by Mario Alfonsi | Published on Apr 29, 2012 | Updated on Apr 29, 2012One of the true legends of the poker world, Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. – better known as Amarillo Slim – passed away Sunday morning after a lengthy battle with cancer and heart problems. He was 83 years old.Preston was born in Johnson, Arkansas on the last day of 1928. However, be would become famous for his eventual hometown of Amarillo, Texas, after which he took his famous nickname. He would first gain fame as a travelling “rounder,” touring the country looking for cash game action with other luminaries of the period such as Doyle Brunson and Sailor Roberts.But it was his success in the early days of the World Series of Poker that truly cemented his mark on the poker world. In 1972, Preston would win the third ever World Series of Poker Main Event, beating a table of eight players that included Doyle Brunson, Johnny Moss, Jack Straus, and his heads-up opponent, Walter “Puggy” Pearson. In the style of the times, Preston was credited with winning the entire winner-takes-all prize pool of $80,000, though the players reportedly had struck a deal with three players remaining to allow Preston to win the event.After that win, Preston gained some measure of fame in the world at large, appearing on talk shows such as The Tonight Show. In 1973, he published a book titled Play Poker to Win, which was revised and published in a new edition in 2005.Preston would go on to win four WSOP bracelets. His final and greatest triumph came in 1990, which he won the $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha event, winning a prize of $142,000. He also served host to the Super Bowl of Poker, which throughout the 1980s was one of the world’s premier poker tournaments. In 2003, he published an autobiography about his gambling exploits titled Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People.Preston is survived by three children. The Preston family released a statement through WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla, saying: “We hope everyone will remember our beloved Amarillo Slim for all the positive things he did for poker and to popularize his favorite game – Texas Hold’em.”
