Born Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. on New Year’s Eve in 1928, Amarillo Slim succumbed to colon cancer on Sunday, April 29, 2012, while receiving hospice care in Amarillo, Texas. He was 83 years-old at the time of his death.
Referring to himself as the “World’s Greatest Gambler,” Amarillo Slim helped to promote the game of poker throughout the United States after winning the World Series of Poker in 1972. Amarillo Slim won three additional gold bracelets in WSOP events, most recently in 1990 when he won a $5,000 pot-limit Omaha competition.
In addition to appearing on numerous game shows, Amarillo Slim used his appearances on national television shows including The Tonight Show, Good Morning America and 60 Minutes as well as his small role in the movie, “California Split,” to help increase poker’s popularity across the nation.
The year after he won the third World Series of Poker ever held, Amarillo Slim partnered with Bill Cox to write a book entitled, “Play Poker to Win.” The manuscript was re-released under the title, “Amarillo Slim’s Play Poker to Win.” The 1992 Poker Hall of Fame inductee also authored an autobiography entitled, “Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People,” in 2003.
The WSOP’s website posted the following statement issued by Amarillo Slim’s family on Sunday:
“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.”