Net Worth

$15 million

Source of Wealth

Professional poker player

Famous for

One of the greatest gin rummy and Texas Hold 'em players of all time

Born

September 8, 1953 - November 22, 1998

Despite his poker fame, Ungar had a tough personal life. Still, many folks consider him a gambling hall of famer and the best poker player ever.

When you look up "Stu Ungar net worth," you see a story of incredible talent mixed with personal challenges. His life shows both the high stakes and the hard times of being a poker pro, inspiring players everywhere.

Stu Ungar - Childhood and Upbringing

Highlights

• Greatest gin rummy player of all time
• One of the greatest poker players of all time
• Won 5 WSOP bracelets
• One of two players in poker history to have won the WSOP Main Event three times
• The only player to win Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker three times
• He switched from gin rummy to poker because no one wanted to play against him

Stu Ungar - Childhood and Upbringing

Stu Ungar grew up on Manhattan's Lower East Side with his Jewish parents, Isidore and Faye Ungar. His dad, Ido, was a bookie and loan shark who ran Foxes Corner, a bar and gambling club. So, Stu started gambling pretty early.

Ido tried to keep Stu away from gambling, but it didn’t work. Stu started playing underground gin rummy games in New York while still in school. He was smart, skipped seventh grade, but dropped out in tenth grade.

When Stu was 14, his dad died of a heart attack, and his mom got sick soon after. With no one to guide him, Stu roamed the streets of New York and got involved in organized crime.

At 18, Stu met Victor Romano, a gambler and card player in organized crime. Romano took Stu under his wing, showing him different card games around New York and keeping him safe.

Romano was known for his fantastic memory and gambling skills, and he became a mentor and protector for Stu.

By 1976, Stu was one of the best gin rummy players in NYC. But he left the city because of debts from horse racing.

What he won at the tables, he lost at the racetrack. So, he moved to Nevada to switch to poker.

Stu Ungar's Shift from Gin Rummy to Poker Prodigy

In 1977, Stu Ungar moved to Las Vegas. There, he reconnected with his old girlfriend, Madeline Wheeler, who would later become his wife in 1982.

Stu was so good at gin rummy that people stopped wanting to play against him. He once beat Harry "Yonkie" Stein, who was considered the best, 86 games to zero. After that, Stein disappeared from the gin rummy scene.

Stu’s gin rummy skills were just too intimidating. He even tried giving opponents handicaps, like letting them see the last card or always playing as the dealer, but it didn’t help. Nobody wanted to face him.

When Stu first got to Las Vegas, gin rummy was still a big deal, especially in tournaments. He won or did well in so many tournaments that brick-and-mortar casinos asked him to stop playing.

Other players wouldn’t enter if they knew Stu was in. Stu enjoyed watching his opponents realize they couldn’t win, seeing that look of desperation on their faces.

Unger turned to poker since gin rummy wasn’t giving him enough action. Poker was booming in Las Vegas, offering new challenges and competition.

Moving to Las Vegas was the start of his switch from gin rummy to poker, where he would continue to build his legendary status.

In poker, Stu found a new game to conquer. Las Vegas became the perfect place for him to show off his skills and dominate the tables, letting his reputation grow even more.

Performance at World Series of Poker

In 1980, Stu Ungar entered the World Series of Poker (WSOP) looking for some serious high-stakes action. He told ESPN commentator Gabe Kaplan that it was his first time playing a Texas Hold'em tournament.

Doyle Brunson, a poker legend, noticed that Stu kept getting better as the tournament went on. Stu ended up winning the Main Event, beating Brunson, and becoming the youngest champion in WSOP history at that time.

He looked even younger than he was, so people started calling him "The Kid."

Stu defended his title at the 1981 WSOP by defeating Perry Green. He almost didn't get to play because he got banned from Binion's Horseshoe for spitting in a dealer's face after losing a big pot.

Jack Binion, convinced his father, Benny Binion, to let Stu play, knowing the media buzz a defending champion would bring.

In 1981, as the reigning world champion, Stu Ungar won his second WSOP bracelet in the $10,000 Deuce to Seven Draw event. He beat the 1978 world champion, Bobby Baldwin, and took home $95,000.

In the 1983 WSOP, Stu won his fourth bracelet in the $5,000 Seven Card Stud event. He beat professional poker player Dewey Tomko and won $110,000.

Stu's poker career was marked by his incredible skill and competitive nature. He was one of the most feared players at the table, known for his ability to read opponents and adapt quickly.

Stu's journey through the WSOP shows how dominant he was in poker. His wins and the stories behind them make him one of the greatest poker players ever.

“I never want to be called a ‘good loser.’ Show me a good loser, and I’ll just show you a loser.”

Stu Ungar

The Blackjack Legacy of Stu Ungar

Thanks to his high IQ and fantastic memory, Stu Ungar was incredible at blackjack. His card-counting skills were so sharp that he got banned from playing in many casinos, including those in Las Vegas.

In 1977, Bob Stupak, a casino owner, bet Stu $100,000 that he couldn’t count down half a six-deck shoe and figure out the last three decks. Stu won the bet.

In 1982, Stu was accused of cheating in an Atlantic City casino. They said he "capped" a bet, which means adding chips to a winning hand after the fact.

Stu denied it and fought the $500 fine in court, saying his skills were natural, and he didn’t need to cheat. He won the case, but the legal battle cost him around $50,000, leaving him too exhausted to defend his WSOP title that year.

In 1997, when Stu was nearly broke, the Lady Luck Hotel & Casino let him play single-deck blackjack. They thought limiting his bets would stop him from winning, but Stu knew how to use this strategy to his advantage. Over six months, he built his bankroll up to $300,000 but eventually lost it all.

Addiction, Family Tragedy, and Gambling Woes

After his mom died in 1979, Stu Ungar started using cocaine. At first, it was just for fun and to stay awake during long poker games, like many other players did.

Soon, he got hooked, but it became a serious problem that followed him for the rest of his life.

In 1982, Stu married Madeline Wheeler. They had a daughter, Stefanie, the same year. Stu also adopted Madeline's son from her first marriage, Richie, who looked up to him.

But their marriage had issues. Stu would often disappear for days, playing cards and doing drugs. He wasn’t good at handling day-to-day life, and they divorced in 1986.

Richie tragically committed suicide in 1989, shortly after his high school prom. This tragic event hit Stu hard. His cocaine use got worse, and his health went downhill.

Friends didn’t think he’d live to see 40. He had a bad gambling habit, too, betting on sports and horses, always looking for action.

During the 1990 WSOP Main Event, Stu was found unconscious from a drug overdose but still finished ninth because he had a big chip lead.

His friends, like Mike Sexton, begged him to go to rehab and even offered to pay for it. Stu refused, thinking drugs were easier to get in rehab than on the street.

Stu lost most of his poker winnings quickly because of his gambling and drug problems. Despite his amazing talent, these issues overshadowed his career.

Stu Ungar Net Worth and Winnings

Despite winning an estimated $30 million during his poker career, Stu Ungar died with no assets.

Known as one of the best gin rummy and Texas hold'em players ever, Stu's incredible earnings were quickly lost. Most of his money went into betting on horses and sports and supporting his heavy drug habit.

Stu Unger won five WSOP bracelets and had total live tournament earnings of $3,677,961. However, his constant need for "action" and struggles with addiction drained his finances.

By the end of his life, Stu had nothing left, showing how his personal demons overshadowed his poker successes. His story is a tragic reminder of how quickly fortunes can disappear, even for the most talented players.

Where Is Stu Ungar Today?

Stu Ungar died on November 22, 1998. He was found in a motel room in Las Vegas just two days after checking in.

His death was caused by a heart condition brought on by years of drug abuse, though he had cocaine, methadone, and Percodan in his system when he died.

In his final days, Stu was almost broke and still battling his addiction. Despite efforts from his friends to get him into rehab, he refused, thinking drugs were easier to get in rehab than on the street.

He spent his last days alone, a sad ending for such a talented player.

Stu was buried at Palm Valley View Memorial Park in Las Vegas. His grave is a reminder of both his incredible poker skills and the personal struggles that led to his downfall.

His story is a powerful lesson in the poker world about the dangers of addiction.