Amarillo Preston
Amarillo “Slim” Preston was born in Johnson, Arkansas on December 31st, 1928. Amarillo now resides in Amarillo, Texas. When Amarillo Slim won the 1972 World Series of Poker Championship he went on the talk show circuit and through his charismatic personality and storytelling ability he became a living legend and one of the greatest ambassadors of the game of poker.
He single handedly did what no one was able to do, he suddenly thrust poker into main stream sports and national news. Slim, as the unofficial spokesman, continued to play and promote poker as a legitimate sport. If you ask almost anyone to name one poker player- most will say Amarillo Slim. His nickname, "Slim," comes from his well over six feet height and his trim build. He once joked that he was the advance man for a famine.
Amarillo Slim was a world class billiards player and is the youngest player to ever play in the World Billiards Tournament. In addition to his poker accomplishments, he was a known hustler who would bet on anything. His other hustles include taking Willie Nelson for $300,000 in dominoes and beating Minnesota Fats in a game of pocket billiards using a broomstick. Amarillo wrote a well known autobiography called "Amarillo Slim in a World of Fat People."
In 1992, Amarillo Slim was enshrined in the Poker Hall of Fame.
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