April 18, 2006
Walter Clyde Pearson, 77, the Father of Freeze-Out Poker, Dies
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
By The Associated Press The poker legend Walter Clyde Pearson, the man credited with creating the style of play made famous by the World Series of Poker, died at his home in Las Vegas on Wednesday. He was 77.
His death came after a long illness, family members said.
Pearson was known as the father of no-limit freeze-out poker, the game Benny Binion turned into the World Series of Poker at his Horseshoe Club casino in downtown Las Vegas in 1970.
In a freeze-out tournament, all the players start with the same amount of money and play until one player wins all the chips.
Pearson was also known as a Las Vegas character, a storyteller with a flair for the dramatic who donned elaborate costumes and wacky hats at the start of each World Series competition.
He won the tournament four times in the 1970's and 1980's, when the game was largely the province of big gamblers from Texas. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1987.
Pearson, known as Puggy, lived to see his game embraced by the next generation of players. They also embraced him.
At the 2005 World Series of Poker, he received a standing ovation when he climbed on stage to sing his theme song, which he wrote, "The Roving Gambler," in which he promises to gamble anywhere with anyone as long as there is a deck of cards.
Pearson was born in Adairville, Ky. He is survived by his companion of 16 years, Simin Habibian of Las Vegas; his daughter, Andrea Elaine Phelan of Nashville; a son, Stephen Mark Pearson of Las Vegas; one grandson, Walter Frank Phelan of Nashville; a brother, J. C. Pearson of Las Vegas; and two sisters, Bobbie Jean Bailey of Florida and Gladys Gracie Pearson of Clarksville, Tenn.
Walter Clyde Pearson, 77, the Father of Freeze-Out Poker, Dies
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
By The Associated Press The poker legend Walter Clyde Pearson, the man credited with creating the style of play made famous by the World Series of Poker, died at his home in Las Vegas on Wednesday. He was 77.
His death came after a long illness, family members said.
Pearson was known as the father of no-limit freeze-out poker, the game Benny Binion turned into the World Series of Poker at his Horseshoe Club casino in downtown Las Vegas in 1970.
In a freeze-out tournament, all the players start with the same amount of money and play until one player wins all the chips.
Pearson was also known as a Las Vegas character, a storyteller with a flair for the dramatic who donned elaborate costumes and wacky hats at the start of each World Series competition.
He won the tournament four times in the 1970's and 1980's, when the game was largely the province of big gamblers from Texas. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1987.
Pearson, known as Puggy, lived to see his game embraced by the next generation of players. They also embraced him.
At the 2005 World Series of Poker, he received a standing ovation when he climbed on stage to sing his theme song, which he wrote, "The Roving Gambler," in which he promises to gamble anywhere with anyone as long as there is a deck of cards.
Pearson was born in Adairville, Ky. He is survived by his companion of 16 years, Simin Habibian of Las Vegas; his daughter, Andrea Elaine Phelan of Nashville; a son, Stephen Mark Pearson of Las Vegas; one grandson, Walter Frank Phelan of Nashville; a brother, J. C. Pearson of Las Vegas; and two sisters, Bobbie Jean Bailey of Florida and Gladys Gracie Pearson of Clarksville, Tenn.
