The primary reason why Stu changed from gin to poker was that Stu was a bit too skilled at it. So skilled in fact, that no player was able stand up to him. Even the commonly called professionals who were supposed to be the greatest at gin were devoured when they faced Stu Ungar. One of these gin player was Harry Stein, nicknamed, "Yonkie". Mr. Stein was handed such a debilitating beating at the hands of mr. ungar that he allegedly quit playing it as a pro and never resurfaced at a gin rummy tournament.
Certainly, with a image like that it wasn’t too long before people became weary of gambling against stu. He couldn’t find any games and in his bleakness he started doing something no one had attempted before. He offered beginning handicaps to likely opposing players with the high hopes that they might just play against him if they believed they had an advantage. He deliberately began from a bad arrangement and one account has it that stu even competed with a regular cheater. Mid game, he received a few words of wisdom that the absconder was at it once more but mr. ungar assured that he was aware of the chicanery and he would still win, which he did, of course.
The same problem followed Stu Ungar into vegas. He won so much that the casinos began asking him not to bet on their rooms anymore. The explanation why was that other poker room clients refused to sit at the table if Stu was playing.
Stu Ungar is recalled better for his achievements in hold’em poker but he himself always said that he was far more accomplished at gin rummy.
He defeated Doyle Brunson in the WSOP in Nineteen Eighty to become the youngest world champion. Because of his features that made him seem far younger than he really was, he was nicknamed, "The Kid".