Amarillo Slim

Thomas ‘Amarillo Slim' Austin Preston, Jr.

One of the best known figures in poker history, Amarillo Slim gained national attention in the US after winning the 1972 WSOP main event. In that final table, when all but three players were eliminated, Amarillo Slim proposed a deal to the other two remaining players. All three agreed to split the cash prize, while Amarillo walked away with the title. The other two players were Doyle Brunson and Puggy Pearson, both good friends of Slim and poker legends in their own right. As of today, Amarillo Slim holds four WSOP bracelets, two of which were won in limit Omaha games.

But Amarillo Slim is way more than a brilliant poker player. He is also known as ‘the world's greatest gambler', and throughout the years he made a lot of successful bets to earn that reputation. Before he became a regular at poker tournaments, Slim was a rounder, touring the US for any kind of gambling and card action he could put his hands on. According to some legends, he won $300,000 from famous country musician Willie Nelson playing dominos. Other tales involve bets he placed on shooting golf balls across frozen lakes, and even beating professional pool players while playing with a broom. Indeed, Amarillo slim is a man that would place a bet on just about anything.

After the victory in the 1972 WSOP, Amarillo Slim became somewhat of a celebrity even outside the poker world. He went on several talk shows, including The Tonight Show, 60 Minutes, and Good morning America. Throughout the years, he has appeared on The Tonight Show 11 times. He even had a small part in Robert Altman's movie ‘California Split'. With his charismatic nature, he convinced the host of The Tomorrow Show, Tom Snyder, to give him an entire show. The show used to air in the US, right after The Tonight Show. Amarillo Slim then invited his card playing friend and casino owner Benny Binion to appear with him on the show.

Amarillo Slim Preston has one of the most colorful life stories in modern America. His poker brilliance led him to play against Presidents Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon. He also played a poker game with porn king Larry Flint, in which Mr. Flint lost $1,700,000. But the action doesn't end there. His thirst for adventure bought him a seat in a poker game with drug lord Pablo Escobar, or at least that's how the legend goes. While Amarillo Slim was helping establish Casino de Caribe in Colombia, he was kidnapped by Escobar's men, who mistook him for someone else. That part of the story is known to be a fact, but no one knows for sure if a game with Escobar ever took place, or how high the stakes were.

Amarillo Slim was born on the last day of the year 1928. In 1992, he was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. He is known to be a brilliant storyteller, and his amazing tales can be found in his autobiography ‘Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People', which was published in May of 2003. A film based on his career, entitled ‘Amarillo Slim', is currently in early stages of production. It will be directed by Miloš Forman, with Nicolas Cage playing the part of Amarillo Slim. Amarillo Slim Preston currently resides in Amarillo, Texas.

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