Published on July 24, 2003, 6:00 pm EST

Amarillo Slim; the man who won the 1972 World Series of Poker. The man who once took $300,000 from Willie Nelson playing dominoes. The man who won $2 million dollars playing Larry Flynt in poker. The man who once beat Bobby Riggs in a game of pingpong -- using cooking skillets as a paddle. The man, the myth, the legend.

You've probably seen Slim on TV at one time or another. Back in the day, he used to appear on all of the late night talk shows; even recently, he was on the Carson Daly show, and numerous other radio programs. Though he may be getting up there in years, people still want to listen to what he has to say. Slim relies on a healthy knowledge of odds, and having more knowledge than his opponent. Much of his wisdom is summed up nicely in his book, Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People.

Amarillo Slim has a long and decorated history at the World Series of Poker. Initially he won in 1972, and has remained competitive even as he moved past his 70's. In 2000, he lost to Philip Ivey, even though he flopped a straight on his last hand. Ivey flopped a higher straight. 30 years at the WSOP, and Slim is still battling at the final table. It's an amazing story.

You can bet that Amarillo Slim will be representing at the World Series of Poker until the day he dies. He continues to make unique bets, recently betting a large sum of money that Annika Sorenstram wouldn't make the cut at the PGA tournament she played at. Indeed, she didn't make the cut. The lesson; never bet against Slim.

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Filed Under: The World Series of Poker

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