The life and death of Stu Ungar resonate deeply in the poker world.
He had a rock star aura, played cards like a god, gambled like a demon and died a legend. Ungar still holds a record for snagging three World Series of Poker main event championships, a feat that may never be matched.
It’s no wonder that he is still talked about nearly three decades after his death. When I interview young poker players, it’s common for them to tell me that if there was anyone in history against whom they could play a freeze-out, it would be Stu Ungar.
During a weirdly fated interview I did with Mikki Mase, a gambler who comes with his own long list of complications, he told me, “Stu Ungar is my number one favorite poker player of all time. I wish he didn’t die so suddenly or so sadly. I wish I had a chance to meet him.”
Meeting Stuey At The Horseshoe
I did get to meet him, initially in his hotel room at the old Binion’s Horseshoe. It was 1998, the summer that he didn’t bother to come down and defend his title and just months before his passing. Our time together was a bit star crossed, but, in the end, over a buffet lunch at Arizona Charlie’s, he gave me one of the best interviews of my career. Ungar was forthcoming, articulate, and completely real.
While he’s tragically gone from the poker world, and nobody will get a chance to square off against him in this cosmos, you can sort of play poker with him in a figurative sense.
Ungar On Playing Cards
That would be via the Ungar Playing Cards put out by Daniel Madison, a British magician who is a mega fan of the ill-fated poker savant.
During a heartfelt tribute online, Madison said of Ungar, “In the mastery of his art, he could not master himself or his self-destructive ways. Stu’s genius came at the cost of his peace. He could see every angle but his own downfall.”
In one, depicting him as the king of spades, he wears his signature blue-lensed granny glasses. Another card shows a young Stu Ungar taking on his older self with a statement he made to me when I interviewed him.
“The only one to ever beat me was myself.”
A portion of the proceeds will go to support the Ungar Center For Hope, which is currently bringing therapeutic services to people in need.
Stefanie Steps Up
The non-profit is spearheaded by his daughter Stefanie Ungar. It was her picture that he kept in front of him when he won his third main event in 1997. Once the charity lands in its own location, it will be what she calls, “a trauma-informed healing and wellness center.”
“We’re raising money to build a facility that you can walk into at any moment and find someone to help you the same day,” Stefanie told me, explaining that a person who’s having a rough time with life needs help right away and might not be equipped to wait weeks for a return phone call.
Stefanie Ungar
“While you’re going through anxiety or depression, trying to navigate the finding of a therapist is difficult. And time is of the essence as you reach out for help. We’ll never turn anyone away.”
Fighting Challenges
While Ungar was splashy at the poker table and in life, according to Stefanie he had unimaginable challenges. He struggled with the suicide of his son Richie, for which he blamed himself.
“The turn of my dad’s life came after my brother took his own life in 1989,” Stefanie said. “He numbed himself and dealt with so much guilt. I remember that he couldn’t even look at a picture of my brother that was on our fireplace mantle. It was just too hard for him.”
Having seen the side of her dad that most poker players were not privy to, Stefanie added, “I wish a place like this existed for my father. It could have helped him. It’s completely built out of lived experience.”
Stu Would Deal Himself In
As to what her father would think of the cards, Stefanie told me, “My dad would have gotten a real kick out of being on a deck of cards. But more than that, I know he’d be incredibly proud to be helping people.”
She recalled him giving $500 in chips to a down-on-her luck woman at Christmas time. He wanted her to buy gifts for her kids. Then there was a Vegas attorney with financial trouble. He got a $10,000 loan from Ungar. There was no plan for the money to be paid back.
Stefanie recalled his empathy for strangers and ability to read people in day-to-day situations.
“I know my dad’s life isn’t a Disney story,” she said. “But helping others resided at the heart of who he truly was. It’s how I saw him live – at least away from the poker table.”
Michael Kaplan is a journalist based in New York City. He is the author of six books including Advantage Players, and has worked for publications that include Wired, GQ and the New York Post. He has written extensively on technology, gambling, and business — with a particular interest in spots where all three intersect. His article on Kelly “Baccarat Machine” Sun and Phil Ivey is currently in development as a feature film.
- Photos by Madison Cards, Stephanie Ungar
