The main reason for why Stu changed from gin rummy to poker was that Stu was a little too good at it. So skilled in fact, that no one could stand up to him. Even the apparently champions who were meant to be the most favorable at gin rummy were decimated when they faced Stu Ungar. One of these gin rummy player was Harry Stein, called, "Yonkie". Harry suffered such a belittling defeat at the hands of Stu Ungar that he allegedly stopped participating in it as a pro and never resurfaced at a gin tournament.
Accordingly, with a image like that it was not too long before players became shy of gambling against stu. He could find no games and in his boredom he began doing something no one had attempted prior. He presented starting handicaps to likely opposing players with the wish that they may play with him if they thought they had an edge. He deliberately played from a disadvantageous arrangement and one tale has it that stu even played against a constant cheater. Amid the game, he get advice that the absconder was at it once more but stu guaranteed that he knew of the cheating and he would still come away with a win, which he did, of course.
The same trend followed Stu Ungar to sin city. He won so much that the casinos began asking him not to play in their respective premises anymore. The reason was that other casino clientele refused to be seated at the table if he were seated.
Stu Ungar is recalled more for his abilities in texas hold’em poker but he himself always said that he was considerably more skilled at gin rummy.
He beat Doyle Brunson in the WSOP in Nineteen Eighty and became the youngest world champion. Because of his features that made him appear far younger than he was, he got the nickname, "The Kid".