Which PRO poker players have gone BROKE and NEVER recovered?

**playersonly69** · 07-21-10, 06:44 PM

If you are talking about POKER, then there are a few who have committed suicide.

But there are PLENTY of backers out there that always look for someone to back in a big tournament. And more importantly, those same guys prefer to back players in live games even more.

**Fishhead** · 07-21-10, 06:45 PM

Excellent punt Ronald......

**jjgold** · 07-21-10, 06:48 PM

Matasow

**playersonly69** · 07-21-10, 06:49 PM

Another important thing about poker "Pros" would be this.

Ususally you will hear a story of a guy who made 2 or 3 million from poker then they supposedly went broke. Then they built it back up with some backing.

Well 90% of those stories are slightly fictional. Usually the guy that won 2 million for instance did go on a bad stretch for a year or so, but they would NOT be considered broke by our standards. Sure they lost 1.4-1.8 million or so, but they still had $200,000-400,000 left. But with all of those losses, most would call that broke I guess.

They look for backers not because they are totally broke, but because they cant afford to play all summer and risk around $100,000 in tournament entry fees with that limited bankroll

**Holtgetsback** · 07-21-10, 06:49 PM

edit

**ronald** · 07-21-10, 06:50 PM

Coach, Matusow is still in the game.

**playersonly69** · 07-21-10, 06:51 PM

Originally posted by jjgold

Matasow

MIKE was never that close to being what we call broke. Hell he backed Scotty Nguyen when Scotty won his first Million.

If you watch that final table again, you will see how excited taht Matasow was when he won and throughout the whole final table

**Kaabee** · 07-21-10, 06:51 PM

there are lots of guys that don't have the cash and always have to be backed

**PRC** · 07-21-10, 06:51 PM

love the silly all caps

**ronald** · 07-21-10, 06:52 PM

Let me clarify my question because it is a bit ambiguous. I mean poker pros that are known to the mainstream, so guys that we see on TV here and there. I realize there are a bunch of pros that have never been on TV. Just talking about the main guys.

**playersonly69** · 07-21-10, 06:56 PM

The most famous guy to go "broke" in his life was Scotty Nguyen about 6 months before he won his first main event title.

Now I wouldnt have called him broke, from what I have read he was worth around $50,000 at the time or so, but he has lost around $20,000 that summer preceeding the main event. Thus he got a backer to play in the main event and won the whole damn thing. Of course there were only around 180 players in that event I believe

**ProfaneReality** · 07-21-10, 06:56 PM

Ungar but not because of his game.. most amazing thing about Ungar was the bet he accepted from Stupak that he couldn't count down a 6 deck shoe and predict what the final card in the shoe was... he did..

**Fishhead** · 07-21-10, 06:57 PM

Ronald .......there were many.

There will be many more to follow.

**playersonly69** · 07-21-10, 07:01 PM

The funninest thing that I have ever heard was when people were saying that Chris Moneymaker was broke!

I was playing in a tournament series in Tunica (basically his hometown), and he was playing in a $500 buyin tournament. Of course then everyone started to say that he must be broke to be playing with the kiddies.

Well I knew differently. I played with Chris at a live table, and he was PAID to show up at the event. He didnt pay a dime to play in the tournaments and also was expected to show up and play live poker as well since he was paid a fee to show up

**ronald** · 07-21-10, 07:01 PM

Can you name a few Fish?

**Kaabee** · 07-21-10, 07:02 PM

go read about archie karas, he got up to $40 million, quite a bit of it from poker, and blew it all on side games

**Fishhead** · 07-21-10, 07:04 PM

Originally posted by ronald

Can you name a few Fish?

I would rather not..........some may be lurking.

Not going to embarrass them.

**playersonly69** · 07-21-10, 07:04 PM

What is your definition of broke?

Virtually NONE of the guys that you have seen on TV over the past years and are household names are totally broke. Are some of them down to their last $100,000??? Well sure

**losturmarbles** · 07-21-10, 07:07 PM

too many endorsement deals out there to go broke if you make it mainstream

**Andy117** · 07-21-10, 09:48 PM

Originally posted by ProfaneReality

Ungar but not because of his game.. most amazing thing about Ungar was the bet he accepted from Stupak that he couldn't count down a 6 deck shoe and predict what the final card in the shoe was... he did..

Only one I could think of.

**OmgUrMom** · 07-22-10, 02:33 AM

Fish he is talking about well known professionals I believe. Guys who are on the poker tv shows or have played the highest stakes.. Obviously there are tons of not known professionals who went broke.

TJ Cloutier is a well known one who is now basically completely broke i think. I mean he was selling his WSOP bracelet for 3k so I have to image he is down to the bottom of the barrel.

**DeluxeLiner** · 07-22-10, 02:53 AM

yea i heard about Cloutier, and of course Ungar (so much talent, no control though). I heard that Phralad Friedman (sp?) went broke.

**OmgUrMom** · 07-22-10, 02:57 AM

Ungar could still get stakes basically up until he died though... I mean he was staked into the 97 world series main event and won it. Did he die later in 97' or was it 98'?

**KKoz9** · 07-22-10, 11:47 AM

Stuey Ungar, the consensus greatest poker player ever, died in a fleabag motel with no septum and a ravaged nasal cavity that cold barely hold up sunglasses. Despite having won an estimated $30 million during his poker career, Ungar died with no assets to his name other than the $800 found on him when his body was found 2 days after his death, likely on November 20, 1998. Friend and fellow poker player Bob Stupak took up a collection at Ungar's funeral to raise funds to pay for the services.

**haveuseenm** · 12-29-10, 11:11 PM

stuey

**will2survive** · 12-29-10, 11:15 PM

Dutch Boyd is broke

**pavyracer** · 12-29-10, 11:30 PM

When these guys play at these tournaments on TV and win a bunch of money do they keep it all?

**Waterstpub87** · 12-29-10, 11:59 PM

Originally posted by pavyracer

When these guys play at these tournaments on TV and win a bunch of money do they keep it all?

Alot of it goes to taxes. Then they have to pay the backers if they had any. The dealers expect a large tip, they got pissed at Joe Hachem because he didn't tip 10% or so. So if you won 2 million in a poker tournament you would expect to walk away with a million or so. Playing big tournaments in poker really isn't that much of a money maker cause you have to figure that you would only win a big one every few years or so. Traveling around and the buy ins would easily amount to 100000+ a year so if you won 2 million every 5 years you would make only 100,000 a year or so.

**Foals** · 12-30-10, 12:18 AM

Ungar. Really interesting story how he lived

**BeatingBaseball** · 12-30-10, 12:39 AM

Originally posted by haveuseenm

stuey

Ungar was an even better Gin player than poker player - totally dominant in that game - truly a savant.

**smitch124** · 12-30-10, 02:33 AM

I think Ungar lost most of his money sports betting not in any card games where he truly was an all time great.

**frizzelli** · 12-30-10, 02:56 AM

Heard good old Gus Hanson went broke awhile back.

**stikymess** · 12-30-10, 02:58 AM

Originally posted by smitch124

I think Ungar lost most of his money sports betting not in any card games where he truly was an all time great.

thats what i thought as well.

**mighty maron** · 12-30-10, 03:01 AM

Eskimo Clarke probably. Rumor was michael mizrachi was owing IRS a lot and that Patrick Antonious staked both him and his brother in the 50k championship. He aint broke now