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By Darci Faulkner
Through the years Tournament Poker has certainly known its share of colorful characters. The six professional players, featured in this mixed media painting by Darci Faulkner, have cemented their place in Poker History. Stu “The Kid” Ungar is still regarded by many poker insiders as the greatest pure talent ever to play the game, in his life, he is estimated to have won over $30 million at the poker table. Along with Johnny Moss, Ungar is the only three-time WSOP main event champion, winning it in 1980, 1981, and 1997.
Johnny “Oriental Express” Chan shot to fame in the late 1980s, winning the championship event of the World
Series of Poker in two consecutive years (1987 and 1988) . A videotape of
the 1988 WSOP final heads up match is featured in the movie Rounders, in which
Johnny Chan makes a cameo appearance. He almost won a third consecutive title,
but finished in 2nd place in 1989 to Phil Hellmuth. . Hellmuth who is known
as "Poker Brat" because of his perceived attitude and ego has won ten WSOP
bracelets and as of 2006, his total live tournament winnings exceed $7,200,000.
"Action"
Dan Harrington won the World Series of Poker main event once in 1995 and has
sat at three other final tables at the main event, placing 6th in 1987, 3rd
in 2003 and 4th in 2004. Thuan "Scotty" Nguyen is one of the most active players
in professional poker today, and from 2000 to 2004 he finished in the money
in more than 100 events. He won the 1998 World Series of Poker main event
and has 4 WSOP bracelets overall. Chris "Jesus" Ferguson was playing poker
even before he was 10 years old. In 1994 he began to play in tournaments in
California and in 1995 made his first trip to the World Series of Poker. Ferguson
beat T. J. Cloutier at the main event of the 2000 WSOP to win the $1.5 million
prize.
