The main basis for why Stu changed from gin to poker was that he was a little too skilled at it. So good was he, that no player possibly could equal him. Even the apparently professionals who were meant to be the most favorable at gin were crushed when they competed against Stu. One such gin professionals was Harry Stein, nicknamed, "Yonkie". Mr. Stein was handed such a debilitating blow at the hands of stu that he evidently quit competing in it as a pro and never resurfaced at a gin tournament.

Of course, with a distinction like that it wasn’t very long before gamblers became weary of betting against Stu Ungar. He couldn’t find any matches and in his agony he started doing something no one had attempted before. Stu issued beginning handicaps to likely opposing players with the high hopes that they might compete against him if they thought they had an edge. He at will played from a disadvantageous arrangement and one story has it that stu even played with a regular cheater. During the match, he get a few words of wisdom that the cheater was at it once more but mr. ungar assured that he deduced of the chicanery and he would still come away with a win, which he did, of course.

The same problem followed Stu Ungar into sin city. He won so much that the poker rooms started asking him not to gamble in their respective premises anymore. The explanation why was that other poker room visitors would not be seated at the poker table if Stu was seated.

Stu Ungar is remembered more for his abilities in hold’em poker but he himself always insisted that he was much more skilled at gin rummy.

He defeated Doyle Brunson in the World Series of Poker in 1980 and became the youngest world champion. Because of his looks that made him seem far younger than he was, he was nicknamed, "The Kid".