The Most Famous Card Game Comeback!

In 1982, Jack Straus won the WSOP Main Event. And he did it with a single chip. Widely regarded among the greatest poker comebacks of all time, Jack’s story resonates with millions of poker players worldwide. Indeed, a well–known poker saying states that all you need is a chip and a chair – that’ll get you to victory in double-quick time. 

Modern-day players may feel distanced from the in-person action of the iconic WSOP Main Events of yesteryear. However, the game has been reborn in recent years, thanks mainly to the phenomenal popularity of online poker games. 

Indeed, much credit goes to Chris Moneymaker, who entered an online poker satellite and won a seat in the prestigious World Series of Poker, where he won the Main Event. More recently, social poker platforms powered by legendary operators like Zynga Poker have come into their own, with millions of players worldwide signing up to enjoy free online poker games on this power-packed platform.

The 1982 World Series of Poker – Path to Victory

Let’s rewind to the legendary 1982 WSOP.  We must remember that Jack Straus competed in WSOP contests regularly. He reached the final tables in three consecutive years from 1970 through 1973. He was great in short-handed play and ring game contests, but heads-up, he was ranked among the most formidable players ever. 

But something big happened for Straus in 1982. After finding himself on the losing end of nearly every hand he played leading into the WSOP Main Event, good fortune finally came his way. On the second day of the Main Event, he went head-to-head against a single opponent with a huge pot up for grabs. 

He shoved all his poker chips into the pot on a bluff. But his opponent called and won that pot. Everyone thought Straus had been eliminated from the WSOP Main Event. That wasn’t the case at all. He started to leave the table, but a player noticed a single $500 poker chip that he left behind. 

The opponent, who called Jack Straus and won the bet, wanted the $500 chip paid to him as part of the all-in bet. However, the WSOP officials stated that Straus never used the words ‘All-In’ on his bet and simply considered his shove a large bet. This was the golden moment that Straus was looking for. 

He was about to leave, but now he sat down again, ready for action. In typical fashion, he went all-in and won hands left, right, and center. He was unstoppable. He bluffed his way to huge wins, scoring outsized returns for the lucky $500 chip wedged under the felt of the table’s lip. He ended the day on 90,000 chips, following a massive poker heater.

At the end of Day 3, he led with 342,000 chips. Such was the pedigree of his poker acumen. He knew how to play the cards, the players, and read the table better than anyone that year. By Day 4 he bossed the tournament and outmuscled the competition. Even the legendary Texas Dolly – Doyle Brunson – called the seat directly beside Straus the ‘Electric Chair’ because anyone who sat there was immediately eliminated in electrifying fashion. 

Before long, the 1982 WSOP Main Event was drawing to a close. A showdown was underway, and Straus would not be bossed around. It was a spectacular display of poker prowess. A little under $1M was on the table, up for grabs.

This is how it played out:

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  Tomko – A (Diamonds) 4 (Diamonds) Bet $100,000.

  
  
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  Jack – Ace (Clubs) 10 (Hearts) Raised $180,000.

  
  

Then Tomko went all in, and Straus called. The Flop came up – 6 (Diamonds), 5(Clubs), 4 (Clubs). The Turn Card was a Queen (Diamonds). The River Cards was a 10 (Spades). Straus had a pair of 10s while Tomko had a pair of 4s. The final table for the 1982 WSOP had the following leaderboard rankings and payouts:

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  First place – Jack Straus – $520,000

  
  
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  Second place – Dewey Tomko – $208,000

  
  
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  Third Place – Berry Johnston – $104,000

  
  
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  Fourth Place – Doyle Brunson – $52,000

  
  
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  Fifth Place – A J Myers – $52,000

  
  
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  Sixth Place – Dody Roach – $41,060

  
  

This often happens in poker – a top-rated game – where a combination of smarts, bankroll management, and big match temperament come to play. It’s not over until the fat lady sings, and with big Jack Straus, everybody knew that he was never going to give up.