The basic reason why Stu Ungar switched from gin to poker was that he was a tiny bit too skilled at it. So good was he, that no player was able stand up to him. Even the so-called experts who were supposed to be the most favorable at gin rummy were blow away when they competed against Mr. Ungar. One of these gin player was Harry Stein, called, "Yonkie". Harry suffered such a debilitating defeat at the hands of mr. ungar that he apparently quit competing in it professionally and never showed up at a gin tournament.
Of course, with a notoriety like that it was not too long before everyone became weary of playing against mr. ungar. He could find no matches and in his bleakness he began doing something no one had performed before. Stu issued starting handicaps to potential competitors with the high hopes that they might play with him if they believed they held an advantage. He at will played from a disadvantageous arrangement and one tale has it that he even played with a constant bad egg. Amid the game, he get warnings that the bad egg was at it again but Stu Ungar assured that he was aware of the dishonestly and he would still acquire a win, which he did, of course.
The same problem followed Stu Ungar to Las Vegas. He won so frequently that the poker rooms began asking him not to play in their respective premises anymore. The explanation why was that other casino visitors refused to sit at the poker table if he were seated.
Stu Ungar is remembered better for his accomplishments in texas hold’em poker but he himself always insisted that he was far more accomplished at gin rummy.
He defeated Doyle Brunson in the WSOP in Nineteen Eighty to become the youngest world champion. Because of his features that made him seem far younger than he was, he was nicknamed, "The Kid".
