Amarillo Slim
Encyclopedia
Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. (born December 31, 1928 in Johnson, Arkansas
), known as Amarillo Slim, is an American professional gambler known for his poker
skills and proposition bet
s. Preston won the main event at the 1972 World Series of Poker
and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame
in 1992.
and Sailor Roberts
.
Following his WSOP victory he appeared on several talk shows, including The Tonight Show
, and had a bit part
in the 1974 Robert Altman
movie California Split
. He appeared on I've Got a Secret
, where his secret involved losing $190,000 in one night of poker.
, Preston has a total of four WSOP bracelets including two in Omaha
. Preston's most recent WSOP win was in 1990. Preston's tournament earnings total more than $575,000.
In January/February 1980 Amarillo Slim hosted the Second Annual Poker Classic which was the second most prestigious poker tournament in its time. This series eventually came to be called the Super Bowl of Poker
and continued until 1991. Gabe Kaplan
became the first winner of this tournament series and Stu Ungar
won the title three times.
. A revised edition was published by HarperCollins
in 2005 entitled Amarillo Slim's Play Poker to Win.
In May 2003, Preston published his autobiography Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People, where he wrote of playing poker with Larry Flynt
, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon
and others. In addition to his poker exploits, Preston writes of his exploits in proposition bet
ting.
In April 2007, Preston created a website and released an E-Book called All In: An E-guide To No Limit Texas Hold'em. The book was written by Amarillo Slim Preston and Joe Brent Riley.
.
In August 2003, Preston was indicted in Randall County, Texas on charges of indecency with a 12-year-old child. The charges were reduced to misdemeanor assault in a plea bargain
and on February 10, 2004, Preston pled "no contest" to the reduced charges, "to protect his family". Preston received a $4,000 fine, two years probation and was ordered to undergo counseling.
Early on the morning of October 4, 2006, Preston was the victim of an attempted armed robbery. The armed robber fired three bullets into Preston's car as he sped away. Preston was not injured.
On January 28, 2007, Preston was robbed at gunpoint while in his home.
On January 22, 2009, Preston was beaten and robbed near the intersection of Interstate 40 and Soncy Road while attempting to collect a gambling debt.
Preston's autobiography was to be the topic of a biopic movie reported to be under development. Nicolas Cage
reportedly was to play Preston's character in the movie. According to a 2009 article at Poker Listings the "planned Hollywood movie about Slim's life" has been "dropped".
Johnson, Arkansas
Johnson is a city in Washington County, Arkansas, United States. The city was incorporated in 1961. The population was 3,354 at the 2010 census...
), known as Amarillo Slim, is an American professional gambler known for his poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
skills and proposition bet
Proposition bet
In gambling, the term "proposition bet" has two definitions.-Primary definition:...
s. Preston won the main event at the 1972 World Series of Poker
1972 World Series of Poker
The 1972 World Series of Poker was a series of poker tournaments held during early May 1972 at the Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the third annual installment of the World Series of Poker, and also the second one to feature the freezeout structure...
and was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame
Poker Hall of Fame
The Poker Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional poker playing in the United States. Founded and located in Las Vegas, Nevada, it was created in 1979 by Benny Binion, the owner of the Horseshoe Casino, to preserve the names and legacies of the world's greatest poker players and to serve...
in 1992.
Career
Before becoming a well-known tournament player, Preston was a rounder, touring the United States looking for gambling action along with Doyle BrunsonDoyle Brunson
Doyle F. Brunson is an American professional poker player who has played professionally for over 50 years. He is the first two-time World Series of Poker main event champion to win consecutively, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on poker.Brunson is the first player to...
and Sailor Roberts
Sailor Roberts
Bryan W. "Sailor" Roberts was an American professional poker player.Before becoming a poker professional Roberts was a rounder and traveled the country looking for games along with other legends such as Doyle Brunson and Amarillo Slim...
.
Following his WSOP victory he appeared on several talk shows, including The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
, and had a bit part
Bit part
A bit part is a supporting acting role with at least one line of dialogue . In British television, bit parts are referred to as under sixes...
in the 1974 Robert Altman
Robert Altman
Robert Bernard Altman was an American film director and screenwriter known for making films that are highly naturalistic, but with a stylized perspective. In 2006, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognized his body of work with an Academy Honorary Award.His films MASH , McCabe and...
movie California Split
California Split
California Split is a 1974 film directed by Robert Altman and starring Elliott Gould and George Segal as a pair of gamblers. It was the first non-Cinerama movie to use eight-track stereo sound.-Plot:...
. He appeared on I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
, where his secret involved losing $190,000 in one night of poker.
, Preston has a total of four WSOP bracelets including two in Omaha
Omaha hold 'em
Omaha hold 'em is a community card poker game similar to Texas hold 'em, where each player is dealt four cards and must make his best hand using exactly two of them, plus exactly three of the five community cards...
. Preston's most recent WSOP win was in 1990. Preston's tournament earnings total more than $575,000.
In January/February 1980 Amarillo Slim hosted the Second Annual Poker Classic which was the second most prestigious poker tournament in its time. This series eventually came to be called the Super Bowl of Poker
Super Bowl of Poker
The Super Bowl of Poker was the second most prestigious poker tournament in the world during the 1980s...
and continued until 1991. Gabe Kaplan
Gabe Kaplan
Gabriel W. "Gabe" Kaplan is an American comedian, actor, poker commentator, and professional poker player.He was born in Brooklyn, New York...
became the first winner of this tournament series and Stu Ungar
Stu Ungar
Stuart Errol "Stu" Ungar was a professional poker and gin rummy player, widely regarded to have been the greatest Texas hold 'em and gin rummy player of all time....
won the title three times.
World Series of Poker bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 1972 World Series of Poker The 1972 World Series of Poker was a series of poker tournaments held during early May 1972 at the Binion's Horseshoe in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the third annual installment of the World Series of Poker, and also the second one to feature the freezeout structure... |
$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World Championship | $60,000 |
| 1974 1974 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Final table:... |
$1,000 No Limit Hold'em | $11,100 |
| 1985 1985 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 141 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.... |
$5,000 Pot Limit Omaha | $85,000 |
| 1990 1990 World Series of Poker -Preliminary events:-Main Event:There were 194 entrants to the main event. Each paid $10,000 to enter the tournament.-Final table:-Other High Finishes:NB: This list is restricted to top 30 finishers with an existing Wikipedia entry.... |
$5,000 Pot Limit Omaha | $142,000 |
Author
In 1973, Preston and Bill G. Cox wrote Play Poker to Win which was published by Grosset and DunlapGrosset & Dunlap
Grosset & Dunlap is a United States book publisher founded in 1898.The company was purchased by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1982 and today is part of the British publishing conglomerate, Pearson PLC through its American subsidiary Penguin Group....
. A revised edition was published by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
in 2005 entitled Amarillo Slim's Play Poker to Win.
In May 2003, Preston published his autobiography Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People, where he wrote of playing poker with Larry Flynt
Larry Flynt
Larry Claxton Flynt, Jr. is an American publisher and the president of Larry Flynt Publications . In 2003, Arena magazine listed him as the number one on the "50 Powerful People in Porn" list....
, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and others. In addition to his poker exploits, Preston writes of his exploits in proposition bet
Proposition bet
In gambling, the term "proposition bet" has two definitions.-Primary definition:...
ting.
In April 2007, Preston created a website and released an E-Book called All In: An E-guide To No Limit Texas Hold'em. The book was written by Amarillo Slim Preston and Joe Brent Riley.
Personal life
Preston is divorced, has three children, and currently resides in Amarillo, TexasAmarillo, Texas
Amarillo is the 14th-largest city, by population, in the state of Texas, the largest in the Texas Panhandle, and the seat of Potter County. A portion of the city extends into Randall County. The population was 190,695 at the 2010 census...
.
In August 2003, Preston was indicted in Randall County, Texas on charges of indecency with a 12-year-old child. The charges were reduced to misdemeanor assault in a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
and on February 10, 2004, Preston pled "no contest" to the reduced charges, "to protect his family". Preston received a $4,000 fine, two years probation and was ordered to undergo counseling.
Early on the morning of October 4, 2006, Preston was the victim of an attempted armed robbery. The armed robber fired three bullets into Preston's car as he sped away. Preston was not injured.
On January 28, 2007, Preston was robbed at gunpoint while in his home.
On January 22, 2009, Preston was beaten and robbed near the intersection of Interstate 40 and Soncy Road while attempting to collect a gambling debt.
Preston's autobiography was to be the topic of a biopic movie reported to be under development. Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
reportedly was to play Preston's character in the movie. According to a 2009 article at Poker Listings the "planned Hollywood movie about Slim's life" has been "dropped".