Stu Ungar is considered to be one of the best (if not the best) poker players of all time. He was born in 1953 and he was also a professional blackjack and gin rummy player. He won the World Series of Poker Main Event three times, as well as Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker (the world's second most prestigious poker title during its time) three times.
The story you’re about to read is one of the many Stu Ungar stories from his life back in the day. It refers to one of his most famous poker hands, that occurred in a heads-up poker tournament. Ungar’s opponent was Monsour Matloubi, the 1990 WSOP Main Event champion.
Ungar, trying to prove to Matloubi that he could have won the tournament, had he not been bombed out by a cocaine overdose before the tournament’s third day, challenged Matloubi to a $50,000 freezout heads-up match.
At a certain point in that match, Ungar had about 60,000 chips and Matloubi had 40,000 chips. The blinds were 200/400. This is how the famous hand went down:
Matloubi (Big Blind): 5-4 offsuit
Ungar (Button/Small Blind): T-9 offsuit
Preflop action: Ungar raises to 1,600, Matloubi calls.
The pot is 3,200 and the flop comes 3-3-7 rainbow.
Flop action: Ungar bets 6,000. Matloubi calls.
Turn: K
Turn action: Both players check
River: Q (no flush draws on the board)
River Action: Matloubi moves all in for about 32,000. Ungar said , "You've either got 4-5 or 5-6, I call." and, within a few seconds, made the call with T-high, winning the pot – and the match.