Amarillo Slim was a name that most serious poker players out there definitely knows. This player name was used by none other than the esteemed Thomas Austin Preston Jr., one of the players that has achieved many feats which allowed him entry to the prestigious Hall of Fame for the game of Poker. The names that have set foot on this hall was known throughout the gambling industry due to their incredible achievements and this man was no different. He was a man to be feared and respected when it comes to his skills in playing the game of poker, and propositioning bets in various games. He was a professional all-around gambler who has won the glorious WSOP or 'World Series of Poker' main event on the year 1972. Amazingly, he entered the hall of fame quite early on the year 1992.
This man renowned as Amarillo Slim was given birth on the 21st of December, year 1928. He had quite a personal life as his parents were divorced when he was just an infant. He also suffered numerous and various charges in his life and though he insisted that he was innocent on a 2009 interview, he had no choice but to take the path for the plea bargain for the sake of his family. On the 2000s, he also suffered from various, unfortunate robberies. His life was so complex and tragic that a movie was supposed to be made from it, however, it was dropped on 2009 as well. During his 83rd year in existence, when the 29th of April, year 2012 came, he died from colon cancer.
Before being known as a legendary poker player, he was renowned for being a wager rounder and had scoured the entirety of US in order to quench his thirst for a thrilling betting action. As mentioned, he won WSOP on 1972 and was featured on various talk shows. He also revealed on one of the talk shows that he had also experienced a tragic $190,000 lost in a night of playing poker. The total winnings of Amarillo Slim in his career ticked more than a staggering $587,000 which he garnered in various events from the year 1972 up to 1990. He was also renowned for a book he published, 'Play Poker to Win'.