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The main reason why Mr. Ungar changed from gin rummy to poker was that Stu was a bit too good at it. So skilled in fact, that no one could stand up to him. Even the so-called champions who were supposed to be the greatest at gin rummy were blow away when they competed against Stu. One such gin professionals was Harry Stein, nicknamed, "Yonkie". Mr. Stein was handed such a crushing beating at the hands of stu that he apparently stopped competing in it professionally and never resurfaced at a gin tournament.

Accordingly, with a notoriety like that it was not too long before players became afraid of wagering against mr. ungar. He couldn’t find any games and in his bleakness he began doing something no one had done before. He began offering starting handicaps to likely adversaries with the high hopes that they may play opposed to him if they believed they held an advantage. He deliberately began from a negative arrangement and one story has it that stu even competed against a constant absconder. Mid contest, he received a few words of wisdom that the cheater was at it once again but mr. ungar assured that he was aware of the fraudulent activity and he would still come away with a win, which he did, of course.

The same trend followed Stu Ungar into vegas. He won so much that the casinos started asking him not to play in their rooms anymore. The reason for it was that other casino visitors would not sit at the table if Stu was seated.

Stu Ungar is remembered better for his achievements in texas hold’em poker but he always maintained that he was a whole lot more accomplished at gin rummy.

He defeated Doyle Brunson in the World Series of Poker in Nineteen Eighty and became the youngest world champion. Because of his features that made him appear far younger than he was, he was nicknamed, "The Kid".