If you play the game of poker, then you no doubt have your own stories about winning big pots, suffering horrific bad beats, and having arguments with fellow players. So you can only imagine some of the legendary stories that have taken place across the world. Actually…you don’t have to imagine at all since here are 10 of the greatest poker stories in history.
10. Brunson’s 10-2 wins back-to-back WSOP Main Events.
The feat of winning back-to-back World Series of Poker Main Events is already a pretty rare accomplishment – it’s only been done 3 times. However, it is an even rarer feat that you would win the Main Event on a poor hand like 10-2….twice! But that’s exactly what poker icon Doyle Brunson did when he won the WSOP with a final hand of 10-2 in two straight years (1976 and 1977). The nickname for 10-2 is now known as a Doyle Brunson.
9. 1919 World Series fixer killed over a poker game.
The most infamous day in baseball history was the 1919 Major League Baseball World Series where several Chicago White Sox players combined to throw the Series to the Cincinnati Reds. After throwing the World Series, it eventually came out that American crime boss Arnold Rothstein was behind the fix. 9 years later, after he put a black eye on baseball, Rothstein ran up a $320,000 poker debt during a single game. After refusing to pay the debt, Rothstein was mortally wounded after being shot and died in a hospital.
8. Richard Nixon starts political career through poker winnings.
America’s 37th President Richard Nixon may have foreshadowed the odd ending to his political career by the way in which he originally acquired his campaign funding. An extremely successful player during his days in the Navy, Nixon was able to finance his run at Congress in 1946 through the money he earned from poker. Eventually, Nixon would give up playing poker to improve his image so he could be Dwight Eisenhower’s Vice Presidental candidate in 1952. Years later, Nixon’s could do nothing to improve his image when he resigned from the Presidency in 1974, following accusations of money laundering and bribery during his term as Maryland’s Governor.
7. Howard Lederer eats a $10,000 cheeseburger.
After his gastric bypass surgery, Howard Lederer vowed to maintain a healthier diet, and became a vegan in the process. As part of his vegan status, Lederer steered clear of heavy, animal-based products like cheeseburgers. In an attempt to make Lederer break his vegan vows, David Grey dangled $10,000 in front of Howard agreeing to give him the cash if he ate the burger. $10k proved enough to make Lederer a carnivore for a few moments.
6. Johnny Moss takes $4 million off Nick the Greek.
If you’re looking for legends, look no further than Nick the Greek (a.k.a. Nick Dandolos) who is perhaps one of the best stories in all of gambling. Dandolos was famous for winning huge amounts of money only to lose it later on. And it’s the losing that he is best known for throughout the poker world. Nick the Greek’s legendary loss came at the hands of WSOP Johnny Moss in a five month-long poker game. During the five month span, Moss was able to take a total of $4 million from Nick the Greek, thus emptying his pockets.
5. Phil Ivey and “The Corporation” take down billionaire Andy Beal
There’s high stakes poker, and then there is just ridiculous stakes poker. Beal Aerospace Technologies founder and billionaire Andy Beal only knows the latter as he proved when he took on a number of professional players in one of the biggest poker games in history. The collection of professional players came to be known as The Corporation. This group consisted of Jennifer Harman, Doyle Brunson, Gus Hansen, Barry Greenstein, Ted Forrest, Chip Reese, Howard Lederer, and Todd Brunson. The games involved so much money that The Corporation had to pull their funds together in order to play Beal. Initially, Beal was successful in defeating these players as he earned over $10 million in profit. However, Phil Ivey showed up to save The Corporation, and take $16.6 million off of Beal.
4. “Poker Alice” becomes the first female poker legend.
Long before Barbara Enright became the first woman to win a WSOP bracelet in an open event, Poker Alice was hustling men for money all over the Wild West. Originally a native of England, Poker Alice moved to Colorado in the 1800’s where she learned to play poker by watching her husband. After his death, she took up poker as a career and made enough money playing the game to retire. Her poker days weren’t without controversy though as she shot two men; one of which died.
3. Ted Forrest’s marathon prop bet.
Ted Forrest has always been a fairly athletic guy having competed in numerous sports throughout his high school days. However, he took his athletic prowess to the brink in a prop bet against fellow poker pro Mike Svobodny. During a tournament, Svobodny bet $7,000 that Forrest couldn’t run a marathon around the track at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Never one to back down from a challenge, Forrest accepted Svobodny’s challenge and ran the 104-plus laps around the track in 100 degree heat. The track got so hot that Forrest’s shoes started melting on the asphalt; he would later go to the hospital because of injuries to his feet.
2. “Wild” Bill Hickok killed during a poker game.
Part lawman, part gunslinger, all gambler….”Wild” Bill Hickok carved his name out on the Western frontier through incredible feats as well as incredible tall tales. While some of Hickok’s story is fictionalized, the part about him being a big gambler was definitely true. Unfortunately for Wild Bill, his love of gambling would eventually lead to his downfall during a poker game in Deadwood, South Dakota. While Hickok was playing at Saloon No. 10, a buffalo hunter by the name of Jack McCall walked in and shot him in the back of the head. The hand that Hickok was holding, a pair or black aces and black 8’s, is now known as “Dead Man’s Hand”
1. Chris Moneymaker starts the “Poker Boom”.
Many people who start playing poker often dream of becoming a true rags-to-riches story through the game. However, it’s pretty rare that someone actually pulls this kind of feat off….and becomes an international celebrity as a result. Accountant Chris Moneymaker shocked the world when he earned his way into the 2003 WSOP Main Event via a $40 satellite. Moneymaker would go on to win the event, and the $2.5 million that came with it. Inspired by Moneymaker’s story, people have been flooding online poker sites ever since.
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