Hal Fowler is one of the most unpopular poker players. His win in 1979 even called "the greatest upset in the history of the WSOP". It's also known that Hal couldn't even pay for his seat at the WSOP. And it was Benny Binion who loaned to him money.
Doyle Brunson once said about him: “He’s quite a Poker player… no matter what the game is”. It’s true. In 1977 he won the Seven-Card Stud Championship and Deuce-to-Seven Lowball. And this year Bobby played to the last table in NL Holdem. The next year he once again sat at the final table to take the title of the World Champion. He became the youngest winner in the WSOP history. Two years later Stu Ungar took both of these titles.
Brian Roberts became a gambler during the Korean War. He emerged from a four-year hitch in the U.S. Navy. And there he also earned his colorful nickname – Sailor. In fact he began to work as a caddie when he was 12 years old. Then Korean War. And then… the Fellowship of Hold’em Players. By this fellowship I mean: Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim and Sailor Roberts himself.
It was the highest game in the room… No Limit Texas Hold’em. The stakes were really very high and when a dealer took a deck a man with a pug nose came into a poker room and said: “Deal me in”. He even didn’t know how to play, but he chose the highest game: “All or none”. You know this guy. It’s Puggy Pearson or Walter Clyde Pearson.
The first man you think of when you hear the words “the rise of poker” is Amarillo Slim (his real name - Thomas Austin Preston Jr). His face is known even among those who know nothing about poker. Amarillo is a symbol of poker, like the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of America.
Doyle Brunson managed to win at the WSOP two times in a row (1976,1977). But it is nothing when compared to his contribution to the game: he wrote a genius book, which became a "Bible" of poker, he was the first to note that gambling is a respectable profession. Brunson is great in everything.
Stu Ungar (or Unger) was born to gamble. I don’t mean he would die without it (though – who can tell?) but that was the thing he couldn’t live without… like Frank Sinatra without singing. Fancy Sinatra selling hot-dogs. The same for Stu Ungar. He never had a serious job. What else do we know about Stu Ungar?
Today if you want to study poker you can buy books of get coached. But if you look back to early 1900… No books, no coaches and very small number of really professional poker players. The only way to become one of them – practice, practice and… practice, wherever you go. Johnny Moss began to do it when he was 10 years old. At this age he was taught the tricks. Of course, it was cheater’s knowledge.
