The basic basis for why Stu Ungar changed from gin rummy to poker was that Stu was a tiny bit too good at it. So good was he, that no player was able stand up to him. Even the so-called professionals who were meant to be the best at gin rummy were beat when they competed with Stu. One of these gin professionals was Harry Stein, nicknamed, "Yonkie". Harry was handed such a belittling defeat at the hands of Stu Ungar that he evidently stopped competing in it professionally and never showed up at a gin rummy tournament.
Accordingly, with a image like that it wasn’t long before gamblers became afraid of gambling against stu. He could not find any matches and in his boredom he began doing something no one had attempted before. Stu provided starting handicaps to potential competitors with the high hopes that they might just compete against him if they believed they held an advantage. He deliberately started from a disadvantageous arrangement and one account has it that he even played against a constant absconder. During the match, he received advice that the bad egg was at it once again but mr. ungar assured that he deduced of the chicanery and he would still acquire a win, which he did, of course.
The same trend followed Stu Ungar to sin city. He won so frequently that the casinos began requesting that he not to bet in their poker rooms anymore. The reason was that other poker room clients refused to be seated at the poker table if he were seated.
Stu Ungar is recalled more for his achievements in texas hold’em poker but he himself always maintained that he was far more skilled at gin rummy.
He defeated Doyle Brunson in the World Series of Poker in 1980 and became the youngest world champion. Because of his looks that made him appear far younger than he was, he got the nickname, "The Kid".