Poker Player: Stu Unger
The basic reason for why Stu switched from gin to poker was that Stu was a bit too good at it. So good was he, that no player could equal him. Even the commonly called professionals who were meant to be the greatest at gin were defeated when they faced Stu Ungar. One such gin masters was Harry Stein, called, "Yonkie". Mr. Stein was handed such a debilitating beating at the hands of stu that he apparently stopped competing in it as a pro and never resurfaced at a gin rummy tournament.
Accordingly, with a reputation like that it was not too long before people became afraid of gambling against Stu Ungar. He could find no matches and in his desperation he began doing something no one had performed before. Stu presented starting handicaps to potential opposing players in the wish that they may play against him if they believed they held an advantage. He deliberately started from a disadvantageous position and one account has it that he even played with a constant absconder. Mid contest, he get advice that the absconder was at it once again but stu stated that he was aware of the dishonestly and he would still come away with a win, which he did, of course.
The same problem followed Stu Ungar into sin city. He won so frequently that the poker rooms started asking him not to play in their rooms anymore. The basis for it was that other casino players refused to be seated at the table if he were seated.
Stu Ungar is remembered more for his achievements in texas holdem poker but he himself always insisted that he was a whole lot more accomplished at gin rummy.
He beat Doyle Brunson in the World Series of Poker in 1980 to become the youngest world champion. Due to his features that made him seem far younger than he really was, he got the nickname, "The Kid".