Jack “Treetop” Straus was a renowned American poker player, best known for his remarkable comeback to win the 1982 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.
He earned the nickname “Treetop” due to his tall stature. Straus’s 1982 victory is legendary in poker history because he was down to a single $500 chip at one point during the tournament but managed to recover and ultimately win the championship.
This incredible feat popularized the poker saying, “a chip and a chair,” highlighting that as long as a player has even a single chip, they still have a chance to win.
Straus was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988, cementing his legacy in the world of poker.