Steve Zolotow
One New York player who’s known for his approachable character and formidable skill is Steve Zolotow. He’s been playing poker for as long as he can remember, and he’s the first to admit that he lives and breathes the game. Way beck, he had aspirations toward the stage and the acting craft, but gambling proved the pervasive force in his life and he’s excelled at it.
Steve Zolotow
Poker isn’t the only game Steve Zolotow’s interested in. His main focus was backgammon from 1965 to 1980, but he was already playing poker back then. His was a very logical progression. When he realized in the mid 1990’s that poker was bringing him the highest rewards he naturally switched to that game. When he realized that cash games weren’t the limit of his talents he embarked on a tournament career, and really never looked back.
The high points of a long and illustrious career for Steve Zolotow came with his two WSOP bracelet wins. He won his first bracelet back in 1995 playing in the interesting $5K Chinese Poker event, to take home $112,500. He later won a prized bracelet in the incredibly popular game of Pot Limit Hold’Em, for a buy-in of $3K. In this second, bracelet-winning contest he won $243,335, and cemented his reputation as one of the best professionals in the game.
Zolotow has stated in interview that he’s somewhat disappointed to witness the rise of No Limit Hold’Em, and the way it’s come to dominate the game of poker. He loves to travel and enjoys playing at tournaments in Europe and various parts of the U.S. He’s a versatile player who loves to sit at the final table. He appreciates the many varieties of the game and the subtleties and nuances of each. He’s an old master and a genuinely nice guy who younger players can and do learn a lot from.
