Bob Stupak: Difference between revisions
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|caption=Stupak at the 2004 Plaza [[Ultimate Poker Challenge]]. |
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|birth_date={{birth date|1942|4|6}} |
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|birth_place=[[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], [[United States|U.S.]] |
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|death_date={{death date and age|2009|9|25|1942|4|6}} |
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|death_place=[[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]], [[United States|U.S.]] |
|death_place=[[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]], [[United States|U.S.]] |
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Revision as of 09:18, 16 June 2010
| Bob Stupak | |
|---|---|
 Stupak at the 2004 Plaza Ultimate Poker Challenge. | |
| Nickname(s) | The Polish Maverick [1] |
| Residence | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Born | April 6, 1942 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | September 25, 2009 (aged 67) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | 1 |
| Money finish(es) | 8 |
| Highest ITM Main Event finish | None |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Title(s) | None |
| Final table(s) | 1 |
| Money finish(es) | 11 |
Robert E. "Bob" Stupak[2] (April 6, 1942 – September 25, 2009) was a Las Vegas casino owner and entrepreneur.
He was also a poker player, winning titles at the World Series of Poker and the Super Bowl of Poker. He also competed on the World Poker Tour, and various other tournaments, as well as cash games, including High Stakes Poker on GSN.
Biography
Early Years and Family
Bob Stupak was the son of Chester and Florence Stupak. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Once the younger Stupak reached legal age, he moved to Las Vegas and started a coupon book venture. He sold books full of two-for-ones and other items. Stupak later moved to Australia to pursue a similar business venture, only to be asked to leave the country for questionable business practices.[citation needed]
While in Australia, Stupak was briefly married to Annette Suna, and they had a daughter, Nicole. From 1971 to 1985, Stupak was married to Sandra Joyce Wilkinson, and had two more children, Nevada and Summer.
In Las Vegas
Stupak moved to Las Vegas in 1971, eventually raising enough money to acquire a small, 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) parcel north of Sahara Avenue at Las Vegas Boulevard South. On March 31, 1974, Bob Stupak's World Famous Historic Gambling Museum opened for business. "The name was about 10 ft (3.0 m) longer than the casino," Stupak recalled years later. On May 21, an air conditioner caught fire and the building burned down.
In 1979 Stupak opened Vegas World, a casino known for its promotions and new twists on games. At its peak in the mid 1980's, Vegas World grossed $100 million per year.
In 1989, Stupak won a widely publicized million dollar wager on Super Bowl XXIII. Later that year, he won the Deuce to Seven Lowball championship bracelet at the World Series of Poker.
In 1995 Stupak suffered a motorcycle accident, breaking every bone in his face and going into a coma. Although the initial prognosis was that he would not survive, Stupak made a full recovery. [citation needed]
At the time of his motorcycle crash, Stupak was at work developing The Stratosphere, a massive observation tower that would be the largest sign in Las Vegas. The tower opened in late April 1996 at a cost of $550 million but was a financial disaster. Many came to see the tower, but few stopped long enough to gamble, dine or shop. The Stratosphere went bankrupt under the direction of Grand Casinos while Stupak was still in the hopital recovering from the accident. It was sold and is now profitable.[citation needed]
Stupak continued to plan Vegas projects, including a purchase of the Moulin Rouge Hotel and a huge hotel shaped like the RMS Titanic, but these endeavors never bore fruit.
Stupak appeared in the first season of the GSN series High Stakes Poker, in which he is remembered for not knowing what was going on at the table and disappearing. He also appeared at a final table during the first season of the World Poker Tour.
As of 2008, his total live tournament winnings exceeded $865,000.
Death
Stupak died of leukemia in 2009.
Campaign for Lieutenant Governor
On May 1, 2006, Stupak filed to run as a Democrat for Lieutenant Governor of Nevada.[3] [dead link]
References
Further reading
- Smith, John L. 1997. No Limit: The Rise and Fall of Bob Stupak and Las Vegas' Stratosphere Tower. Huntington Press. ISBN 0-929712-18-8
External links
- Articles with dead external links from October 2008
- 1942 births
- 2009 deaths
- American poker players
- Businesspeople in the casino industry
- World Series of Poker bracelet winners
- Super Bowl of Poker event winners
- People from the Las Vegas metropolitan area
- People from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Cancer deaths in Nevada
- Deaths from leukemia