Stu Ungar has always been a big name in poker, his fast lifestyle as infamous as his ability to play cards. Of course, the Brunsons, Chans and Hellmuths of this world are all held in high esteem, but Ungar boasts an almost cult status that the others seems to lack.
In a recent tournament I overheard Mickey Wernick claim that James Akenhead reminded him of Stu Ungar. As somewhat of a fan, this was a huge compliment for James who considered Ungar to be a hero of his and someone who he strived to mimic at the felt. It wasn’t until this point that I realised the extent of Ungar’s reputation and how he’s celebrated by players at both ends of the spectrum, young and old. Sure, he was good at cards, but what made him worshipped to such an extent, and why was he regarded as the greatest player that ever lived?
Armed with this simple question, I set out about the task of searching for needles in the poker haystack. Naturally, the written word is an easy, if perhaps lazy avenue, but it’s by no means a substitute for first hand experience. I’m too young to have ever met him, never mind played with him (lack of bankroll may also have been an obstacle), but there are surely guys still kicking around who have locked horns with the man they called ‘The Kid’?
“Yeah, I might know a few,” commented Neil Channing, my first port of call for whenever I need to contact someone. “Your best bet is the Vic, I reckon there are a few old timers in there who have played with him.”
As Neil began reeling off possible victims of the Beagle Dictaphone, it soon became apparent that those who, one, had done more than brush passed him at a World Series and, two, were local and available for a quick word or two, were few and far between. Between us, however, we came up with a list that made the Chelsea Pensioners seem young and quickly commenced Mission I Played Stu Ungar.
Fortunately, the GUKPT was in town, and with the Grosvenor Victoria just a couple of tube rides away, I took my opportunity to bend a few ears. Without revealing my first target, I quickly realised that finding someone who had played with him and asking, ‘Was he the best?’ simply wouldn’t suffice. The more people I asked, the more stories I heard, and it became achingly apparent that Ungar had made such an impact in poker and stood out to such an extent that I really needed to be delving deeper into my investigation.
On that note, I decided that I would write a series of articles, each one focussing on a different aspect of his life, in the hope of piecing together all the views and experiences of Ungar that I’d extracted from my various sources. Not all agree, but that’s the beauty of talking to multiple people, and, hopefully, by the end of it, I’ll be able to draw my own conclusion and find out what exactly it was that made Stu Ungar such an icon of the game.
Read Part One...