Jack Straus

Jack "Treetop" Straus
Nickname(s)	Treetop
World Series of Poker
Bracelet(s)	2
Money finishes	4
Highest ITM main event finish	Winner (1982)

Jack "Treetop" Straus (1930 - August 1988) was a professional poker player. Image File history File linksMetadata Jack-straus-big. ... The WSOP logo. ... ITM, or In The Money is a term given in poker which describes ones placement in a tournament. ... The 1982 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was held at Binions Horseshoe. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Poker Room at the Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey Poker is a card game, the most popular of a class of games called vying games, in which players with fully or partially concealed cards make wagers into a central pot, which is awarded to the player or players...

Straus began playing in the WSOP events in the early 1970s. He won the 1982 World Series of Poker main event, earning $520,000 and his second WSOP bracelet. The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... The 1982 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was held at Binions Horseshoe. ...

Most remarkable about Straus' 1982 win was that he came back from having just one $500 chip left at one point, which lead to the common saying among poker players, "A Chip and a Chair." Although accounts vary, the most common story is that he pushed all his chips into the pot, was called, and lost the hand. Getting up he discovered he had one chip left over under a napkin on the table. Presumably because he didn't declare himself, "All-in," the tournament directors allowed him to continue playing. Modern lore says that this feat occurred at the final table, but the 1983 book The Biggest Game in Town, reports that this occurred on the first day.

In the telecast of the event, the look on his face when he drew a 10 on the river to win the final hand was a charming one of complete astonishment.

Straus is credited with one of the most celebrated bluffs of all time, with a 7-2, the weakest starting hand in Texas Holdem poker.

Whilst playing in a high-stakes No Limit Texas Holdem cash game, Straus has won several large pots in a row, and so decided that he would raise the next hand pre-flop with any two cards. When he looked down he found that he had been dealt 7-2 offsuit, the worst starting hand in poker, but he raised anyway. Straus' raise was called by a single opponent and the flop came 7-3-3. This was a good flop for a 7-2, so Straus bet out. However his tight opponent made a large raise, indicating a likely overpair to the board. Strauss knew he was almost certainly behind, but he decided that he might be able to beat his opponent by representing trip threes, so he called the large raise.

The turn was a 2, for a board of 7-3-3-2, which was no help to Straus, but he made a huge bet anyway. This sent his opponent into deep thought. Straus knew that he was desperate to avoid a call, as his chances of drawing out to win on the river were very slim. After a few minutes, Straus came up with a genius of a proposition for his opponent. He told him that for $25, he could choose either one of Straus' hole-cards and Straus would show it to him. The guy considered for a while, then tossed Straus $25 and chose a card. Strauss showed him his 2.

After another long pause, his opponent eventually figured that Straus would only make such an offer if both his hole-cards were the same value, therefore giving him a full-house, deuces over treys. He reluctantly folded, and Jack Straus entered poker folklore as one of the most creative bluffers of all time.

Despite the existence of many unsavory personalities in the poker/gambling world during Strauss' time, he was known as a gambler of integrity who would win and lose honestly and with dignity.

Strauss was once reportedly playing No Limit Holdem with fellow pros Doyle Brunson, Stu Ungar and several other top players in Las Vegas. An amateur player who had just inherited a large sum of money from his father bought in for $20,000 and promptly lost it. The man got up to buy more chips and continue playing, unaware of who he was playing against. Doyle Texas Dolly Brunson (May 30, 1908 – June 5, 2006) in Longworth, Texas) is an American poker player who has played professionally for over 40 years. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Strauss, who had followed him over, pulled the man aside and told him- Don't buy back into that game brother. You're playing against the best players in the world and you haven't got a chance. While many players would have let the man continue buying in and losing, Strauss was a man of integrity.

Straus was nicknamed "Treetop" because he was 6'6"; he was a graduate of Texas A&M and had played varsity basketball there. He died of a heart attack in August 1988 at the age of 58 during a high stakes poker game. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame later that year. Texas A&M University at College Station Texas A&M University, often Texas A&M, A&M or TAMU for short, is one of the flagship universities of Texas, and is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Poker Hall of Fame is a group of poker players who have played poker well against top competition for high stakes over a long period of time. ...

External link

• Hendon Mob tournament results