The  World Series of Poker  is the biggest poker event on every poker professional or wannabe poker professional's calendar. Many poker pros say that their worst day of the year is the day they get knocked out of the WSOP main event. Over the 35 years of WSOP play, there naturally have been numerous classic WSOP moments.

One of those occurred in 1982. Jack “Treetop” Strauss, a legendary Texas road gambler, was participating in the main event along with about 100 others, as he had ever since the World Series of Poker began. Strauss, like many poker professionals, loved action. Puggy Pearson, another poker legend, was famous for suggesting that Strauss would bet on a cockroach race. He came to the World Series to play aggressively. If he was knocked out early, there were plenty of other juicy side games for him to tackle.

It seemed that this was exactly what would happen. At one point in the tournament, Strauss pushed his entire stack into the middle. He was called, and lost. As he got up to leave, it was revealed that he had one remaining $500 chip, which was hidden from view and therefore had not gone into the middle. Playing that short is no  freeroll . Another player might have given up, either leaving the table and abandoning the chip, or throwing it in on the next hand. Not Strauss. Exhibiting extraordinary timing, he got that chip in when no one else had a hand, and won the blinds uncontested, doubling his “stack.” He moved in again, and won again.

By the time the third day was over, Jack Strauss had turned that lone, found $500 into well over $300,000 of tournament chips. When the final table was set, he was the chip leader. Strauss didn't slow down for an instant, crushing all opponents with his towering stack, until finally he was heads up with Dewey Tomko. The battle didn't last long. Finding himself with A 4 suited, Tomko raised $100,000. With A T, Strauss re-raised. In moments, both players were all-in, and when a T came on the turn, it was all over. Strauss had turned his single chip into a World Series of Poker Championship bracelet.

Strauss' feat is considered one of the most impressive in WSOP history, and a testament to how determination and a little luck can overcome all obstacles including the worst imaginable  poker odds . This incident was the origin of the famous phrase “a chip and a chair,” said by poker players who are close to the felt or by their supporters, to remind them that as long as you are in action, you have a chance to win it all.

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