Poker hasn’t been around forever, but that doesn’t mean that the game doesn’t have its share of legends. Unfortunately, as time goes on these legends eventually move on, but their legacy remains forever. These three poker players may have died, but no one can debate that they were among the best to ever play the game. It is easy to forget just how modern the game of Texas Hold’em is, but it has grown to unimaginable levels in just 50 years. In this time we have seen some of the greatest poker players ever, and there are surely many more to come.
Stu Ungar is widely regarded as the best all around poker player ever, someone who can do it all without having to think twice. Chip Reese, too, was a great all around poker player and was able to dominate any form of the game. Both of these players were active into the 1990s, but Johnny Moss came just before them, around the time that Texas Hold’em was starting to solidify itself as one of the top casino games. All of these players earned World Series of Poker bracelets along with the respect and fear of anyone they ever faced.
Being a legend years ago was very different than if they were to accomplish the same thing in the 21st century. When these three players were in their prime, there was no online poker, training websites, or even books out to teach new players how to win in poker. To these guys, it was all but second nature. Ungar was a prodigy, while Reese and Moss were more methodical, but each player reserved their rightful spots in poker history.
Stu Ungar
Stu Ungar is often regarded as the player who had much more potential than he was ever able to live up to. Dying of a drug overdose in a run down hotel, it was an extremely unfortunate way for this poker genius to pass away. His competitive and thrill-seeking nature always pushed his life to the brink, and one day he just went to far.
This seems to be a common theme with poker players, the never-ending need and desire to push the limits. The highs and lows of gambling can ruin anyone, and Ungar was no exception to this rule. It wasn’t necessarily the gambling, though, that hurt Ungar. Instead, it was his adrenaline junkie spirit that always kept him looking for more. It was what made him unstoppable at the poker tables, but it was also his downfall away from the game.
Ungar won a total of five World Series of Poker bracelets in his very short career. When you consider the prolonged breaks that Ungar took, this feat becomes all that more impressive. He passed away at the young age of 45, but his legacy will definitely live on forever.
Chip Reese
Chip Reese is the one player in this group who most players of today can remember watching on TV. Like Ungar, Reese died rather unexpectedly, and still had a lot to prove in the poker world. Reese was already one of the greatest players in the history of the game, but he could have potentially gone down as one of the absolute best ever. Some even argue that he was one of the best ever, mainly because his skill set transcended the more basic and mainstream games. Instead of simply focusing on Texas Hold’em and/or Omaha, Reese ensured that he could crush any form of poker.
All of this hard work and dedication paid off when he was able to capture a bracelet for his win in the 2006 World Series of Poker H.O.R.S.E. $50,000 buy in event. This is often considered the most prestigious tournament in poker, and the fact that he won it is a testament to just how talented Reese was. Aside from this, the heads up battle in this tournament was one of the most epic to ever take place, with Reese and Andy Block battling it out for what seemed like an eternity. In the end, though, Reese proved that he had what it took to be crowned champion.
Johnny Moss
Johnny Moss is an old time poker legend. Back when players actually voted on the winner of the World Series of Poker, Moss found himself atop the leader board. Winning a World Series of Poker event is one thing, but to be voted as the best by your peers is on an entirely different level. He didn’t need to be lucky in order to earn his place in poker history, instead he let his skills do the talking.
Doyle Brunson often talks fondly of Johnny Moss, and anyone who ever played with him will talk about just how good he was. Moss’ reputation is not nearly as big as it should be in poker, but this is because he passed away before the game really exploded. He did not die a premature death, but he made sure that every minute he had was put to good use, particularly when he was sitting at a poker table. When Doyle Brunson considers you to be one of the best, you know that you have made it.
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Written by Jonathan Wanchalk on August 19th, 2010
That is a picture of Puggy Pearson not Johnny Moss.
Oops, fixed.