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 liked the movie

High Roller The Stu Ungar Story

You Tube

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

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.

Originally Posted by hutzpaf

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.

Originally Posted by FastEddie777

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.

"The

StuUnger

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

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.

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

Originally Posted by FastEddie777

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

Originally Posted by Vlad Nesterenko

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.

Originally Posted by neptun1914

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.

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.

Originally Posted by MrPokerVerse

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.

Originally Posted by balo

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...

Originally Posted by Drumsound

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.

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 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.

Originally Posted by FastEddie777

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.

Originally Posted by Cam54

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.

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

Originally Posted by FastEddie777

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.

Originally Posted by zinzir

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.

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

Originally Posted by FastEddie777

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.


.

Originally Posted by carmenzu

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.

I would consider him top 5 dead or alive. I used to watch youtube vids on him just schooling folks on the felt. He was absolutely the greatest of his time.

Stu is a legend but it was different time and game is incomparable with a modern game

Originally Posted by theRaven68

Stu is a legend but it was different time and game is incomparable with a modern game

I don't feel the game itself has changed that much. What has changed are the massive fields as the WSOP and other poker events, which includes many amateurs who make many crazy calls and at times end up winning the tournaments. Also, many win free entries into these tournaments so there is no financial pressure on them. Back in the day, a $10,000 entry into the WSOP ME meant something. Today it's not that big a deal to many. IMO they should increase the entry fee to $50,000 to limit the amateurs playing the WSOP main event tournaments. When Moneymaker won the WSOP ME he was catching cards and got lucky, especially when he knocked out Phil Ivey on the river. Yes luck is a part of it, but if luck wasn't, how come he hasn't done well in the Main Event since? There is also Jerry Yang, Jamie Gold, Scott Blumstein, etc., who won and then haven't done much since. For these guys it was like winning the lottery. JMHO.