Virtually everybody has heard about the legendary poker prowess of Stu Ungar. The facts speak for themselves: 3 time WSOP main event champion; winner of a huge percentage of tournaments of $10,000 buyins or larger that he entered; generally regarded by other poker players as quite possibly the best NL and NL tournament player ever; he also was regarded as the world’s best gin rummy player. You may also have heard about his notorious drug usage which ultimately led to his death.
That background sets the stage for the book “One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey Ungar” by Nolan Dalla and Peter Alson.
The authors give us an insider’s look into Stuey’s personality, in particular his total disregard for money, lack of self control and true desire to win. His desire to win is best demonstrated by his gin playing. Ungar turned out to be arguably the world’s bet gin rummy player and was backed by the New York mob to play all comers. They staked him on a trip to Las Vegas to play the best players there. They tried talking him into hustling the other players, but Stuey couldn’t bring himself to lose even if it meant killing future action. His action did indeed dry up, much to the chagrin of his backers. He then tried tournament gin, but again, they eventually told him that nobody else would play if he did, so even that action dried up. It was then that he turned to poker and into gambling immortality.
You can read about his achievements in the book, but the book was much more than a rehash of wins.
Dalla and Alson paint a wonderfully complete and intimate picture of Stuey’s life. What really makes this book interesting is the fact that it started out years ago intending to be a biography co-written by Ungar himself. Due to this, there are a lot of candid quotes from Ungar which would not have been possible in interviews alone or from later books. It also includes numerous quotes from his daughter with whom Stuey tried to foster a relationship with. You can tell that this book was authored by friends of the family due to the intimate details and honesty that Ungar and his family talked about. There are also various pros who lend insight to the various aspects, both good and bad, of Ungar’s life.
The book is very professionally written with a smooth style that made nice use of direct quotes. The authors have a strong professional writing background and it shows through in the book. You can tell that the authors were friends of Ungar: the intimate details of his life really shine through, both the good and the bad. By the end of the book you can’t help but feel for the family and friends that were left behind by Ungar’s death.
I would highly recommend this book if you are interested in a poker legend who self-destructed despite friends and family who tried to help. The book is very well written and has a unique insight that no other book on the subject has. Ungar is a truly interesting character and this book offers a unique and intimate view into this troubled man’s life.
I just picked up a copy yesterday and I’m loving it.
thx for the review - i’m gonna go grab it today.
Felicia demanded I read actual poker strategy books first… but I think I’ll go pick up a copy of Stu first