Poker Legend Passes On

30th April, 2012 at 02:25:47

Source: http://www.bluffed.net

Legendary cash game player dead at 83

One of poker's legendary names passed away Sunday morning after a long illness. Famous in poker circles as "Amarillo Slim", Thomas Preston junior was 83 years old and died surrounded by his family.

Along with veterans like Doyle Brunson, Amarillo Slim was playing poker, making money and dodging the law at cash games around the United States long before the game became a mass media international phenomenon with multi-million dollar televised tournaments and prizes.

The tall Texan with a taste for Stetsons and cowboy boots achieved much in his career, winning four live tournament championship bracelets, one of them a World Series of Poker main event back in 1972. He was inducted into Poker's Hall of Fame in 1992, and played at WSOP level right up to 2008.

In the 'seventies he became a television celebrity, appearing on top talk and game shows in America.

In a statement released after his death, his family said: "We hope everyone will remember our beloved Amarillo Slim for all the positive things he did for poker and to popularise his favourite game, Texas Hold'em."

His legal problems arising from an allegation of child assault besmirched his reputation and were subsequently denied, but the damage had been done and he never attained the popular success of contemporaries like Brunson.