"Amarillo Slim" Thomas Austin Preston, Jr.: Poker Legend

Before becoming a well known face and tournament poker player, Preston was a rounder and toured the country looking for gambling action along with Doyle Brunson and Johnny Moss.

Preston, born December 31, 1928 in Johnson, Arkansas, won the 1972 World Series of Poker main event. Following his victory he went on several talk shows, and even had a bit part in the movie California Split, making him moderately famous outside the poker world as well as in. He has appeared on The Tonight Show over 10 times, Good Morning America and 60 Minutes among others.

As of 2004 Preston has a total of 4 WSOP bracelets, and has won over $500,000 in tournament play. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1992.

Preston was the best friend of casino owner Benny Binion. On Preston's publicity run after his 1972 win he convinced Tom Snyder, host of The Tomorrow Show that came on right after The Tonight Show, to allow Preston, Binion, and Joe Bernstein to have the entire show. Binion didn't care to be in the public spotlight, but Preston convinced him to do it. When Binion died in 1989, he left his horse to Preston.

Preston is often quoted as saying that if a woman ever won the WSOP, he'd slit his throat, but the true story is quite different. During some of the early WSOP events an unpopular woman player got an early chip lead and declared that she was going to be the winner in front of the media. When she asked Preston what he thought of it, he told her that if she won he would slit his throat. She ultimately did not win.

Preston has also helped establish gaming facilities around the world. While he was helping open the Casino de Caribe in Colombia he was kidnapped by people working for drug dealer Pablo Escobar but was eventually released.

In May 2003, Preston published his autobiography Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People, where he reveals tales of playing poker with Larry Flynt, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon, amongst others. He reportedly made an anti-semitic remark on a radio station that hurt a movie deal tied into his book.

In August 2003 Preston was indicted on three charges of indecency with a 12-year-old child. The charges were reduced to misdemeanor assault and on February 10, 2004 he pleaded guilty to them, receiving a $4,000 fine and two years deferred adjudication.