WSOP Classic Moments – Stu Ungar Wins 1997 Main Event for Third Title

Heading into the 1997 WSOP Main Event, only one man had ever held three WSOP titles and that was Johnny Moss.  Moss was voted World Champion in 1970 and won two other titles via freezeout.  Three other players had won two Main Event titles and heading into this final table, one of those players were still in the hunt.

Stu Ungar won the 1980 and 1981 WSOP Main Event but was relatively quiet at the Main Event after that point.  Alcohol and drugs had made Ungar a shell of his former self and he even looked sick at the tables.  However, a desire to make his daughter proud had prompted him to play some of the best poker of his life.  He landed at the final table of this event joined by veteran players Mel Judah and Ron Stanley.

By the time heads-up play was reached, only Ungar and John Strzemp remained.  Ungar had to come from behind in the final hand to win the Main Event, but come from behind he did.  On a flop of A-5-3, Strzemp moved all-in holding A-8 and Ungar made the call with A-4.  Ungar had a wheel draw to go with his pair.  the turn fell a three, giving both players two pair, but Strzemp had the better kicker.  The river had to fall a card higher than eight for a chop, or a deuce to give Ungar the win.  Otherwise, Strzemp would double up.  The river fell the 2s and Ungar had won his third WSOP Main Event title and $1 Million.

Stu Ungar is the only player in WSOP history to “win” three Main Event titles.  Officially he and Moss both have three, but as stated earlier, one of Moss’ titles were by a vote.  Sadly, this would be Ungar’s last bracelet and last WSOP Main Event.  The following year, Ungar chose not to play in the Main Event.  He claimed to be fatigued but later admitted that drug use from the prior few weeks had left him in such a bad shape that he preferred to not play over playing in his condition.

Ungar continued to slide further into drug use, moving from cocaine to crack, and ultimately was found dead in the Oasis Motel on November 22nd, 1998.  The medical examiner stated that he believed the cause of death to be a heart condition as a result of drug use, but the real details of Ungar’s passing were never revealed.

Ungar was voted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2001.

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