WSOP Champions: Where are they now, Part 1

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Thursday, March 27, 2008


WSOP Champions: Where are they now, Part 1

Gallery of Champions
The Wall of Champions at Binion's

By Earl Burton

This is the first in an 10-part series taking a look at the World Series of Poker Champions from the very first to the current and what they've done in the world of poker.

In the glorious 38-year history of the World Series of Poker, 32 men have been able to take down the most desired prize in poker: the $10,000 Championship Event and the title of "World Champion" that goes along with it.

The stories of these men after they won the championship are almost as interesting as how they won the event in the first place. Over the next few weeks as we come up to this year's World Series starting on May 30, we'll look back in the history books to see what became of some of the greatest players in the game.

Unfortunately, eight of the men who have won the WSOP championship and been recognized as World Champion are no longer with us. Today we'll take a look at four of these players.

Johnny Moss (1970-71, 1974)

Already a legendary player before he was elected the first champion at the World Series of Poker in 1970, Moss came back the next year and won it outright on the felt. He was at the final table the next two years but didn't win.

In 1974, though, he made it back to the final table once again and took his third title, becoming the first man to win three Main Events at the World Series.

With his background and education in the gambling world of Texas, Moss was better known for his Draw game skills. Of his nine World Series bracelets, six of them were in draw games such as Lowball and Seven-Card Stud.

The nine bracelets he earned place him fourth on the all-time list behind contemporary players Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan and one of Moss' contemporaries, Doyle Brunson.

Moss played at the World Series from its inception in 1970 to 1995, becoming the oldest bracelet winner when he won his final bracelet in 1988 at 80 (a feat that was topped by Paul McKinney at 81 in 2005). In total, Moss cashed in 23 World Series events and was one of the inaugural inductees into the Poker Hall of Fame when it started in 1979.

When he passed away on December 16, 1997, poker lost its "Grand Old Man," one of the true legends of the early years of the World Series and of the game in general.

Walter Clyde "Puggy" Pearson (1973)

Born in the mountains of Tennessee, Puggy Pearson concentrated more on gambling than schooling. He dropped out of school after fifth grade, but more than made up for his lack of book learning with an education in the school of hard knocks. At 17, he entered the U.S. Navy and earned more money gambling than through service, setting him up for a lifetime of exploits both on and off the poker tables.

It is popularly believed that Pearson was the inspiration behind tournament poker and the World Series.

Puggy suggested to Benny Binion, the originator of the World Series of Poker, that there should be a high-buy-in, No-Limit Texas Hold'em freezeout event to determine who would be the World Champion and that it should come at the end of a schedule of events consisting of assorted poker variants.

It was, therefore, partly through Puggy's efforts that the WSOP Championship Event became what it is today.

Pearson kept Johnny Moss from winning another Main Event title in 1973 (Puggy's third WSOP bracelet that year). However, that proved to be the last of the four WSOP bracelets he would win.

Undaunted, he continued to play at the World Series of Poker until 2005, racking up three more final tables and five cashes along the way. He passed away shortly before the start of the 2006 World Series but will always be remembered as one of the forefathers of the game of poker.

Brian "Sailor" Roberts (1975)

Brian "Sailor" Roberts is a sometimes-overlooked legend of the game. In the early years of the development of poker, he was the third component of the Amarillo Slim/Doyle Brunson triumvirate that toured the Southeastern United States pursuing the game for a living.

After the threesome disbanded in the '60s, Roberts actually served time in prison for wire fraud. When he was released from jail, he headed for Las Vegas to legally pursue his vocation.

"Sailor" (so called because of a stint in the Navy during the Korean War) surprisingly had limited success at the tournament poker tables. Although he took down two bracelets (including his 1975 world championship victory), he was only able to cash one more time after that in a World Series event, when he reached the final table of the Main Event in 1982 and finished eighth. Obviously, Roberts' cash game skills were what kept him in poker.

Roberts was also one of the friendliest players in the game of poker. It wasn't uncommon for Roberts, after hearing fellow poker players lament their bad beats, to infuse their bankrolls with a healthy dose of cash.

When he passed away from sclerosis caused by hepatitis in the '80s, poker lost one of the pioneers of the game, proof that the adage "nice guys finish last" doesn't always apply.

Hal Fowler (1979)

One of the most mysterious men to have won the WSOP Championship Event has to be Hal Fowler.

Considered the first "amateur" to win the Main Event, Fowler was nearly down to the felt during the 1979 tournament.

In what many consider the greatest upset in World Series history, he was able to fight back admirably and defeat a final table that also consisted of Chip Reese, Johnny Moss and runner-up finisher Bobby Hoff. (Admittedly, Fowler committed an amateur mistake by chasing a gut-shot straight draw heads-up that came home against Hoff's pocket aces.)

After that victory, Fowler wouldn't make another World Series final table. Although he wouldn't cash in another WSOP event, he did make three final tables in tournaments during the 1980s: once at Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker and twice, including a win, at the 1984 Grand Prix of Poker at the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas).

Afflicted with diabetes that damaged his eyesight and legs and eventually took his life, Fowler never could recapture the glory of 1979 and his time as a World Champion.

These now-deceased men who became synonymous with poker excellence had varying degrees of success in the game after their WSOP triumphs. In the next installment of our look back at World Series Main Event champions, we'll remember the other four champions who are no longer with us.

[jdaddy]

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Wednesday, April 2, 2008
WSOP champions: Where are they now, Part 2
By Sarah Polson



This is the second article in a 10-part series taking a look at the World Series of Poker champions from the very first to the most recent and at what they've done since in the world of poker.

After 37 years of events staged under the World Series of Poker rubric, 32 men have been named poker's world champion. Some have grown in legendary status over the years, while others seem to have faded away after wearing the crown.

The first part of this series took a look at four of the eight champions who have died after attaining what could be considered the pinnacle of a poker career. This installment will look at the other four - Stu Ungar, Jack Strauss, Jack Kellar and Bill Smith - and the impact they made on the poker world.

Stu Ungar (1980, 1981, 1997)

Known as "The Kid," Stu Ungar made his way to Las Vegas in 1978 to play high-stakes gin rummy. He would play anyone for any stakes, and his skill in the game was unmatched. In 1980, he turned that skill toward poker, and met with just as much success in that realm.

That year he won the WSOP Main Event for the first time. He matched that feat again the following year to become the second person to win the championship back to back, the first being Doyle Brunson.

What set him apart from the rest of the legendary No-Limit Hold'em players, however, was his third Main Event win in 1997. Along with that he has two other bracelet wins, and looking at his tournament resume, it appears that when he cashed in a tournament it was rare for him to cash outside of the final table.

These days it's a commonplace for the great players of the game to have $1 million or more in tournament winnings, because of the explosion in poker's popularity and the increased opportunities to win big money. Stu Ungar managed to rack up nearly $3.5 million during his tournament career, all before the poker boom and the creation of the World Poker Tour.

He was one of the best No-Limit Texas Hold'em players of his time, and probably the best gin player, but he couldn't conquer his drug addiction, which was ultimately the cause of his death Nov. 22, 1998.

Jack Straus (1982)

When Jack Straus won the 1982 Main Event, he not only strapped on the champion title for the following year, but he may have also been the source of one of poker's most well-known adages - all you need to win is a chip and a chair.

There are many explanations as to how that saying originated, but they all center around the same basic story: At one point during the 1982 WSOP Main Event, Straus had pushed all-in and lost the hand. As he got up to leave the table, he discovered he actually had one chip left under a napkin.

With that one $500 chip he worked his way back up and into the winner's seat.

By the time he'd won the Main Event, Straus already had one previous WSOP bracelet win to his name and three other final-table finishes, including fifth in the 1972 Main Event. His Main Event win, however, capped off his WSOP legacy.

He had several other cashes after his win, but none in the WSOP again before his death in August 1988.

Jack Keller (1984)

Jack Keller's impact on the tournament world pretty much began at the very start of his career. After serving in the U.S. Air Force, Keller turned to professional poker playing. He recorded his first tournament wins in 1984, both of them at the World Series of Poker, with his Main Event win constituting the second.

After those victories, he racked up cashes and wins all over the tournament circuit, including at Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker and the Malta European Championship of Poker. Those wins, as well as ones at various WSOP events through the years, resulted in total tournament winnings of more than $3.6 million.

In 1993 he added another WSOP bracelet to his collection, taking down the $1,500 Limit Omaha event. His final cash in a WSOP event came in 2001. Kellar died in December 2003.

Also part of the poker legacy he leaves behind is his daughter, Kathy Keller Kohlberg, who is a professional poker player in her own right.

Bill Smith (1985)

Bill Smith's mark on the poker world was mainly made in cash games. Born in Texas, his poker history reads similarly to those of many legends of the game, as he traveled the underground cash-game circuit in Texas and Oklahoma to earn his cash.

Some reports say Smith holds the record for most illegal poker game arrests in one day. The story goes that he was playing in a game that was busted. The players were released from jail that afternoon and he went straight back to the game.

The game was promptly busted again and Smith landed right back in jail. When he was released he headed for another poker game, and was busted for a third time that day.

In the '80s, however, he proved to be a hard player to bust. He made three final tables of the World Series of Poker Main Event during that decade, and won the event in 1985.

He also had three other wins plus three other final-table finishes in smaller-buy-in tournaments during the '80s. Between his first cash in 1981 and his final one in 1984, Smith had accumulated more than $1 million in tournament winnings.

He died in 1997.

While these players' poker careers have ended, there are plenty of WSOP champions still alive and, in many cases, making a mark on today's poker world. Tune in next week to learn about some of the Series' earliest winners and what they're up to today.

[jdaddy]

www.pokerlistings.com

Thursday, April 10, 2008
WSOP champions: Where are they now, Part 3
By Sarah Polson

This is the third article in a 10-part series taking a look at the World Series of Poker champions from the very first to the most recent and at what they've done since in the world of poker.

Now that we've taken a look at the eight champions who have died since becoming poker's World Champion, there are plenty of winners left who continue to make a mark on the poker world.

This week explores the earliest living winners who took down the Main Event in the 70s, including Amarillo Slim Preston, Doyle Brunson and Bobby Baldwin.

Amarillo Slim Preston (1972)

There have been many champions over the years and many "characters" in the game of poker, but Amarillo Slim was one of the first to get noticed by the mainstream public.

The self-proclaimed best gambler that ever lived won the World Series of Poker Main Event in 1972, taking out Puggy Pearson in heads-up play. The top prize was a now-paltry $80,000, but Slim managed to parlay his win into fame and popularity.

He turned his reputation as a golden-tongued gambler into lucrative sponsorship deals following his win. He also made appearances on national television shows such as 60 Minutes and Good Morning America.

It was rare in those days for someone involved in such a shady occupation as playing poker such as Amarillo Slim to be welcomed by the mainstream media. In that way, he played a big part in bringing the early years of the WSOP to the attention of the average public.

Some of the results of his fame included the introduction of his own "Superbowl of Poker" tournament that ran for years at a few locations in Nevada, plus the release of his book Play Poker to Win in 1973. He also made a cameo appearance in Robert Altman's film, California Split.

After years of being a prominent figure in the game of poker, which includes winning four WSOP bracelets, Preston has been quieter on the poker scene in more recent years.

In 1992 he was inducted into the WSOP Hall of Fame, but he continued to cash in WSOP events and other tournaments around the world. In 2002 he nearly made the final table of two different Omaha events, hitting the rail in 16th and 17th places. It wasn't until 2007 that he made his mark at the WSOP once again with a cash in the Seniors event.

He may not be the face of the game that he once was, but Amarillo Slim continues to play the game that made him famous. According to an interview at the 2007 WSOP, Preston has played in nearly all the Championship events of the WSOP since it began. Even if there were good odds given, it's probably not safe to bet against Amarillo Slim not being at the 2008 WSOP either.

Doyle Brunson (1976, 1977)




If you polled the poker players of the world, there's probably not much doubt who they'd list as the top living legend of the game. Doyle Brunson has lived and breathed poker for pretty much his entire adult life, and winning back-to-back WSOP championships in 1976 and 1977 was just the start of an amazing tournament career for him.

Only two other players have been able to duplicate his back-to-back wins - Stu Ungar and Johnny Chan - which just goes to show the caliber of play it takes to achieve that. His mark on the World Series extends way beyond the double championship win, however.

Doyle is also a 10-bracelet winner, a record he shares with Johnny Chan and is only surpassed by Phil Hellmuth. What's really impressive is that he's won bracelets both pre- and post-poker boom.

His first six bracelets were all picked up within four years. The two years he won the championship, he also won another event each year, giving him four, and he followed that up in 1978 and 1979 with a win each year.

He won two more bracelets in the 1990s, and then the poker boom hit with Chris Moneymaker winning the WSOP Main Event in 2003. That same year, Brunson picked up his ninth bracelet and could very easily have retired from tournament play a legend at that point and avoided the increased pressure of larger player fields and younger players.

Retirement, Brunson says, will come when he quits winning. In 2005, he proved that his game could evolve and compete among the growing playing fields by winning his 10th WSOP bracelet.

His success at the World Series and other tournaments around the world isn't the only mark Brunson has made on the poker world. The Texas Dolly also penned a few poker books over the years. The first of which was Super/System in 1979 which is considered to be a must-have for any serious poker player.

Since then he's published Super/System 2 as well as a book of memoirs and a book about the greatest hands he's ever seen.

Brunson's interests have also expanded from live poker and the publishing world into the Internet realm. He owns and endorses an online gaming site, DoylesRoom.com, where he and some of the other top players of the game play on a regular basis.

Brunson has proved that an old dog can learn new tricks as he's managed to stay relevant and influential in the poker industry, however, he once told PokerListings.com in an interview, "I don't consider myself to be anything besides a poker player. I'm just fortunate that I've been able to survive all this time and seen it all evolve to this point, and I just feel very grateful."

Bobby Baldwin (1978)




A shrewd poker player, Bobby Baldwin knew how to play his cards right both at and away from the poker table.

In the late 1970s he took the tournament poker world by storm. He'd been on the Vegas cash game scene for a few years, taking on some of the biggest names in poker. Brunson once joked that he couldn't wait to get Baldwin across the table from him, but after their first meeting he was stuck $40,000.

His appreciation for the young player grew, and Brunson asked Baldwin to write the Limit Hold'em section of Super/System. By the time the book came out in 1979, Baldwin had picked up two WSOP bracelets in 1977 and won the 1978 Main Event.

Winning three events in two years and authoring a section of a poker legend's book is quite an accomplishment for a 26-year-old. And he didn't stop there.

In 1979 he picked up a fourth bracelet at the World Series of Poker and cashed in six more WSOP events by the end of the 1982 series before surprising his poker peers by taking a job with Steve Wynn at the Golden Nugget.

There he influenced the world of poker from a different angle with the shaping of casinos. He started out his new job by revamping the casino's card room and then took on other projects from there. In 1984 he was promoted to President and CEO of the Golden Nugget.

In 1989 he was given even more responsibility with the design, development and operation of three major properties on the Las Vegas Strip: The Mirage, Treasure Island and Bellagio. He held that position until May 2005.

Baldwin was also appointed president and CEO of Mirage Resorts Inc. when Steve Wynn sold his holdings in the company to Kirk Kirkorian in 2000. It's been reported that Baldwin's bonus for signing a contract to stay with the company once Kirkorian took over was more than $7 million.

The casinos under Baldwin's purview as the president of Mirage Resorts are Bellagio, The Mirage, Treasure Island, New York-New York, Monte Carlo, Circus Circus, Slots-A-Fun and Boardwalk Hotel and Casino, all in Las Vegas: Circus-Circus and Silver Legacy in Reno; Gold Strike and Beau Rivage in Mississippi.

Baldwin was also appointed to the MGM Mirage board of directors in 2000, where he continues to serve as a board member.

One of Baldwin's current projects at MGM is overseeing the creation of Project CityCenter, a multi-billion dollar, mixed-use urban development project underway on the central Las Vegas Strip.

Project CityCenter is the largest privately funded development in U.S. history, according to MGM Mirage, and will create a mini-city with a casino resort and high-rise residential areas, with its own fire station, on-site power plant and lots of pedestrian space.

It is a project that could revolutionize the city of Las Vegas, and Baldwin is the man at the wheel to make it happen.

You would think all his work for MGM would have left him with very little time for poker. However, he did continue his tournament play fairly successfully for several years. Between 1986 and 1995 he had six more cashes at the World Series of Poker.

He was inducted into the WSOP Hall of Fame in 2003, and though he may not always be at the tournament felt, you can occasionally find Baldwin playing some cash games at the Bellagio where he takes a seat with Brunson in his namesake poker room, Bobby's Room, to play in the "Big Game."

The early days of the WSOP produced many players who would be considered legends now. Next week, we'll take a look at the impact Tom McEvoy, Berry Johnston and Johnny Chan have had on the poker world since attaining Champion status.