Stu Ungar: Three-Time WSOP Main Event Champion and Poker Hall of Famer
POKER HALL OF FAME
Inducted 2001
Stu Ungar holds one of the most extraordinary records in World Series of Poker history. Known as “The Kid,” the New York card prodigy won five WSOP bracelets, including the Main Event in 1980, 1981 and 1997. His third world championship came 16 years after his second and completed one of poker’s most memorable career comebacks.
Ungar was also an elite gin rummy player before establishing himself in poker. His combination of card sense, memory, aggression and competitive instincts helped build a reputation that extended well beyond his tournament results. As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists $3,677,961 in recorded live tournament earnings, while the World Series of Poker credits him with five bracelets and $2,081,478 in career WSOP winnings.
Ungar died in 1998 at age 45. He was inducted posthumously into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2001, ensuring that a career defined by historic victories as well as serious personal struggles remains part of poker history.
⠀
Who Was Stu Ungar?
Stuart Errol Ungar was born on September 8, 1953, in Manhattan, New York. The WSOP says he grew up on Manhattan’s Lower East Side and was exposed to gambling at an early age through the social club operated by his father.
Ungar first became known as a formidable gin rummy player. His success in that game eventually pushed him toward other forms of gambling and, after moving into the Las Vegas poker scene, toward tournament poker.
His transition proved remarkably successful. According to the WSOP, Ungar entered the 1980 Main Event as his first Texas Hold’em tournament and adapted quickly enough to defeat defending champion Doyle Brunson heads-up for the title.
Readers learning the game Ungar mastered at the WSOP can review How to Play Texas Hold’em Poker.
⠀
Stu Ungar's Five WSOP Bracelets
Ungar won five World Series of Poker bracelets across No-Limit Hold’em, Deuce-to-Seven Lowball and Seven Card Stud.
His bracelet victories were:
1980 $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event
1981 $10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball
1981 $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event
1983 $5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud
1997 $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event
Three of those victories came in poker’s most famous tournament.
⠀
Back-to-Back WSOP Main Event Championships
Ungar’s first WSOP Main Event victory came in 1980. The tournament drew 73 entries, and he defeated Doyle Brunson heads-up to earn $385,000.
He returned the following year and successfully defended the championship. The 1981 Main Event attracted 75 entries, with Ungar defeating Perry Green heads-up and collecting $375,000.
Winning consecutive Main Events placed Ungar in extremely rare company. According to the WSOP, Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar and Johnny Chan are the only players to have won the Main Event in back-to-back years.
Ungar also won another bracelet during the 1981 series, capturing the $10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball event before winning the Main Event. That made 1981 a two-bracelet WSOP for Ungar.
⠀
The 1983 Seven Card Stud Bracelet
Ungar demonstrated that his tournament ability was not limited to No-Limit Hold’em.
At the 1983 World Series of Poker, he won the $5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud event. The tournament drew 44 entries, and Ungar earned $110,000 for the victory.
The result became his fourth WSOP bracelet and provided additional evidence of his ability across different poker disciplines.
⠀
Stu Ungar's 1997 WSOP Main Event Comeback
Ungar’s fifth and final bracelet became the defining tournament result of his later career.
He returned to the top of the poker world at the 1997 WSOP Main Event, 16 years after winning his second championship. Ungar defeated a field of 312 entries and beat John Strzemp heads-up to win the $1 million first prize.
The victory gave Ungar his third Main Event championship.
As of August 2026, the WSOP identifies Ungar and Johnny Moss as the only players credited with three WSOP Main Event victories. Moss won in 1970, 1971 and 1974, while Ungar won in 1980, 1981 and 1997.
That record is central to Ungar’s historical significance. Tournament poker changed substantially between his first championship and his last, yet he was able to return after a long gap and win the game’s signature event again.
⠀
Stu Ungar's Tournament Earnings
As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Stu Ungar with $3,677,961 in recorded live tournament earnings and a career-best live cash of $1 million.
The WSOP separately lists $2,081,478 in career World Series of Poker winnings.
Those figures measure recorded tournament results rather than the total amount Ungar won or lost through all forms of gambling during his lifetime. His career included extensive cash-game and gin-rummy play that is not represented by a live tournament database.
Because historical tournament records can differ in coverage, the source matters when evaluating career totals. The Hendon Mob figure is the appropriate reference for his recorded overall live tournament earnings, while the WSOP figure covers his results in World Series of Poker competition.
⠀
What Made Stu Ungar Such a Formidable Card Player?
Ungar built his reputation first through gin rummy and later through poker. Accounts of his career consistently emphasize his exceptional recall, ability to process card information and skill at identifying opponents’ tendencies.
The WSOP describes Ungar as a card-game prodigy and notes the speed with which he adapted during the 1980 Main Event. His results also demonstrate unusual versatility: four of his five bracelets came in forms of poker other than simply repeating the same tournament, with victories in No-Limit Hold’em, Deuce-to-Seven Draw and Seven Card Stud.
Ungar became particularly associated with fearless, aggressive tournament play. That approach was especially effective in No-Limit Hold’em, where pressure, timing and the ability to evaluate an opponent’s likely holdings can be as important as the cards themselves.
His reputation should not be separated from the objective record. Three Main Event championships and five total WSOP bracelets provide measurable evidence of his success against top-level competition.
⠀
Personal Struggles and Death
Ungar’s career also included prolonged problems with drug addiction and financial instability. Those struggles affected his health and repeatedly interrupted a poker career that otherwise produced some of the game’s most significant tournament achievements.
Ungar died in Las Vegas in November 1998 at age 45. PokerNews reports that Clark County authorities determined his death resulted from a heart condition associated with the effects of his lifestyle rather than an acute drug overdose.
His death came roughly 18 months after the 1997 Main Event victory that had returned him to the center of the poker world.
⠀
Poker Hall of Fame Induction
Stu Ungar was inducted posthumously into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2001.
The honor recognized a tournament record that remains exceptional decades later. His five WSOP bracelets alone place him among a select group of multiple-bracelet champions, while his three Main Event titles give him a distinction shared only with Johnny Moss.
His career also connects different eras of professional card playing. Ungar developed his skills in traditional gin and gambling circles before becoming a champion during the early decades of the WSOP. His final Main Event victory came as tournament poker was beginning to grow toward the much larger fields that would define the following decade.
⠀
Stu Ungar's Legacy in Poker
Stu Ungar’s legacy rests on more than a reputation for natural card-playing talent.
His tournament record includes concrete achievements that remain historically important: five WSOP bracelets, consecutive Main Event victories, three total Main Event championships and a Poker Hall of Fame induction.
The 1997 victory gives his career an especially unusual shape. Few champions in any competitive field have returned after such a long gap between signature titles. Ungar went 16 years between his second and third Main Event wins.
His story also carries a more difficult dimension. Extraordinary competitive success existed alongside addiction and instability that shortened both his career and his life. A complete assessment of Ungar therefore includes both the brilliance of his achievements at the table and the circumstances that prevented his career from continuing.
Decades after his final tournament victory, the records remain. Stu Ungar is still one of only two players credited with three WSOP Main Event championships, and his five bracelets continue to place him among the most accomplished players in World Series of Poker history.
⠀
Frequently Asked Questions About Stu Ungar
How many WSOP bracelets did Stu Ungar win?
Stu Ungar won five World Series of Poker bracelets. Three came from WSOP Main Event championships, while his other two came in a $10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw Lowball event in 1981 and a $5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud event in 1983.
⠀
How many times did Stu Ungar win the WSOP Main Event?
Ungar won the WSOP Main Event three times, in 1980, 1981 and 1997. As of August 2026, the WSOP lists Ungar and Johnny Moss as the only three-time Main Event champions.
⠀
Did Stu Ungar win the WSOP Main Event in consecutive years?
Yes. Ungar won in both 1980 and 1981. He is one of four players the WSOP recognizes as having won back-to-back Main Events, along with Johnny Moss, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan.
⠀
How much did Stu Ungar win in live poker tournaments?
As of August 2026, The Hendon Mob lists Stu Ungar with $3,677,961 in recorded live tournament earnings. His largest recorded live cash was the $1 million first prize from the 1997 WSOP Main Event.
⠀
How much did Stu Ungar win at the WSOP?
The WSOP lists Ungar with $2,081,478 in career World Series of Poker winnings.
⠀
What was Stu Ungar's nickname?
Ungar was widely known as “The Kid,” a nickname also listed on his official WSOP player profile.
⠀
Was Stu Ungar a Poker Hall of Fame member?
Yes. Stu Ungar was inducted posthumously into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2001.
⠀
When did Stu Ungar die?
Stu Ungar died in November 1998 at age 45, approximately a year and a half after winning his third WSOP Main Event championship.
⠀
Why is Stu Ungar important to poker history?
Ungar’s place in poker history is anchored by his three WSOP Main Event championships, five total bracelets and success across multiple poker disciplines. His 1997 championship, 16 years after his previous Main Event win, remains one of the most notable comeback victories in the tournament’s history.