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Ungar

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  1. Aranjuez Aranjuez is offline

    Las Vegas, NV
    United States

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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 11:29am)

    Apparently there was a Stu Ungar special on ESPN yesterday. I didn't see the show, but out of boredom I did a bit of searching online for Stuey stories. I found some stuff on his wikipedia page that I never heard before:

    "Ido died of a heart attack before Stuey became a teenager. Following his father's death, with his mother being virtually incapacitated by an illness as well, Ungar was befriended by Genovese family soldier Victor Romano. Romano, whose memory was so sharp he could recite the spelling and definition of any word in the dictionary, shared the same penchant and interest for calculating odds while gambling that Ungar did and the two became so close that Romano acted in a father figure role to him.
    Ungar was infamous for routinely criticizing aloud the play of opponents he felt were beneath him. However, his relationship with Romano combined with his ability to make money for the Genovese family from gin and poker games gave Ungar's protection from various gamblers who did not take his crass attitude and assassin-like playing style kindly. One man reportedly tried to hit him in the head with a chair in a mafia-run bar after Ungar defeated him. The man was found a few days later, shot to death."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stu_Ungar
  2. pageh656 pageh656 is offline

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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 11:52am) in reply to Aranjuez

    Ya the book about him is really good it has all those parts of his life. I don't enjoy reading all that much but i read that book in about a day.
     
  3. Scha Scha is offline Creator of SchaArcade & SchaCam

    Trondheim
    Norway

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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 12:00pm) in reply to pageh656

    I finished it in 3 days... Most entertaining book Ive ever read. I ordered it while pokerstars had autographed copies for silverstars.
  4. ShortStack3 ShortStack3 is offline

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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 12:06pm) in reply to Scha

    Whats teh name of that book?
  5. Scha Scha is offline Creator of SchaArcade & SchaCam

    Trondheim
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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 12:07pm) in reply to ShortStack3

    One of a kind by Nolan Dala
  6. DPCartel DPCartel is offline

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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 12:51pm) in reply to Scha

    To be honest I read the book and I enjoyed it but at the same time it was really depressing. He had so much talent yet he messed it all up with all the decision he made outside of poker.

    I would recomend this book to all the younger players who have had great success online and hopefully they'll know what to stay away from.
  7. ganja=man ganja=man is offline

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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 2:14pm) in reply to Aranjuez

    <OBJECT height=350 width=425><PARAM NAME="movie" VALUE="http://www.youtube.com/v/PY3q0hYTjX0"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PY3q0hYTjX0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></OBJECT>
  8. grapsfan grapsfan is offline Head Curmudgeon

    Rosemount, MN
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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 2:27pm) in reply to Aranjuez

    The documentary was stellar. I hope they run it again a few more times during WSOP coverage, that it shows up on commercial DVD, that it's available via BitTorrent sometime soon...something. Everyone should see this.

    It won't tell you anything particularly new if you've read Dalla's book, as it's obvious that Nolan was the source behind the documentary as well. It even uses the audio recordings that Dalla made when starting taking notes for a book with Stuey. The documentary also had lots of video clips (including from the 1980 WSOP, which I've yet to find on video...if anyone has it, please PM me). Interviews with Mike Sexton, Doyle, Madeline and Stefanie Ungar, Don McNamee (Stuey's friend who tried to clean him up in the last few years), Billy Baxter, and many others.

    For my money, Stuey was one of the most fascinating, tragic characters in modern America. I think it's very important, during this poker boom, that as many people as possible are introduced to his genius, his flaws, and his legacy.
     
  9. OldGrowth OldGrowth is offline

    Woodinville, WA
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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 3:31pm) in reply to Aranjuez

    the guy was a degenerate...I have his book AND saw the movie. He is NOT a hero but he WAS a damn good poker player
  10. Admiral Admiral is online now

    Boulder, CO
    United States

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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 3:43pm) in reply to OldGrowth

    IS that the same victor romano mob person who founded the Macaroni Grill
  11. jtown1010 jtown1010 is offline

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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 3:51pm) in reply to Admiral

    no
  12. sirrrrrr sirrrrrr is offline

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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 4:49pm) in reply to jtown1010

    my take on ungar for what it was worth was that everyone shook him down and was a hater, cuz he was the only one who was legitimately good at poker- he came in ontop of the gin world all ready everyone else is just a bitch
  13. Aranjuez Aranjuez is offline

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    Jul 30th, 2006 (7/30/2006 4:54pm) in reply to sirrrrrr

    Nobody doubts his remarkable talent. They are only dissapointed to see a great person with an amaking amount of potential snort blow until his nose decayed.
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