The Greatest Poker Hand in History That Left Pros Speechless

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[@Psidawg]

usux

[@burtonfisher6244]

I was a dealer there... I can vouch for this story as happening the way it did in this story. Stuey would often call players cards. Most times by suit... How can there be any doubt of stueys' dominace?

[@johnzimmerman340]

The myth that Unger wasn't at the final table in 1990 is an urban legend. I was at Binion's that day in 1990, when Matloubi won the title, and remember Stu Unger busting out and leaving the table by finishing ninth. He won $25,000. He may have arrived late,. I don't remember. But he did bust out as the result of play.. ​ I specifically recall him leaving the final table in ninth place. He was there, though he may have arrived late. He wasn't blinded out. I was also at Binions in 1997 when Unger won the championship for the third time.

[@EllieBanks333]

It was day 3 he was found unconscious. He did return for the final table because he had so many chips that even getting blinded off while in the hospital he still made it to the final table. So the story of being found unconscious & getting blinded off is actually true, but was just prior to the final table. Who knows what could have happened if he had played as massive chip leader instead of spending the day in hospital.

[@EllieBanks333]

@@johnsmith1487 I agree. His trip to the hospital was just prior to the final table. He made the final table because he had so many chips that even getting blinded off while in hospital he still got into the final 9.

[@EllieBanks333]

@@johnsmith1487 I hope my second explanation is understandable? I assume English is your native language?

[@burtonfisher6244]

Dealt this tourny. I have a few stories of stuey myself... Lol. This story with matloubi is very true. Often stu would call out the exact cards of a player. He did this one time while i was in the playing against david baldwin. The former boss of the mirage

[@brucesmith9092]

@@burtonfisher6244 I would absolutely *LOVE* to hear some of your stories about Stu!! When he called out the "exact" cards, did he ever also call out the specific suits? Thanks in advance if you can find the time to tell your stories.

[@fishjj76]

The irony is that Stu was better at gin than poker. Problem was that he was so good nobody would play him.

[@bobmartin8743]

He was a great poker player but it is in Gin Rummy that he was the greatest of all time.

[@realplonk]

the greatest gin player of all time, he was unbeatable

[@slickric1027]

"Stu Ungar The High Roller Story" is a great movie/Documentary about him. You should check it out if you haven't seen it

[@mysocalledknife07]

Stu's understanding of Holdem was about 25 years ahead of its time.

[@magicllama9614]

And it wasn't even his BEST game.... that's crazy

[@Whatzzzz999]

Yep! - and check out his record at gin rummy. Unbelievable, was he telepathic??

[@SBoyd49097]

…so was his understanding of marked cards. Roflmao you think he’s gonna put all that money in on a strong hope that his ten high was good?

[@fracritel]

@@SBoyd49097 call BS. It was an idiot Savant that could read people better than most. Plus he had an unbelievable mind for numbers and cards and things like that.

[@realplonk]

@@SBoyd49097 dumb post

[@Nitemare61313]

Stu played cards from a very very young age. His dad had a social club in Little Italy in NYC, and everyone wanted to play Stu. His game back then was gin rummy. After only a few plays, he would tell his opponent what he had in his hand. That was the start of his journey. RIP Stu...xoxo

[@mattc3581]

I believe he admitted that someday someone might be better than him at poker, but claimed nobody would ever be better at gin.

[@OP-oj9od]

Not saying Ungar wasn't great, he definitely was the greatest gin player to ever play the game, but to know the opponent's exact hand after a few plays is just not possible.

[@mattc3581]

@@OP-oj9od True, you couldn't know exactly, but I guess he got a very good idea very quickly. And there were many rumours about how good he was or wasn't but fair to say I've never heard of another game or sport where someone was banned from playing the world championships for being too good.

[@parkerbohnn]

@@mattc3581 Bill Kazmaier was banned from the World's Strongest Man competition for winning too many years in a row. 3 years in a row. and then they banned him for being too good or too strong.

[@Scott-wq5lk]

Ungar challenged Matloubi to a series of 50K matches, not just one. The story of the hand is correct though.

[@timmccafferty8949]

I knew Stu Ungar, and not proud of it. Crank or Coke, throwing cards at dealers, and when he got into it with another player, it was all SECURITY!! He was a runt who helped his Grandma cheat at canasta, or gin rummy while sitting on her lap drouling. He would spot every hand, and all but play the hand himself without anyone but him and his Grandma would know. He could count the deck better than anyone I ever seen, and he never missed a tell. He would win big money, and blow it on the one game he could not master. HI -Low Split. He would get busted every time.

[@brianzembic]

I’ve met Stuey several times. He was in seat two in a stud game. I was sweating my friend Petite Joe in seat 7. Heads up to the river. Words were said back and forth. Now stuey often had a strong arm beside him. At this time his strong arm was sweating him. Stuey yelled something. Joe said. What are you going to do to me Stuey? Send your hit man over here and try and get your $ back? Stuey picked up his losing hand and whipped them across the table at joe calling him a fat $uck. We laughed it off as stuey left the table. I’d run into Stu playing Chinese poker in New York after that against Steve Z and Harry. I was surprised to have him say hello to me knowing my name. At that time 500$ a point Chinese poker was as big as it got. Next encounter was I am thinking it was the mirage as that’s where the games were. I was sitting with Petite Joe at an empty table. Stu came up with a face as White as a ghost asking if joe would give him cash for two one thousand dollar chips from the pit. I said. Geez Joe, he must owe the pit money and can’t cash em but he looks horrible. Within a day or two. The bad news. Only a few giants from years back. Chip, Doyle, stuey. There was more of course but I was friends with chip and Doyle. Next gen was Huck Seed and the Dane Gus. Years fly by but what stories I’ve seen. All stranger than life.

[@chrishamilton1678]

I bet u have a million crazy stories...thanks for sharing! 🤯🤯🤯🤯

[@ande9568]

People like you should be interviewed and stories pieced together... a lot goes away when the greats but also the observers of the old days pass away :(

[@ryanwilliams_1987]

You the dude that got breast implants?

[@PrithviRamachandran-jf5ty]

You really should find a platform to share more of these stories! I’m sure there are many folks who would take great delight in them..

[@Asdayasman]

Have you read the story about the guy who can write in multiple paragraphs? Easy read.

[@2msvalkyrie529]

They searched " frantically ".....? And found him in his hotel room....?!?! Wow ! It's just like Sherlock Holmes...

[@nytobake3543]

Honey! He called me with 10 high 😂

[@zf5656]

Lmao

[@Dariusknight]

I mean, I can see the logic in Ungar's call and clearly he red the situation perfectly, but man that takes the biggest pair of brass ones to hero call for that much with just 10 high.

[@chrisyasus8912]

Anything Unger is killer content. Best book on earth!

[@blake_lively_matters6553]

Who the fuck is Unger?

[@chrisyasus8912]

@@blake_lively_matters6553 book called one in a million

[@DaveFu]

"I've seen Stuey make a lot of great calls, I haven't seen him make many great laydowns."

[@melstone8590]

Thank you for telling the whole story. Still a great player.

[@melstone8590]

Probably the most 'ahead of his time' play was his understanding of the value of winning pots before the flop.

[@melstone8590]

He's saying stuey erred on the side of hero calling, not hero folding

[@mikemattis1204]

He actually made a lot of great lay downs also

[@D.D.-ud9zt]

No way. He couldn't have blown all that money on sports being a bad cash player. Maybe drugged up or even stressed he could be, but he had to be good at cash when on his game.

[@douglasscovil3447]

Stu Ungar was an even better gin rummy player than he was a poker player. the reason he turned to poker was that no one would play him for money at gin rummy.

[@danielwang7793]

The completely undisputed GOAT of gin.

[@Paul-vf2wl]

I remember watching ESPN when they showed Ungar's last World Series. It was like watching paint dry without the hole card cameras.

[@baxill23]

The decision to show thhole cards when broadcasting was a game changer for the game in many ways. e

[@randomjunk1977]

I wish poker movies would put plays like this is in instead of having the hero make the "genius" play of "somehow" managing to get a guy with four of a kind to go all in so they can beat them with a royal flush.

[@acivoj86]

This hand is used in Billions tv show.

[@joeuser633]

The poker in Casino Royale with Daniel Craig was the worst example of that nonsense.

[@nikiyubari5499]

Only a poker player knows that feeling of a massive upswing. That feeling in the air. You just feel that everything works out, your mind is set and balanced. Than you try higher stakes just to double up, the 2 outer hits the river and you spend the next 1,5 years stubbing cigarettes on your armpits.

[@SorcererUB]

Billions paid tribute to this hand in season 2, with Taylor Mason holding the T9

[@Mitjitsu]

Stu Ungar made calls like this all the time. This is just one of the occasions he happened to be right.

[@patcom1013]

Stay away from gambling then, right?

[@darrell3752]

He must have been right a few times ... 3 Main Event rings ... most impressive.

[@Mitjitsu]

@@darrell3752 Smaller fields against weaker players.

[@D.D.-ud9zt]

@@Mitjitsu He also won half of the Super Bowl of Poker events which had similar fields. I'm sure he had some degree of luck but he won around half the events he entered which is insane.

[@slickric1027]

The greatest.... His documentary on him called 'Stu Ungar The high roller story" is a great watch..

[@georgesockett3316]

There will be more to Ungars read than just that one hand

[@dave9351]

5:30 it wasn't so much that Ungar called, it was because he told Matloubi his hand AND called with 9/10 high Insane perception ?

[@drewidlifestyle7883]

Ok, huge grain of salt here we know the hands. But call check check feels like waiting to hit the straight and only two hands do that then a shove looks like a scare off bet. I don’t know if I would make the call but it absolutely feels winnable given how it went down. Under probably would’ve folded to a bet on the turn

[@WordUnheard]

This is an interesting video. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that you showed a lot more of Michael Imperioli as Stu Ungar from the movie High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story than you showed the actual Stu Ungar.

[@Paul-vf2wl]

Other than 1 espn telecast there is no footage of Ungar in existence

[@jeffcarey4285]

​@Paul-vf2wl I've seen footage of him playing against perry green from the 80s. You might be right that there isn't much footage of him in general.

[@D.D.-ud9zt]

Mike looks like a steroid junkie compared to Stu.

[@Franko-eg6iu]

It a lot of footage of Stu

[@DexterHaven]

The other hand that shocked the world was Chris Moneymaker's bluff, when he won the world championship on his first try.

[@mpup54]

and Phil Hellmuths win ruined poker viewing forever because he just wont go away

[@mikemattis1204]

Pretty much everyone loves watching Phil play. Surprised you don’t know that

[@DexterHaven]

Who cares what others think? And how do you know he doesn't "know" that? You don't; you are jumping to conclusions like a fool. Speak for yourself, you tool. @@mikemattis1204

[@travharrell1713]

@@mikemattis1204 no. Pretty much everyone loves watching whiney btch phil lose and blow up.

[@awilliams5007]

@@mpup54 and you are.........? At least phils been somewhere to go away from.

[@bastymanguy]

When Stu was sniffing the powder he was unstoppable, he’d go toe-to-toe with Dwan, Ivey and Negreanu in their primes, no joke. Once he got in rhythm and in the zone it was tough to outplay given Stu’s ability to get a read on his opponents.

[@mpup54]

what does powder have to do with his playing ability?

[@FronzelNeekburm]

@@mpup54 why do they give kids ritalin and adderol?

[@williamcollins8098]

They say there is a correct way to play each hand... Stu knew👍

[@MoneyHoneyBunny]

Poker's greatest injustice is that Stu died so young and didnt get to be a part of the Poker Boom, and the modern WSOP, High Stakes Poker, Poker After Dark, all that good stuff, He deserved to be. Noone else truly won the main event 3 times, Moss was VOTED winner one of the 3 times, he didnt win 3 tournaments.

[@mpup54]

poker fields were much smaller back then, Chan winning B2B and going for a third can never happen again.

[@oldstevemurray]

I dealt to Mansour for years and he was a very impressive player but at times would not change his early decision about his opponent's hand and this often cost him the pot.

[@shaundiltz5821]

Doug Polk would have talked for 65 min on this hand. Thank you for keeping it under 10 min

[@RangeWilson]

That's because all three options are reasonable.

[@H1ghL1ghT1]

You can go ether way with this hand... @@RangeWilson

[@rambojohnj.6117]

If you want a good story, read the story about how Jack Binion banned him from his casino by figuring out which card out of 52 he took out.

[@real_jalapeno]

Send the link please

[@D.D.-ud9zt]

@@real_jalapeno That was another casino owner, sorry don't remember the name, true story though. It was set up as a challenge and Stu won money for being correct, then was no longer allowed to gamble after winning it.

[@suibora]

0:58 bruh is that Christ Moltisanti from the sopranos family? 😂

[@petec3185]

He played him in a movie

[@chrishamilton1678]

Stuie was nothing short of a genius!! When it came to cards, u might as well call Stuie...Rainman!!!

[@ericbucher8636]

But was he an excellent driver?

[@JayAr709]

BAM. The future of rock & roll.

[@mikedennehy2454]

What is Christopher Moltisanti doing in this documentary?

[@Aza23ba]

He played Stuey in a movie

[@steverice7546]

“Anybody know where I can score some blow?” -Stu Ungar

[@BarryRerack147]

Bullshit. If anyone knew where to score, it was Stu

[@toptenguy1]

Robbi : "That read is nothing. Hold my beer!"

[@toptenguy1]

I watched that Stu Ungar movie a few years BEFORE I finally got into the Sopranos. It just dawned on me that "Christopher" played him. I feel stupid hahahah

[@raswartz]

4:15 the hand

[@collinrasmussen5630]

That pic of binkey boy, the poker brat was hilarious.

[@waltermueller5184]

When the flop is bad its not hard to bluff a single player with an "all in" bet. Stu was probably waiting for that moment.

[@Smile-uwokeup-2day]

Amazing play here all in

[@xxChacaronXX]

What hands is he repping for value when he jams there? 3x? KJ?

[@yommmrr]

I think you're giving the early 90s skill ceiling too much credit. Stu was ahead of his time, but he'd be average today.

[@williamburdon6993]

I would like to see the deck they played with.

[@moniquelee3623]

"The Gambler" is a song written by Don Schlitz but it could have been written by this player.

[@dellsanders2426]

What's the name of this movie

[@justiceforall3973]

This hand took place in 1990? If that was Stu against a gto player, we still be waiting on a river move by gto player till this day!

[@louismaberry9683]

Great job!

[@telecatsermaster]

Stu Unger was one of the greatest.

[@lwc8883]

I wonder if he would have still made that call if he was the short stack. He could call and still be apive even if he was wrong. The other guy should have made his bet more valuey looking.

[@darylmixan8170]

Gotta love the quick and cheap way the movie "One of A Kind" was made... they had to rush it out during the poker boom... They got 1 good actor to play Stuey and then a bunch of horrible actors and bad screenplay... Every Treetop Straus scene was laughable... and the actor they got to play Doyle was insanely laughable... A chubby, senseless looking farmer.

[@JasonEmerson711]

I agree. A remake/new angle is needed, and wanted.

[@GabGotti3]

Why was Michael imperioli face in the beginning?

[@SL0409]

He plays stu Unger in the High rollers movie

[@robertthomasjones9278]

His big bluff against Ron Stanley was a big factor in his World Series win

[@VenZoric]

What if he only bat 8000 or 10,000 do you think Unger would’ve made the call?

[@italianwaterice9594]

yes,, cards were marked

[@blumpkinspicelatte4580]

The same demons that killed him were also what made him an incredible player.

[@adrianwolniak2515]

Overbet on such a dry board that favours your opponent somewhat - he probably has more 3s in his range - seems ridiculous. Guess it was a long time ago though!

[@steventesta6782]

Gone to soon, Stuey was a genius and his own worst enemy. 😢

[@thomasgentry6201]

Yup A card playing alcoholic and old drug addict. Sports bet nut. Genious or just A Holic life, cards, drugs, alcohol fun till its not. RIP Stuey silly to call That all in still.

[@slowery43]

thank you Cpt Obvious

[@kjsd3201]

All in with that flop with 45 was mad 😂

[@waynescoble7072]

Looks like Chris Moltisanti playing in Sopranos... Michael Imperioli

[@jimbobshambles]

The Goat.

[@markcanfield7598]

O.K., Unger has a twin brother. Michael Imperioli (Christopher on the Sopranos) is absolutely his twin!

[@realplonk]

well if he had a K on the turn he would have bet huge since he already bet huge on the flop so i think that was a big tell but who knows, stu was a better gin player than a poker player anyway... imo stu is the greatest card player in history

[@youarebad2421]

Telling my kids that’s Michael imperioli

[@dixonofdockgreen6801]

david mosley was the best player around in those days

[@JonCookeBridge]

DM was the best PLO player for a while, sure, but not NLH.

[@Vinnymarks21]

What movie is that?

[@PokerBounty]

HIgh Roller Stu Ungar

[@teashapal]

Isn’t that Chris Moltisanti from The Sopranos?

[@patwithat]

Was it j4....?

[@WesleyErasmus-o3g]

So many adjectives in such a short space of time....

[@joaosustelo5628]

Calling with 10 high and being right is a mark in history but maybe if he called with J4o high and had boobs it would be a big problem for lots of people.

[@H1ghL1ghT1]

What a bad call. T9o blocks bluffing range...

[@Playmaker-iv1wn]

This hand was played so unbelievably bad...By both of them.

[@craigdutton6072]

Arrrr 😂I know the windless sail feeling 😂and iv never played poker ♥️ in my life 😂

[@samiam7342]

Hans TUNA Lund should have won that tourney and was the BEST player in that World Series.........

[@guytaylor6891]

Hans Tuna Lund was and is one of the best poker player and all round Hustlers I’ve ever known. From playing poker to running a team of slot machine players! A true legend from Reno, Nevada!

[@samiam7342]

@@guytaylor6891 Hi, did you know that after he took that horrendous bad beat that wiped out 75% of his stack, he proceeded to play for another 3 HOURS until he almost got the chip count back to even? NOBODY has ever taken a final table beat like that had the mental energy to rebuild their stack. He was truly one of a kind :)

[@guytaylor6891]

No I didn’t know that but knowing Tuna I’m not surprised . I do know that when brad daugherty won the World Series of Poker. that people were saying that Tuna was the one who put him in action .

[@jeremyrogers6179]

I'd give anything to see Stuey high on coke and playing in a WPT tournament in these times! R.I.P.

[@howshecuttingbogman8999]

It’s like the kick heard round the world when Ray Finkle of the Miami dolphins missed a sitter. Laces out!! Knobjockey

[@terryterbush7073]

If that happened today, he would be called a cheater.

[@BarryRerack147]

He wouldn't, there's a million miles between this and someone like that Robbi who called with J 4 against Garrett.

[@paulpena5040]

@@BarryRerack147 Notice he actually called the guy's hand before throwing his hand down. Robbi couldn't even explain what the hell she was doing after all hands were revealed.

[@nikitakucherov5028]

A man calls with T high and he is a genius a woman calls with J high and she is a cheater 😮

[@Frostified]

And she is...

[@paulpena5040]

Typical simp who can't tell the difference between these hands. Go back to your wife's boyfriend and have him explain it to you.

[@saifonlawrence2044]

I am speechless !.....NOT.

[@klmorg63]

Doyle Brunson called Stu Unger the best hold ‘em player he ever saw! If Doyle thought that, I’m inclined to believe he was the best ever, to bad the drugs got him.

[@rogerp9168]

I thought he said it was Chip Reese.

[@DanMarin-lf7fe]

I got this guys book

[@gerardmeehan8240]

Coulda Woulda Shoulda

[@All-about-everything]

I make this kind of call all the time esp when it’s just a pot size bet

[@jamesfoodie2738]

wih 10 high?

[@carlreed6186]

Waiting for the spade royal flush.

[@morganspector5161]

There never was a "New Stu Ungar." Stu was sui generis. He just couldn't beat the devil.

[@p0kern1nja]

I once played during Stu ungar's rise to fame. Completely different states, but we played around the same time. I have almost nothing to do with Stu Ungar.

[@swapshots4427]

why do you keep showing Esfendiari??

[@darrenbrown7037]

I mean one would assume ungar cheated? Wasn’t a woman recently cited for cheating against Garrett with Jack high? And everyone said she cheated because it was just too ridiculous of a call.

[@justins5225]

No... One would not. Stu was a genius. The best to play ever. Without any fancy solvers, he dominated for a long time. The girl who probably cheated is a mediocre amateur at best.

[@darrenbrown7037]

@@justins5225 Her skill was enough to be playing at a table of competent poker players. Everyone was suspicious of her hero call. It wasn't even close to the hero call of Stu. Furthermore, Stu announced his opponent had either 45 or 56, meaning Stu likely had the 5 card marker or could identify it in some way. If everyone is up in arms about a J high card (which I mean, the poker community is led by a fleet of guys who consistently look down on female poker players), as you are now, assuming she's amateur at best without even know who it is. I'm just saying, I'm not convinced Stu won without some foul play. Calling an all in with 10-9 off, that's bad poker.

[@mrhumble2937]

Heads up is way different. I don't think she cheated but it was a terrible play.

[@paullentz1972]

No proof she cheated. Also, if Phil Ivey and Andy Stacks felt that Robbie had cheated...why did they not get up and leave? They continued to play with her for hours on the stream.

[@MrJSpicoli]

Her skill. lol @@darrenbrown7037

[@adrianamatlack532]

Great video.

[@PokerBounty]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@330miggs]

15" POKER HAAAAARRRRDDD

[@riddell74]

Unger read Matlubi like a book.

[@ian625]

Stueys a legend. He will dominate any of the GTO wizards today, and thats a fact.

[@tonym2513]

You realize he’s been dead almost 25 years, right? Not sure you understand ‘living legend’.

[@seanbyrne7919]

He doesn’t really qualify as a living legend in the fact that he is no longer living

[@allwrighty100]

Stuey from Family Guy?

[@Varthug]

Lolol just the overbet on the 733 flop says all u need to know 😂

[@XZOL445]

@@Varthug It's called NO LIMIT, isn't it? Today's game might as well be pot limit for how 99% of the hands are played.

[@bazzza4613]

Later on a greek gambler got ungar for + 1 million. Before the Greek later lost it all on dice

[@freedomfromreligion1701]

Gin Rummy should be named Unger Cards

[@jayprice1146]

Nobody was playing GTO poker and balancing anything at that time.

[@dellsanders2426]

What's that guy name in this and what movie is That

[@PokerBounty]

movie - High Roller: The Stu Ungar Story actor - Michael Imperioli

[@untouchable360x]

What if Stu was a master of marking cards? Just like how we thought Lance Armstrong was the greatest until we found out he was doping.

[@justshowup6207]

yeah great call, and he shows up with Ax because why not, and people would actually do that :D

[@joebrowne9217]

I was waiting for Tony soprano......!

[@chriswilson1968]

Matloubi should have folded pre.

[@cz75shadow2]

The goat ive been a fan since the 90s born 1980

[@gideonsanders6514]

Greatest hand,yeah right

[@jackjackie7061]

nowdays people call ur all in with deuce high flush draw