Stu Ungar was the man and there's nothing wrong with living in the fast lane, gambling and staying high. he chose that life for a reason and probably had more fun and excitement than most of us while he was around. i'd live a shortened life too if it had as much excitement as stu's...he had more fun in forty plus years than most have in a lifetime.

what raj was saying uk pretender was stu scored a victory when his daughter was born you english twit...moron

Mabe he had to get stoned in order to have the guts to make those bets................same as Men the Master,he can't play w/o a buzz...nor can that alcoholic Scotty.

this guy must have been a sharp wiz at reading i think reading is the only way to become a genius your not born with it u find it, he loved poker and other games

I heard that the coming Stu Ungar film " High Roller" is not a well made film that depicted his life. I saw clips and trailers of it and I was very disappointed. Is it possible that they could make another film about Stu Ungar? Stefanie, the book with Nolan Dalla, did any studios buy the rights to it already? If so, we should expect another film about your dad's life to come out later in the future. I know for a fact, when i have the power, I will get it made for sure :)

I am glad your option of the movie made is the same as mine!! Yes, we are expecting a movie to be made soon. It will be based on the book my dad was in the middle of writing before he past away. There has been talk about a movie already but we still have to wait untill the book is released at the next WSOP first. This next year is going to be so exciting for me and my family as well as all my dad's fans.

The greatest ever! But just like most of the gamblers, they do drugs after a win or lose. To me, he is smarter than Einstein, more athletic than Jordan, and a greater drug user than AL Capone.

Your dad was in the middle of writing a book? Is it about his life story? Awesome.

He is the Steven Tyler of poker. Not to mention his beautiful daughter, Steph. And yes! Liv Tyler is also fine.

Anyone that talks bad about Ungar is dumb. That man is a genius, if you trash talkers played with him, he would have cleaned your clock out. Too bad you young kids weren't around to see a legend live. As for all the drugs he did, he was at least able to afford it.

Dear Stefanie, it has been great reading all the articles and comments regarding your dad. I was happy to have known your father, his mother Fay and your aunt Judy. My mother was friends with your grandfather & grandmother as well ( Fox's Corner ). Your Dad & I went to grade school and junior high together. He was a real character. Used to pay kids to do his homework & hustle the unsuspecting kids at church bazaars. My mother & Stuey were a great pair always arguing & kidding around. She would kill him in games of finger-locks & he'd scream like a banshee & beg her for mercy. They liked and understood each other - he at 10 & she at 46. I remember a few school trips we went on together and some of the jokes & hijinx we were involved in. I have some old pictures & would be happy to send you copies when I ferret them out. The last time I saw him was about 1970 attending a game at a private apartment on Sutton Place. He couldn't believe I lived there. I hoped he'd visit afterwards but the game must have gone on forever. There are still a few old school mates of his on the lower east side of NY & when we get together we share fond memories of him. I'm sorry that I never tried to contact him when I finally got to Las Vegas. Would love to hear about your Aunt Judy and to know more about you. I'll check this site frequently to find out more about any books or movies. One more story - Stuey & I were in science class & argued over some nonsense - he called me a dumb polack & I called him a crummy Jew. We went back & forth getting louder & louder --- then off to the principal's office. Punishment for both came swiftly. Happy to have known this intelligent, funny & kooky guy who was your father. God Bless to you & yours. Hope to hear from you.

Dear ragingsea, Hi how are you? There has been so many people who have claimed to know my dad growing up and it just didn't feel right but you have said some key things when you wrote me and I just have this gut feeling that your telling the truth. Thank you so much for writing me. I am going to E- mail you so we can talk more. My dad and I use to play games like finger-lock too. That would be so great to see pictures of him when he was young. I have never seen any pictures of him before he was in his mid 20's. My grandmothers house burned down and all the pictures were distroyed. I don't even know what my grandmother looked like. That's so funny to hear he use to pay kids to do his homework because I use to do the same thing. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Not that I was stupid but I just had other things on my mind. Well, I look forward to talking to you. Thanks again for writing. Stefanie

To answer the other persons question about if the book is going to be about his life... yes it is. It will be released at the next WSOP if you didn't know yet. That will be in July I believe. They have changed the date like 3 or 4 times already. Take care.

R.I.P. Stu UngarIn 1997, Stu Ungar had to borrow money to buy his seat at The World Series of Poker from a friend of his. When he won the tournament he repaid his friend with $500,000 of his $1,000,000 winnings. What was his friends name?

I think it was an anonymous backer....maybe it was bob stupak??

No it wasn't either. It was Billy Baxter.

over-rated. you idiots overlook the most important factor in poker: LUCK. poker is a game that is about 70% luck and 30% skill. i dont care if you know exactly what everyone at the table is holding, you can still lose. Even Doyle Brunson said that he doesn't know what makes someone a great poker player, he cant explain it. That one mysterious quality that you maust have to be a successful player is luck. I dont care if you agree with me or not, if you have ever played the game you know deep down you agree.

stefanie,I was hoping you could email me, I'm sure many ask you to do that but I wanna make sure I can learn from you and your dad's experiences, I feel I am in a VERY similar situation to him in so many ways... I saw High roller and felt this could not be very accurate truly to Stu's life... My dad and most of my family also grew up in that part of NY, I am too Jewish, was Bar Mitzvah'ed(spelling) etc.. I too hated school though did just finish college due to my folks pushing me and me wanting to accomplish that before leaving for Las Vegas.. I want to talk to you and hope I can learn much from your dad's book, as I am highly considering a career as a professional gambler, though I do NOT play poker or gin etc.. Do you practice Judaism at all like your dad's side of the family? Can you possibly email me so we can chat, I would love to have a friend there for when I make my move to Vegas and learn the ropes a bit.. Hope all is well, you seem very articulate, bright, and super sweet.. take careMike (Jmaguire11@yahoo.com)

STEF you seem so strong and admirable there is sooooooooooooo much strength in someone like you. How did you become who you are today can u give us young women some advice as to how you handle everything. thanks

Stefanie, I am so happy that your father (the greatest poker/gin rummy player that ever lived in my opinion ) is going to get some recognition in the way of movies and a biography. I only pray they do him the justice he deserves. You may find this funny but I actually keep a framed portrait of him in my den to look at when I need a little poker inspiration ( a shot of him in 1997 WSOP ) Which was the greatest poker comeback of all time and if I remember correctly, you played a major role in his determination for this win. I know you might be heading into some very busy times but if you do ever have time, it would be so fantastic to just get a quick email from you so I know that you know what a great inspiration your father has been to me. My best wishes, most sincerely, Tony Martinenko

I have to respond to "girlygirl" and "hollywoodgirl777" (and also to HOMEPOKERGAMES.COM...all the same IP!!!!hmmm).Comments such as "how did you become who you are today" and "can you give us young women some advice".WTF. All we know about stef is that she is stu ungars daughter!,it is nice of her to post on here and she seems like a nice girl and obviously loved her father very much & is a credit to him in keeping his legacy alive. But all this OTT praise and requests for email correspondence from random people(not the genuine ones who knew her father) from some guy hiding behind a computer screen who wants to move to Vegas and become a pro poker player. A little bit scary really. Im sure Stef would agree. Keep up the posts though Stef....and look forward to the book.

Hiya Stef, Sweetheart I give you so much credit for taking all of this abuse from all of these nay sayers !!! You are an incredible lady !!!!! Your Dad and I used to pitch quarters on East 7th Street, across the Street from your Grandma Fagy & Grandpa Iddo's Fox's Corner Bar on Second Avenue. Your Dad Liked me so he would never play cards with me. Pitching quarters was all I could beat him at. He was a generous guy. If he walked into Sing Wu (The Local Chinese Restaurant) and you were eating, Your check was paid by Stuey, no questions asked !!! My Mother and my Aunt used to Babysit your Aunt Judy. Your Dad used to carry a shoebox with money and a deck of cards in it. Always ready for action. I wish your Dad was still around to swat these guys around like the flies that they are. Long live the legend of Stuey "THE KID" Ungar. And Stefanie God Bless you you are a beautiful lady. Sal

Saw the movie last night - thought it was lousy. Bad script, acting, directing -- a real shame because it is such an incredible story of a fascinating and complex man. The short web bigraphies are much more engaging than this lousy film, and I look forward to the book.

Stef, Call me naive but after reading response from uk defender I just realized how dumb it was to ask you for any response in this day and age. ( I think I spelt naive wrong lol ). At my age you sometimes don't think about things like this no matter how street wise you once were. To be honest, I felt like a kid again just knowing I had some type of contact with an idol I will never meet. UK defender is probably right, you should not be emailing anyone you don't know. Sorry for asking but will never say sorry for letting you know that your Dad's picture will remain on my wall as inspiration for a life long dream. My best to you Stef.

i saw the movie last night, i dont know how acurate it was, as i know very little about stu other than he won 3 braclets and was considered by many as the greatest poker player ever...i liked the movie, but to me it was fiction cause i didnt know the real story...does that make sense? was the movie accurate?if not, does his family plan to respond somehow?i heard there was another book coming out..any plans on making that into a film as well?

Seen High Roller Again Last Night The 2nd Time For Me. Can't Help Feelin Empathy For Mr. Unger He Was An Addict, And Recovery Is Ongoing, Your Never Well. Only Better. The Sad Thing Is Unger Never Took The Biggest Gamble And Tried To Beat The Odds By Stayin Straight 1 Day At A Time, No Tellin What The Man Was Capable Of Doin With His Talent

To Stephanie and all others- Stu was the best hands down. All of us have our demons, and those that are at the top didnt get there easily. The higher you get in the world, the harder you fall. That can be said of Stu, both with cards, and his personal life. As someone who has been thorugh the ups and down in both, in ways quite similar to Stu's, I have nothing but the upmost respect for the man. I don't understand how anyone can sit here and type up the most disrespectful things, when they have absolutley no idea of the struggle and pain that addictions can cause, not to mention the fates that occur to most young geniuses (look up the history.) It is true that Stu's demons overcame him, but that doesnt take anything away from the mans talent and legend. Rest in peace Stu.

Hey guys! Don't worry those comments don't bother me at all. There has not been one person who I have spoke to who liked that movie. But you all will see the true storey based on his life when our book and movie come out. It's sad because when you are considered a public figure anyone can write about your life and you can't do anything about it.

does anyone find that there seem to be several similarities between stuey and gus hanses...they both have been known to play very weak hands...and win with them consistantly...i watched the '97 wsop final table a few weeks ago on espn classic and i couldn't believe how many bluffs he showed...and was still given the respect of all the players at the table....people continued to lay down hands to him...and when they didn't he would show them the best hand...i know that gus doesn't have the credentials yet especially in the wsop...but his performances on the wpt are mid boggling sometimes...how he just always seems to know where he stands in a hand...just like ungar...am i alone????

....first of all...pat tilman died for his country doing something that your lame ass could never do...he left millions of dollars and the recognition of his teams fans to go and fight in a war...he was out there in the trenches and he died protecting your sorry, no good excuse for a life...there are many people who appreciate what he has done for this country...second...it's true that ungar had a problem and he paid the ultimate price for that...but to say that he deserved to die is proposterous...he may not have been the best money manager and he didn't have life by the balls...but hebrought poker to a new level...as far as cards go there was no one who could touch him...he gave new meaning to the term AGGRESIVE...and thats what makes a good poker player...not to mention his uncanny ablity to read player like a cheap book...he is who i strive to be like.......at the poker table...