3-Barrels of pure value including a brilliant documentary on the life and times of Stu Ungar from the crew at PokerListings, Kenny Hallaert set to wear the 888Poker patch at the World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table, and David Peters wins the Sunday Million.
Who is the greatest card player who ever lived?
Modern day folk would say Phil Ivey, but those with memories that go back a little further might well say the name of Stu Ungar.
If you discount Johnny Moss’s 1970 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event victory – as it was only via peer vote – only one player has ever won the title three times.
In 1980 Stu Ungar defeated 73 players including beating Doyle Brunson in heads-up action. The following year Ungar beat 75 players to retain his title. His third came in 1997 when he defeated 312 players.
Now you may look at those field sizes and think, ‘what all the fuss was about?’ And then you watch this fantastic documentary by PokerListings, and you realise that his third win was nothing short of miraculous.
Matt Showell manages to grab airtime with the likes of Phil Hellmuth, Mike Sexton and Ungar’s backer for his 1997 win, Billy Baxter. And we learn how Ungar became one of the greatest Gin Rummy players in the world aged 14, how he found relief in cocaine after the death of his mother, and how he failed to make the final day of the 1990 WSOP Main Event due to a drug binge – he was blinded out in ninth place.
“I always felt like he could see through the cards – he was a savant.” – said Billy Baxter.
All I see is a tragedy.
888Poker Sign Another Member of the November Nine
ESPN’s coverage of the WSOP has been perfect for 888Poker. The days where everyone seated at a table was wearing a PokerStars or Full Tilt patch are long gone. It’s all 888Poker these days, baby.
Griffin Benger and Fernando Pons were already done deals to represent the second largest online poker room in the world come game day. The stable has just gotten a little bigger. Kenny Hallaert will also wear the 888Poker patch for the Main Event.
Hallaert was the first member of the November Nine to grab a sponsorship deal when he agreed to become the Tournament Director for Unibet. The Belgian would make a successful debut at Unibet Open Copenhagen. It seems the Swede’s are open minded when it comes to helping their employees earn a few extra bucks.
ESPN’s coverage of the WSOP begins Sunday, Oct 30 at 8.30 pm and concludes Mon, Oct 31 at the 8 pm where one lucky blighter will walk away with $8m.
David Peters Wins The Sunday Million
I don’t care who you are. If you are a tournament poker player you have a goal to one day, win the Sunday Million, and David Peters has just crossed it off his bucket list.
Competing under the pseudonym ‘dpeters17,’ the star walked away with the $143,505.41 first prize one week after finishing in 16th place in the same competition. Peters has won over $5m playing online and $12m+ playing live. 5,041 players entered the $215 buy-in event.
