Nationality
Stu Ungar was American. He was a U.S. citizen by birth, born and raised in New York City, USA.
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Born (date and place of birth)
Stu Ungar was born on September 8, 1953, in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
Residence (current location)
Stu Ungar was primarily based in Las Vegas, Nevada during his poker career and at the time of his death.
Education (institution, specialization)
Stu Ungar dropped out of school after his father's death to support his family; there is no record of formal higher education or specialized training.
Children (number, ages)
There is no public information regarding Stu Ungar having children.
Year started playing poker
Stu Ungar started playing poker seriously around 1980 when he transitioned from gin rummy.
Age when started playing
He began serious poker involvement in his mid-20s, specifically at about age 26.
Year turned professional
Stu Ungar became a professional poker player circa 1980, marked by his first WSOP Main Event win.
First major win (amount, tournament, year)
His first major tournament win was the 1980 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, winning $365,000.
Who introduced to poker / first mentor
Specific information about a mentor is not widely documented; Ungar was a prodigy largely self-taught and honed skills in high-stakes card games from a young age.
First important tournament
Stu Ungar's first major tournament was the 1980 WSOP Main Event, which he won on his first attempt.
Main motivation for turning pro
Transition to professional poker was motivated by his dominance and financial success in gin rummy, seeking new challenges and greater profits in poker.
Initial bankroll
Specific details of his initial bankroll are not documented publicly, but his gin rummy winnings significantly funded his early poker career.
Poker education (courses, coaches)
Stu Ungar did not receive formal poker education, instead relying on natural talent, experience, and self-study.
First sponsor/backing
No verified information on any formal sponsorship or backing deals during Stu Ungar’s career is available.
Total live tournament winnings
Stu Ungar's total live tournament winnings exceed approximately $3.6 million.
Number of tournament wins
He won around 10 major tournaments, including multiple WSOP titles.
Number of final tables
Stu Ungar made at least 22 final table appearances in major tournaments.
Largest tournament win (amount, tournament, year)
His largest single tournament win was $1,000,000 at the 1997 WSOP Main Event.
WSOP bracelets (number)
Stu Ungar won 5 WSOP bracelets, including 3 Main Event titles (1980, 1981, 1997).
WSOP cashes (number)
He had at least 20+ money finishes at WSOP events during his career.
WSOP final tables
Ungar made several WSOP final tables, including multiple Main Event final tables.
Best WSOP Main Event result
He won the WSOP Main Event three times (1980, 1981, and 1997).
Super high roller results ($100K+)
No recorded results in $100K+ buy-in super high roller events.
High roller wins ($25K-$100K)
No specific high roller tournament wins in the $25K-$100K buy-in range documented.
Online tournament winnings
Stu Ungar competed before the online poker era, so no online winnings are recorded.
Major online titles
No online tournament titles.
Poker team
No affiliation with poker teams or sponsored stables known due to era and personal circumstances.
Main cash game limits
Mainly known for playing high-stakes cash games, often no-limit hold’em at the highest stakes available in Las Vegas and private games.
Highest stakes played
Participated regularly in some of the highest stakes cash games of his time, reputed to be fearless at the highest limits.
Notable high stakes sessions
Famous for intense and victorious sessions at high-stakes cash games, though exact documented financial results are scarce.
"Big Game" participation
Played in some of the most renowned big cash games in Las Vegas during the 1980s and 1990s.
Estimated cash game profits (if known)
Exact cash game profit figures unknown but reputed to have earned millions over his career in cash games.
Country ranking
Historically regarded as among the greatest American poker players.
All Time Money List position
Stu Ungar ranks historically very high on all-time money lists for tournament poker, primarily due to WSOP Main Event wins.
Tournament ROI (if known)
Precise ROI stats unavailable; his dominance in high buy-in events suggests a very high tournament ROI.
Average tournament win
Average tournament cashes were significantly high due to large prizes in WSOP Main Event and other major wins.
ITM percentage
Estimated in-the-money percentage likely above average, but exact figures are not publicly quantified.
Final table percentage from cashes
Final table appearance rate notably high relative to cashes, reflecting deep runs in many major events.
Statistics by year (best/worst year)
Best performing years were 1980, 1981, and 1997, with struggles and lower visibility in the mid-1990s.
Main discipline (Hold'em, Omaha, Mixed games)
Specialized in No-Limit Hold’em poker, though also skilled in Seven-Card Stud and Draw variants.
Format specialization (tournaments/cash/online/live)
Primarily live tournament play and high-stakes live cash games.
Preferred table size (6-max, full ring, heads-up)
Played mostly full-ring and heads-up formats, especially in high-stakes cash games and Main Events.
Known formats (NLHE, PLO, HORSE, others)
Known for No-Limit Hold’em, Seven-Card Stud, and Draw poker proficiency.
Specialization limits
Excelled at the highest stakes played in Vegas during his career, especially $10,000+ buy-ins and high-stakes cash games.
Online rooms where plays
No online poker participation due to era.
Favorite casinos/locations
Primarily played at Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas and other top Vegas casinos.
Style characterization (TAG, LAG, nitty, aggressive)
Aggressive and fearless playing style, known for reading opponents and relentless pressure.
Known for bluffs/traps
Renowned for his psychological edge, occasional bluffs, and superior reading ability.
Mathematical or intuitive approach
Predominantly intuitive with an exceptional memory and instinct combined with a strong mathematical sense.
Style adaptability
Highly adaptable and able to adjust strategies dynamically against top opponents.
Playing strengths
Exceptional memory, reads on opponents, fearless aggression, and deep knowledge of multiple poker variants.
GTO strategy usage
Played before formal GTO strategies were developed; relied on natural talent and game theory intuition.
Poker software usage
No use of modern software tools; era predates widespread poker software availability.
Television appearances (list of shows with specific episodes/dates)
Appeared in televised WSOP events, including documentary footage but no regular TV shows as contemporary players.
High Stakes Poker participation (seasons/episodes)
No participation in High Stakes Poker (HSP) show as it launched after his time.
Poker After Dark appearances (episodes/dates)
No Poker After Dark appearances; series started after his career ended.
Documentary films featuring (titles and links)
Featured in documentaries about poker legends, including biographical films and retrospectives.
Major publication interviews (publication names, article titles, links)
Several poker magazine and website interviews posthumously available focusing on his career and legacy.
Podcast appearances (podcast names, episode titles, dates, links)
No podcast appearances as his career ended before the podcast era.
Own podcast/channel (name, platform, subscriber count, link)
Did not have a podcast or video channel in his lifetime.
Facebook (account link)
No Facebook profile existed during his lifetime.
YouTube channel (name, subscriber count, link)
No official YouTube channel; many clips and documentaries available uploaded by others.
Twitch channel (name, follower count, link)
No Twitch streaming presence.
TikTok presence (account link, follower count)
No TikTok presence.
LinkedIn profile (link)
No LinkedIn profile or professional social media.
Posting frequency in social media
Not applicable; social media was not available in his time.
Type of content in social media
Not applicable; no personal digital content shared publicly.
Current sponsors (company names, deal details if public)
No known official sponsorship deals in the poker industry.
Sponsorship contract history (previous sponsors, dates)
No historical sponsorship contracts documented.
Poker site ambassadorship (site names, contract details)
No poker site ambassador roles due to era.
Own business (business names, descriptions, websites)
No known personal business ventures beyond poker and gambling.
Poker project investments (project names, involvement details)
No public records of investments in poker-related projects or companies.
Coaching services (availability, platforms used)
No formal coaching services offered publicly.
Coaching rates (if public)
Not applicable.
Educational materials (book titles with ISBN, course names with platforms, video series titles with links)
Did not produce poker educational materials.
Affiliate programs (program names, partnerships)
No known affiliate program partnerships.
Merchandise (product types, where sold, links)
No personal merchandise line.
Written poker books (titles, publication years, ISBN, publisher)
No poker books written by Stu Ungar himself.
Training series participation (series names, platforms, links)
Did not participate in training series.
Masterclasses and seminars (event names, dates, locations)
No masterclasses or seminars conducted.
Coaching work (platforms used, student testimonials)
No documented professional coaching work.
Notable students (names if public, their achievements)
No notable students taught by Ungar.
YouTube educational content (video titles, view counts, links)
No educational content on YouTube.
Poker publication articles (publication names, article titles, publication dates, links)
Featured in many poker articles about his life and skill but did not author them.
Magazine columns (magazine names, column titles, frequency)
No regular magazine columns authored by him.
Conference speaking (conference names, dates, topics, video links)
No known speaking engagements at poker conferences.
Poker scandal involvement (scandal names, details, outcomes)
His career was affected by drug addiction, which negatively impacted his life and play.
Accusations of unfair play (specific incidents, resolutions)
No credible accusations of cheating throughout his career.
Casino/room conflicts (venue names, incident details)
Some reports of personal issues with casinos but no major public conflicts documented.
Legal proceedings (case details, outcomes, court documents)
No public records of legal proceedings affecting his poker career besides personal struggles.
Public disputes with colleagues (names involved, details)
Few public disputes; mostly known for personal challenges rather than controversies.
Tournament rule violations (tournament names, violations, penalties)
No known tournament rule violations or penalties.
Tax issues (if public, details, resolutions)
No public information on tax-related problems.
Poker community criticism (specific criticisms, responses)
Criticized mostly for struggles with addiction affecting his career longevity and reliability.
Response to criticism (statements, actions taken)
No detailed public responses, but legacy largely respected posthumously despite personal flaws.
Poker industry awards (award names, years, organizations)
Posthumous inductions and acknowledgments rather than awards received in lifetime.
Hall of Fame inclusion (hall names, induction years)
Inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2001.
Peer recognition (specific recognitions, award details)
Widely respected as one of the greatest by fellow poker professionals and the community.
Poker publication awards (publication names, award types, years)
No mainstream poker publication awards documented during his career.
Special achievements (achievement descriptions, recognition details)
Three-time WSOP Main Event Champion, 5 WSOP bracelets, dominant gin rummy player regarded as arguably the best ever.
Records associated with name (record descriptions, verification)
Only player to win three WSOP Main Event titles until later matched; record for back-to-back wins in 1980 and 1981.
Contribution to poker development (specific contributions, recognition)
Helped popularize No-Limit Hold'em and demonstrated unmatched skill and fearlessness influencing future generations.
Charity tournaments (tournament names, amounts raised, beneficiaries)
No specific charity tournament participation documented.
Legacy in poker world (specific legacy aspects, community impact)
Remembered as one of poker’s greatest natural talents and tragic figures, inspiring countless players and poker history enthusiasts.
Industry influence (specific influences, changes attributed)
Changed perceptions of skill and mental acuity in poker, setting standards for aggressive and calculated play styles.
WSOP (World Series of Poker) - all events all years
1997 | USA | World Series of Poker | Binion's Horseshoe | No Limit Hold'em Main Event | 10000 | 1 | 1000000 | 312 | | |||| 1981 | USA | World Series of Poker | Binion's Horseshoe | No Limit Hold'em Main Event | 10000 | 1 | 375000 | 75 | | |||| 1980 | USA | World Series of Poker | Binion's Horseshoe | No Limit Hold'em Main Event | 10000 | 1 | 365000 | 73 | |
No tournament commentary roles documented.