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One of a Kind: The Story of Stuey “The Kid” Ungar, the World’s Greatest Poker Player Audiobook
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(3.10) - 364 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
He was a legend before he was of legal age. Stuey Ungar dropped out of high school to become an underground card-table sensation, eventually taking out every top gin-rummy player on the east coast. Bankrolled by the Genovese crime family, Ungar went on to win the World Series of Poker a record three times—then his luck began to run out.
Nolan Dalla was commissioned by Ungar in 1998 to pen his story, resulting in hundreds of hours of taped interviews and conversations. Notorious for gambling every single dollar in his pocket, Ungar won an estimated $30 million in his lifetime, but when he was found dead in a Las Vegas motel at the age of forty-five, he had only $800 in cash on his person, with no bank account or home address. One of a Kind is the startling tale of a man who won at his game and lost control of his life.
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"Excellent, unflinching history of the life of a misfit gin and poker prodigy through his own eyes and the eyes of those close to him. Chronicles his rise to championship, subsequent rises and falls, and untimely demise. An easy read about man who seemed doomed from the start."
— Susan (5 out of 5 stars)
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“A fascinating, cautionary tale.”
— Chicago Tribune -
“A standout among this year’s bumper crop of poker books.”
— New York magazine -
“[A] heartfelt, respectful, and accepting biography.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“One of a Kind is a lesson in no-limit hold’em as well as a terrifying pleasure.”
— James McManus, author of Positively Fifth Street -
“A well-written and well-researched study of the most naturally gifted and emotionally stunted card genius in the history of poker.”
— A. Alvarez, author of The Biggest Game in Town -
“Even though Stuey Ungar was perhaps the greatest poker player ever to live, his talent at card playing wasn't close to being his most compelling characteristic. Stuey was a little bit of a gangster, genius, madman, tragic hero, and cardsharp. Add it all up, as Dalla and Alson have done in captivating style, and you get one of the most unusual characters to ever appear on the Vegas scene.”
— Andy Bellin, author of Poker Nation
One of a Kind Listener Reviews
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" The rise and fall of Stuey Ungar: such a depressing waste of... everything. "
— Patrick, 1/19/2014 -
" If you're looking for an anti-drug poster child, just take a gander at that shot of Stuey with the collapsed nose...eek! Honestly, I just about dropped the book when I saw that one. "
— TrumanCoyote, 1/7/2014 -
" This is pretty much a 300 page version of the wikipedia article about him. I did learn that the MIT Blackjack Team didn't invent team counting; they just got the idea from the 1977 book The Big Player. That's on wikipedia, too. "
— Jesse, 12/25/2013 -
" The author is a friend of mine. "
— Dave, 12/7/2013 -
" Very sad book about a guy with an amazing talent. "
— Fred, 11/29/2013 -
" Another poker classic, would appeal to anyone who likes real live!! Another ive read at least 3 times. "
— Richard, 9/27/2013 -
" This is a great book based on the life of Stu Unger.. I also saw this movie, but the book is much better. Its a rollercoaster type of book, just like the way he lived his life. "
— Tmone75, 8/27/2013 -
" I really enjoyed this book as it allowed me a glimpse into the mind of one of the greatest poker players of all time. A truly gifted, but troubled, individual, Stu Ungar is both a legend and a cautionary tale for poker players. "
— Ben, 6/28/2013 -
" Pretty incredible, interesting, and very sad biography of one of Stuey Ungar. He was the best gin player to ever live, and one of the best tournament poker players. "
— Chris, 10/7/2012 -
" A really great story about Stu Ungar, poker player extraordinaire, who got involved with drugs and died too young. If you like the world of high stakes poker, this is a great read. "
— Tracy, 9/28/2012 -
" tragic story of a brilliant, but deeply flawed, poker player. "
— Brian, 9/26/2012 -
" Tragic story of a kid who rose to the highest of highs and fell to the lowest of lows. "
— Jacob, 8/7/2012 -
" If you like poker and autobiographies, it's great "
— Sasha, 6/10/2012 -
" This was a great book, and It clearly shows you who the best poker player is/was in the history of the game. I never like reading books twice, however with this one, I'll definitely make an exception. "
— John, 11/21/2011 -
" A pretty good book about the best poker and gin player ever. It has everything, New York, organized crime, great poker stories, and human tragedy. A great story. "
— Jared, 9/25/2011 -
" Crazy true story of Stu Unger, genius and gambler. One of those stories that makes you wonder what the guy could've accomplished if only he'd been able to resist the drugs. "
— Joanie, 6/15/2011 -
" If you're looking for an anti-drug poster child, just take a gander at that shot of Stuey with the collapsed nose...eek! Honestly, I just about dropped the book when I saw that one. "
— Tony, 4/26/2011 -
" This was a great book, and It clearly shows you who the best poker player is/was in the history of the game. I never like reading books twice, however with this one, I'll definitely make an exception. "
— John, 4/1/2011 -
" A really great story about Stu Ungar, poker player extraordinaire, who got involved with drugs and died too young. If you like the world of high stakes poker, this is a great read. "
— Tracy, 12/1/2009 -
" The rise and fall of Stuey Ungar: such a depressing waste of... everything. "
— Patrick, 10/13/2009 -
" This is pretty much a 300 page version of the wikipedia article about him. I did learn that the MIT Blackjack Team didn't invent team counting; they just got the idea from the 1977 book The Big Player. That's on wikipedia, too. "
— Jesse, 9/11/2009 -
" This is a great book based on the life of Stu Unger.. I also saw this movie, but the book is much better. Its a rollercoaster type of book, just like the way he lived his life. <br/> <br/> "
— Tmone75, 4/2/2009 -
" Pretty incredible, interesting, and very sad biography of one of Stuey Ungar. He was the best gin player to ever live, and one of the best tournament poker players. "
— Chris, 12/21/2008 -
" If you like poker and autobiographies, it's great "
— Sasha, 11/30/2008 -
" Tragic story of a kid who rose to the highest of highs and fell to the lowest of lows. "
— Jacob, 2/29/2008 -
" The author is a friend of mine. "
— Dave, 1/24/2008 -
" Crazy true story of Stu Unger, genius and gambler. One of those stories that makes you wonder what the guy could've accomplished if only he'd been able to resist the drugs. "
— Joanie, 12/29/2007 -
" A pretty good book about the best poker and gin player ever. It has everything, New York, organized crime, great poker stories, and human tragedy. A great story. "
— Jared, 9/9/2007 -
" spectacular depiction of an amazing individual "
— Ben, 8/27/2007
About Nolan Dalla
Nolan Dalla is the lead sports handicapper for Casino Player and has written for Gambling Times, Card Player, Poker Digest, Poker Pages, Poker Player, and The Intelligent Gambler. He was the head of public relations for Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas and is now media director for the World Series of Poker. A native Texan, he currently resides in Las Vegas.
About the Narrators
Joe Barrett, an actor and Audie Award and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has appeared both on and off Broadway as well as in hundreds of radio and television commercials.
Joe Barrett, an actor and Audie Award and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has appeared both on and off Broadway as well as in hundreds of radio and television commercials.