Nowadays it is common for a newcomer to win the World Series of Poker, and previously it seemed completely unthinkable. Many things that seem to be commonplace now, once seemed impossible, but all this is just a matter of time.
This episode happened at the 1979 World Series of Poker Main Event. At that time, 54 players participated in the tournament, most of whom were the best poker professionals. At the end of the game, there was only one unlikely amateur player left at the table, Hal Fowler.
Fowler was born in Vermont on January 12, 1927. He was one of the sons of Willow and Ernest and Fowler. At the age of 18, for the sake of service, he left school, but then, when he returned, after spending one day at home, he left again. His parents never saw him again. Fowler moved to California, completely separated from his family. It is not known exactly when he first became acquainted with poker, but in the 70s California began to supplant Texas in terms of the hottest poker games. Therefore, more and more Californians participated in the main event of the WSOP. Fowler did this by registering for the tournament on May 22, 1979.
The tournament began, and all the amateurs slowly began to drop out of the game, only the best of the best and Fowler moved towards victory. Before the final fight, no one doubted its composition, with the exception of one person - Hal Fowler.
Bobby Hoff, who was considered the best player in the world, also participated in the final match and then in the book by D. Wilson "Ghosts at the Table" said that the composition of the table was the strongest. It included Johnny Moss, Crandall Addington, Bobby Baldwin, Sam Petrillo, Sam Moon, George Haber - all the top pros except for one member, Hal Fowler. Nobody had seen him before, he was definitely not a professional. Fowler behaved strangely and made incomprehensible moves.
Addington, who was eliminated from the final duel, quoted the game as follows: “I was sitting next to Hal, and he kept the pills in front of him all the time. Most likely, he did not understand at all what he was doing ”
Then Moss finished the game, then Moon, and Haber got the third place.
Left at the table Hoff alone with Fowler. But neither gaming experience nor iron patience helped veteran Hoff to defeat the amateur.
Harold Arthur Fowler died in 2000 from hemorrhagic shock. At the time of his death, two things were found with him - a pistol and a video of the 1979 tournament.
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