The winner of the first and second WSOP tournament was Johnny Moss, and the winner of the third main event tournament in 1972 was the famous Amarillo Slim. Born Thomas Austin Preston Jr., Amarillo Slim can still be found playing at the WSOP today, but when he won the third ever World Series of Poker tournament he brought home a whopping $80,000. The year before the prize was $30,000 and the year after it was $130,000.
Along with Doyle Brunson (who happens to be a life-long friend) and Johnny Moss, Amarillo Slim is also from Texas and made his way up the poker circuit by traveling all over the country in search of the best money-making card games out there. These three Texans are considered the legends of poker and Preston was once regarded as the most famous professional poker player in the world.
Many stories have been documented and told about Amarillo Slim and most are unforgettable as his proposition bets are legendary. He beat Minnesota Fats in a game of pocket billiards using a broomstick. Another hustle included Bobby Riggs when Amarillo Slim bet him that he could beat him in a game of ping-pong and Amarillo used an iron skillet as his paddle! Other famous wagers included Evel Knievel and Willie Nelson. He even did a little hustling to infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. Most forgave his transgressions, save the IRS. They understood that hustling was just part of who he was.
Great Players in Poker History 