Champions of Poker

If you were to run into Mickey Appleman on the street, you would think that he was homeless. Everything from his dress to even the way he keeps his hair gives off the indication of someone that is destitute. This is the furthest thing from the truth. Appleman happens to be a poker champion and expert sports bettor.

Appleman started his gambling career about the middle 70’s. He was primarily a sports bettor and a highly successful one. He claimed that he had a natural knack for it and after he won his first be, he was hooked. Appleman moved to Vegas in 1975 and that year played in his first World Series of Poker. He would not see success until 1980 when he won his first bracelet in the $1,000 Stud 8 or Better Event. His next large score happened a few years later when he won the $5,000 Seven Card Stud Event at the Super Bowl of Poker.

The Super Bowl of Poker was considered the 2nd most prestigious title in poker back in the early days, much like the WPT Championship is 2nd to the WSOP Main Event. Appleman took down the $10,000 Main Event of the Super Bowl of Poker in 1985 and established himself as a top notch poker player.

Over the next few years, Appleman would make several final table finishes at the World Series of Poker but would not have another major win until 1992. That year he won the $5,000 2-7 Draw event to claim his 2nd bracelet and $119,250. He would finish runner up the next year in the $2,500 Pot Limit Holdem event. He would not record another professional cash for almost 2 years after that.

When Appleman did cash again, it was at the 1995 World Series of Poker. First, he finished 4th in the $5,000 2-7 Event and then he took home his third WSOP bracelet in the $5,000 Limit Holdem Event. After 1995, for several years Appleman would have many strong finishes at the WSOP, but wasn’t able to pull off a win.

Finally in 2003, Appleman was able to notch his 4th bracelet with a win in the $2,000 Pot Limit Holdem Event. So far, his fourth bracelet was the last major win on Appleman’s career. He still plays in many events at the World Series and regularly cashes in them. He finished 13th in the $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. Event in this year’s WSOP. To date, Appleman has over $1.66 Million in tournament earnings.

Appleman doesn’t play as large of a tournament schedule anymore, but when he does play, he still is a force to reckon with. For those that do not know him, many may wonder how this guy that looks like he could afford to buy himself a meal could possibly play poker. Of course, if they start to play, they soon learn that looks are deceiving when it comes to Mickey Appleman. When you have accomplished all that Appleman has, it really doesn’t matter how you dress, just tell him where the action is at.

Tags: Mickey Appleman, World Series of Poker, WSOP, WSOP Bracelet, WSOP Main Event

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 at 10:34 am and is filed under Poker Champions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.