Amarillo Slim
| Amarillo Slim Preston | |
|---|---|
 Amarillo Slim at the 1974 WSOP. |
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| Nickname(s) | Amarillo Slim |
| Hometown | Amarillo, Texas |
| Born | December 31, 1928 |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | 4 |
| Money finish(es) | 11 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish |
Winner, 1972 |
Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. (born December 31, 1928 in Johnson, Arkansas), known as Amarillo Slim, is an American professional gambler known for his poker skills and proposition bets. Preston won the main event at the 1972 World Series of Poker and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1992.
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[edit] Career
Before becoming a well-known tournament player, Preston was a rounder, touring the United States looking for gambling action along with Doyle Brunson and Sailor Roberts.[1]
Following his WSOP victory he appeared on several talk shows, including The Tonight Show, and had a bit part in the 1974 Robert Altman movie California Split.[2] He appeared on I've Got a Secret, where his secret involved losing $190,000 in one night of poker.[citation needed]
As of 2010[update], Preston has a total of four WSOP bracelets including two in Omaha. Preston's most recent WSOP win was in 1990. Preston's tournament earnings total more than $575,000.[3]
In January/February 1980 Amarillo Slim hosted the Second Annual Poker Classic which was the second most prestigious poker tournament in its time. This series eventually came to be called the Super Bowl of Poker and continued until 1991. Gabe Kaplan became the first winner of this tournament series[4] and Stu Ungar won the title three times.[5]
[edit] World Series of Poker bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | $10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship | $60,000 |
| 1974 | $1,000 No Limit Hold'em | $11,100 |
| 1985 | $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha | $85,000 |
| 1990 | $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha | $142,000 |
[edit] Author
In 1973, Preston and Bill G. Cox wrote Play Poker to Win which was published by Grosset and Dunlap. A revised edition was published by HarperCollins in 2005 entitled Amarillo Slim's Play Poker to Win.
In May 2003, Preston published his autobiography Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People, where he wrote of playing poker with Larry Flynt, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon and others. In addition to his poker exploits, Preston writes of his exploits in proposition betting.
In April 2007, Preston created a website and released an E-Book called All In: An E-guide To No Limit Texas Hold'em. The book was written by Amarillo Slim Preston and Joe Brent Riley.
[edit] Personal life
Preston is divorced, has three children, and currently resides in Amarillo, Texas.
In August 2003, Preston was indicted in Randall County, Texas on charges of indecency with a 12-year-old child. The charges were reduced to misdemeanor assault in a plea bargain and on February 10, 2004, Preston pled "no contest" to the reduced charges, "to protect his family". Preston received a $4,000 fine, two years probation and was ordered to undergo counseling. In a 2009 interview, he stated that he was innocent of any wrongdoing, but chose to take the plea bargain in order to spare his family from a court trial.[6][7]
Early on the morning of October 4, 2006, Preston was the victim of an attempted armed robbery. The armed robber fired three bullets into Preston's car as he sped away. Preston was not injured.[8]
On January 28, 2007, Preston was robbed at gunpoint while in his home.[9]
On January 22, 2009, Preston was beaten and robbed near the intersection of Interstate 40 and Soncy Road while attempting to collect a gambling debt.[10]
Preston's autobiography was to be the topic of a biopic movie reported to be under development. Nicolas Cage reportedly was to play Preston's character in the movie.[11][12] According to a 2009 article at Poker Listings the "planned Hollywood movie about Slim's life" has been "dropped".[7]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Pokernews.com: Legends of the Game - Brian "Sailor" Roberts
- ^ 'Amarillo Slim' Preston at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ Amarillo Slim Preston tournament results from The Hendon Mob website
- ^ Pokernews.com: Gabe Kaplan
- ^ One of a Kind: The Rise and Fall of Stuey from Google Books
- ^ Indictment might silence bluster of famed hustler `Amarillo Slim', from the Las Vegas Review-Journal website
- ^ a b Poker Listings, A Legend Lost, Nolan Dalla, April 3, 2009
- ^ Don't mess with Slim from the Amarillo Globe-News website
- ^ Slim robbed from the Amarillo Globe-News website
- ^ Stecklein, Janelle (2009-01-22). "Amarillo Slim beaten, robbed". Amarillo Globe-News. http://www.amarillo.com/stories/012209/new_12362001.shtml. Retrieved 2009-01-22.
- ^ Forman bets on Cage-led 'Slim' biopic from a January 2005 article in The Hollywood Reporter
- ^ Home Poker Games
[edit] External links
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