Stu Unger

FastEddie777 · Apr 12, 2020

Would Stu Unger have gone down as the greatest tournament poker player of all time if he hadn't had a serious drug addiction? He played in 30 big money tournaments during his career and won 10 of those. Only player to actually win the wsop main event 3 times.

hutzpaf · Apr 12, 2020

I liked the movie

High Roller The Stu Ungar Story

Shawnt · Apr 12, 2020

The bast is not forgotten

yes I believe that he would be better than he was before because people don't generally get worse with time they get better so yeah Stu ungar would have still been the number one world series of poker champion good luck everyone on the tables and I was always have fun

balo · Apr 12, 2020

It was different times back then, today he would have been a good poker pro , but maybe not the best. Sometimes he just played random very aggressive and back in those days players were not used to it.

FastEddie777 · Apr 12, 2020

Movie

hutzpaf said:
I liked the movie

High Roller The Stu Ungar Story

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rFRkjL39Q4

Decent movie, great story. Stu was about playing the player and not the cards. online poker takes some of that away, but no all.

Poker_Mike · Apr 12, 2020

FastEddie777 said:
Would Stu Unger have gone down as the greatest tournament poker player of all time if he hadn't had a serious drug addiction? He played in 30 big money tournaments during his career and won 10 of those. Only player to actually win the WSOP main event 3 times.

I admire his play and aspire to play more like Stu!

On the flip side - how many times did his opponent call his bet because he was a drug addict?

Stuey liked to talk a lot - so I figure he got into his opponent's minds.

I wonder how he would do online??????

Miss him - we were all robbed of a great player.

Akinled · Apr 12, 2020

"The

Stu

Unger

Story" for the second time. The man was a poker playing and Gin Rummy genius who's personal demons got the better

neptun1914 · Apr 12, 2020

Nobody can tell for sure. Definitely he was great tournament player but not so great cash game player. If he was not so addicted to drugs and gambling he most probably would be the greatest WSOP player in history.

elJenio8 · Apr 12, 2020

I dont think drugs have something to do, he accomplished a lot, and maybe he is the best..

But cant tell for sure, diffent periods of time

Vlad Nesterenko · Apr 12, 2020

FastEddie777 said:
Would Stu Unger have gone down as the greatest tournament poker player of all time if he hadn't had a serious drug addiction? He played in 30 big money tournaments during his career and won 10 of those. Only player to actually win the WSOP main event 3 times.

I didn’t know who it was before, otherwise interesting, now I’m interested in his biography, thanks

FastEddie777 · Apr 13, 2020

Vlad Nesterenko said:
I didn’t know who it was before, otherwise interesting, now I’m interested in his biography, thanks

As good as Stu Unger was at playing poker he was even better at gin rummy. He transitioned into poker because no one wanted to play him at gin rummy anymore. Unger once

beat

Harry "Yonkie" Stein (who was considered the best gin player of his time)

86 games to none in a high-stakes game of Hollywood Gin, after which Stein dropped out of sight in gin circles and eventually stopped playing professionally.

You see the Stu Ungar movie on High Roller: Stu Unger on YouTube and also his documentary.

One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stu Ungar (Documentary Film). Still the only man to win the WSOP Main Event three times.

FastEddie777 · Apr 13, 2020

neptun1914 said:
Nobody can tell for sure. Definitely he was great tournament player but not so great cash game player. If he was not so addicted to drugs and gambling he most probably would be the greatest WSOP player in history.

Can't argue with his success even if it was short lived. Due to the drugs it was 16 years in between winning his 2nd and 3rd WSOP ME championship. Who does that? No one outside of Stu.

MrPokerVerse · Apr 13, 2020

He was gifted and flawed. He didn't have long career but had great win rate. Don't think will see a player of his caliber again.

FastEddie777 · Apr 13, 2020

MrPokerVerse said:
He was gifted and flawed. He didn't have long career but had great win rate. Don't think will see a player of his caliber again.

Drug addiction is tough thing to get away from. I have a brother whose life was ruined by his drug addiction. He has tried to get off the drugs but keeps going back to them. He does the heavy stuff.

Drumsound · Apr 13, 2020

balo said:
It was different times back then, today he would have been a good poker pro , but maybe not the best. Sometimes he just played random very aggressive and back in those days players were not used to it.

From what I know, part of that had to do with very good reads on people. Not in the sense of hand reading, which is taught a lot, but of know how to make other feel uncomfortable or comfortable, whichever worked best in the situation. I think, as smart and as talented as he was, he would have adapted and done well.

I also think Helmuth should thank his lucky stars the Stuey isn't around, because Phil probably wouldn't be the wouldn't be the all time bracelet winner...

FastEddie777 · Apr 13, 2020

Drumsound said:
From what I know, part of that had to do with very good reads on people. Not in the sense of hand reading, which is taught a lot, but of know how to make other feel uncomfortable or comfortable, whichever worked best in the situation. I think, as smart and as talented as he was, he would have adapted and done well.

I also think Helmuth should thank his lucky stars the Stuey isn't around, because Phil probably wouldn't be the wouldn't be the all time bracelet winner...

I agree. Stu Unger could read people and had a photographic memory. He was a card game genius who's life ended way too soon. I would put him against anyone today.

Cam54 · Apr 13, 2020

Stu Unger was a card savant his achievements were amazing and made even more incredible if you consider his addictions ....not only was he a wizard at Gin Rummy and Poker ... he was banned from the blackjack tables over most of Vegas and several other places and could count very well ... Sad how he went he could have been so much more in my opinion

57noona · Apr 13, 2020

I would like to see him play with some of the great players of today. I think Stu would more than hold his own against other great players. He is one of poker's Legends. He died before his time. Sad way to go.

Drumsound · Apr 14, 2020

FastEddie777 said:
I agree. Stu Unger could read people and had a photographic memory. He was a card game genius who's life ended way too soon. I would put him against anyone today.

Yeah, if he could have gotten past addiction, he would have been unstoppable.

Cam54 said:
Stu Unger was a card savant his achievements were amazing and made even more incredible if you consider his addictions ....not only was he a wizard at Gin Rummy and Poker ... he was banned from the Blackjack tables over most of Vegas and several other places and could count very well ... Sad how he went he could have been so much more in my opinion

I didn't know about the blackjack thing. Can't say that its a big surprise.

JJP · Apr 14, 2020

Yes I believe Stuey would have become the biggest star in televised poker had he survived to that era. He truly was generations ahead in the game of poker and would have been able to adapt to the newer players like Negreanu and Hellmuth have. Stuey is still the GOAT and it is truly sad we never got to see him during this era

zinzir · Apr 14, 2020

FastEddie777 said:
Would Stu Unger have gone down as the greatest tournament poker player of all time if he hadn't had a serious drug addiction? He played in 30 big money tournaments during his career and won 10 of those. Only player to actually win the WSOP main event 3 times.

In my opinion Stu Ungar would have won so much more if he wasn't a drug addict. Not only that he would have lived longer, but even during the same period of time of his life.

Stu Ungar was a genius and a poker prodigy, and he was winning despite his drug problems not because of them.

FastEddie777 · Apr 14, 2020

zinzir said:
In my opinion Stu Ungar would have won so much more if he wasn't a drug addict. Not only that he would have lived longer, but even during the same period of time of his life.

Stu Ungar was a genius and a poker prodigy, and he was winning despite his drug problems not because of them.

No doubt. He owned the cards. Sadly, drugs owned him. I still don't think anyone since him is in his category as far as tournament play goes. For him to go 16 years in between WSOP Main Event championships is amazing.

Aknight3 · Apr 14, 2020

Imo Unger is one of the greatest players of all time..regardless of his issues...how much better he could have been...who knows but it doesn't change he was still great and a legend

carmenzu · Apr 15, 2020

FastEddie777 said:
Would Stu Unger have gone down as the greatest tournament poker player of all time if he hadn't had a serious drug addiction? He played in 30 big money tournaments during his career and won 10 of those. Only player to actually win the WSOP main event 3 times.

On the contrary, I think he would have been a better player if he had not had an addiction of any kind.
He would have had better concentration, and maybe we could continue enjoying his successes, Stu died young, he had a whole life ahead of him. Look Doyle F. Brunson 20 years older than Stu, and has known how to enjoy life in a balanced way.

Just my opinion.

.

FastEddie777 · Apr 15, 2020

carmenzu said:
On the contrary, I think he would have been a better player if he had not had an addiction of any kind.
He would have had better concentration, and maybe we could continue enjoying his successes, Stu died young, he had a whole life ahead of him. Look Doyle F. Brunson 20 years older than Stu, and has known how to enjoy life in a balanced way.

Just my opinion.

.

I agree. He would have won at least 5 to 7 WSOP ME if not for the addictions. Stu is also the only player to not only win the WSOP ME 3 times, but is also the only person to win the Super Bowl of Poker tournament 3 times. May never be equaled. At least not in our lifetimes.

Stu Unger

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