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Poker icon 'Amarillo Slim' Preston, 83
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Scott Brady
Apr 29, 2012, 5:35:30 PM4/29/12
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Poker legend "Amarillo Slim" Preston, who dominated the tables long
before the game's massive growth in popularity, died Sunday morning
after a long illness at the age of 83.
Born Thomas Austin Preston Jr., Preston became one of poker's most
accomplished cash-game players. Recognized by his Stetson cowboy hat
and ostrich skin boots. The 6-foot-2-inch Texan, who never weighed
more than 175 pounds, won the World Series of Poker's Main Event in
1972 and earned a total of four individual event championship
bracelets in his career, the last coming 1990, long before online
poker and televised poker events.
Preston, who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1992, last
cashed in a World Series of Poker event in 2008. According to the
World Series of Poker, Preston had career earnings of roughly $438,000
in tournament events.
Preston had been in hospice care in the past week and follow poker
icon Doyle Brunson tweeted recently that "Amarillo Slim on his death
bed."
Preston's family released a statement Sunday that was posted to the
World Series of Poker website.
"We hope everyone will remember our beloved Amarillo Slim for all the
positive things he did for poker and to popularize his favorite game,
Texas Hold'em," the family said.
Soon after winning the 1972 World Series of Poker, Preston became a
pop culture icon. He appeared frequently on network television talk
shows, including NBC's "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson and ABC's
"Good Morning America."
He also appeared on several television game shows, such as "To Tell
the Truth" and "What's My Line?"
Despite his poker accomplishments, Preston was somewhat shunned by the
poker community in recent year after he was accused of child
molestation.
In August 2003, a Texas grand jury indicted Preston on multiple counts
of indecency with a child. The felony charges were later dropped, but
Preston eventually agreed to plead no contest to misdemeanor assault
charges to protect his family, he claimed, and avoid the embarrassment
of a public trial.
Preston was fined $4,000, given two years probation and ordered to
undergo counseling.
In a 2009 interview with poker publicist and author Nolan Dalla,
Preston said the charges split apart his family because his son,
daughter-in-law and ex-wife reportedly believed the allegations.
"Yes, that was right at one time," Preston said in the interview. "But
that's not true anymore. All of them have since written letters about
these charges saying it was a big mistake and the sexual abuse never
happened."
Dalla wrote the charges robbed from Preston the respect and
appreciation from the poker community.
"While other less deserving poker players got rich and famous in
recent years, Slim missed the poker boom entirely," Dalla wrote.
Preston was known as one of the pioneers of poker's modern game. There
wasn't much that he didn't gamble on. Some of his more famous side
bets have included playing golf with a hammer against Evel Knievel,
and wagering $1 million that he could hit a golf ball over a mile. He
supposedly won this bet by having the ball slide over a frozen lake of
ice.
In his book, "Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People," one
passage reads: "If there's anything worth arguing about, I'll either
bet on it or shut up. And since it's not very becoming for a cowboy to
be arguing, I've made a few wagers in my day. But in my humble
opinion, I'm no ordinary hustler. You see, neighbor, I never go
looking for a sucker; I look for a champion and make a sucker out of
him."
Preston was born in Johnson, Ark., on Dec. 31, 1928. He grew up in
Mineral Wells, Texas, until his parents divorced, when he moved to
Amarillo, Texas, with his father.
http://www.lvrj.com/business/poker-icon-amarillo-slim-preston-dies-at-age-83-149427605.html
before the game's massive growth in popularity, died Sunday morning
after a long illness at the age of 83.
Born Thomas Austin Preston Jr., Preston became one of poker's most
accomplished cash-game players. Recognized by his Stetson cowboy hat
and ostrich skin boots. The 6-foot-2-inch Texan, who never weighed
more than 175 pounds, won the World Series of Poker's Main Event in
1972 and earned a total of four individual event championship
bracelets in his career, the last coming 1990, long before online
poker and televised poker events.
Preston, who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1992, last
cashed in a World Series of Poker event in 2008. According to the
World Series of Poker, Preston had career earnings of roughly $438,000
in tournament events.
Preston had been in hospice care in the past week and follow poker
icon Doyle Brunson tweeted recently that "Amarillo Slim on his death
bed."
Preston's family released a statement Sunday that was posted to the
World Series of Poker website.
"We hope everyone will remember our beloved Amarillo Slim for all the
positive things he did for poker and to popularize his favorite game,
Texas Hold'em," the family said.
Soon after winning the 1972 World Series of Poker, Preston became a
pop culture icon. He appeared frequently on network television talk
shows, including NBC's "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson and ABC's
"Good Morning America."
He also appeared on several television game shows, such as "To Tell
the Truth" and "What's My Line?"
Despite his poker accomplishments, Preston was somewhat shunned by the
poker community in recent year after he was accused of child
molestation.
In August 2003, a Texas grand jury indicted Preston on multiple counts
of indecency with a child. The felony charges were later dropped, but
Preston eventually agreed to plead no contest to misdemeanor assault
charges to protect his family, he claimed, and avoid the embarrassment
of a public trial.
Preston was fined $4,000, given two years probation and ordered to
undergo counseling.
In a 2009 interview with poker publicist and author Nolan Dalla,
Preston said the charges split apart his family because his son,
daughter-in-law and ex-wife reportedly believed the allegations.
"Yes, that was right at one time," Preston said in the interview. "But
that's not true anymore. All of them have since written letters about
these charges saying it was a big mistake and the sexual abuse never
happened."
Dalla wrote the charges robbed from Preston the respect and
appreciation from the poker community.
"While other less deserving poker players got rich and famous in
recent years, Slim missed the poker boom entirely," Dalla wrote.
Preston was known as one of the pioneers of poker's modern game. There
wasn't much that he didn't gamble on. Some of his more famous side
bets have included playing golf with a hammer against Evel Knievel,
and wagering $1 million that he could hit a golf ball over a mile. He
supposedly won this bet by having the ball slide over a frozen lake of
ice.
In his book, "Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People," one
passage reads: "If there's anything worth arguing about, I'll either
bet on it or shut up. And since it's not very becoming for a cowboy to
be arguing, I've made a few wagers in my day. But in my humble
opinion, I'm no ordinary hustler. You see, neighbor, I never go
looking for a sucker; I look for a champion and make a sucker out of
him."
Preston was born in Johnson, Ark., on Dec. 31, 1928. He grew up in
Mineral Wells, Texas, until his parents divorced, when he moved to
Amarillo, Texas, with his father.
http://www.lvrj.com/business/poker-icon-amarillo-slim-preston-dies-at-age-83-149427605.html
MWB
Apr 29, 2012, 6:50:06 PM4/29/12
to
Preston had career earnings of roughly $438,000 in tournament events.
I wonder how much he lost???
GO RED SOX NATION
Mark
Michael OConnor
Apr 29, 2012, 8:25:13 PM4/29/12
to
With a nickname like Amarillo Slim, how could you not be either a
poker player or a western gunslinger?
poker player or a western gunslinger?
Loki
Apr 29, 2012, 10:16:58 PM4/29/12
to
On Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:35:30 -0700 (PDT), Scott Brady
<sbra...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Poker legend "Amarillo Slim" Preston, who dominated the tables long
>before the game's massive growth in popularity, died Sunday morning
>after a long illness at the age of 83.
Read all of his books. As great a poker player as he was, he was an
<sbra...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Poker legend "Amarillo Slim" Preston, who dominated the tables long
>before the game's massive growth in popularity, died Sunday morning
>after a long illness at the age of 83.
even better story teller.
RIP.
Loki
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