Typically being a good person and a good poker player are a bad combination. However, this seemed to be the norm for Brian "Sailor" Roberts. Roberts grew up in the Texas town of San Angelo and the first style of gambling that he took up was craps. When he was 12, he used to work as a caddie for a local golf course and would shoot craps with the other caddies.
Gambling was not his only ambition however. Roberts was a star football player in high school and thought about playing football at the collegiate level. He decided to change his mind and join the Navy. Roberts' tour of duty was during the Korean War and he spent most of his tour aboard one type of ship or another. This is where he earned his nickname "Sailor" He continued to shoot craps while in the Navy and when he left, he determined that he would be a professional gambler.
Somewhere during the 1950's, Roberts joined up with Amarillo Slim Preston and Doyle Brunson and they used to travel around the country playing poker and betting on sports. This partnership continued for around six years. In 1962 Roberts was arrested for conducting sports betting over the telephone as a result of the Federal Wire Act. He went to jail for a year, and after getting out, he decided to focus on just playing poker.
He was among the first players invited to play at the World Series of Poker in 1970 and continued to play regularly at the World Series every year. In 1974, Roberts won his first WSOP bracelet in the $5,000 2-7 Draw Event. He outlasted Larry Perkins to take home the $35,850 prize. In 1975 he accomplished what was said to be an ambition of his, and that was to win the WSOP Main Event. He outlasted 20 other players to win the Championship Bracelet and the $210,000 prize.
Technically, every year before 1975, the Main Event winner received a trophy and the prize money for winning the event. 1975 was the first year the physical bracelet was award, so in a way Roberts was the first ever bracelet winner. Later, bracelets were given to past champions once it was determined that bracelets would be the permanent reward for the Main Event Champion.
While Roberts would play for the WSOP for several years, he never attained nearly the same success. His best finish was 8th in the 1982 Main Event. He later died of sclerosis caused by hepatitis. Roberts was remembered by his peers as a very caring man. After a health scare in 1961, Roberts tended to Doyle Brunson after receiving emergency surgery. Also, he was remembered as being a man that would help out a fellow gambler that was down on his luck. When he won the Main Event, it was said that there wasn't any jealousy in the room.
Sailor Roberts' poker career was not as long and storied as other champions of the past due to his health, but he was remembered as a good man. While that doesn't always win the most money at a poker table, it did earn him the respect of those he played with.
Gambling was not his only ambition however. Roberts was a star football player in high school and thought about playing football at the collegiate level. He decided to change his mind and join the Navy. Roberts' tour of duty was during the Korean War and he spent most of his tour aboard one type of ship or another. This is where he earned his nickname "Sailor" He continued to shoot craps while in the Navy and when he left, he determined that he would be a professional gambler.
Somewhere during the 1950's, Roberts joined up with Amarillo Slim Preston and Doyle Brunson and they used to travel around the country playing poker and betting on sports. This partnership continued for around six years. In 1962 Roberts was arrested for conducting sports betting over the telephone as a result of the Federal Wire Act. He went to jail for a year, and after getting out, he decided to focus on just playing poker.
He was among the first players invited to play at the World Series of Poker in 1970 and continued to play regularly at the World Series every year. In 1974, Roberts won his first WSOP bracelet in the $5,000 2-7 Draw Event. He outlasted Larry Perkins to take home the $35,850 prize. In 1975 he accomplished what was said to be an ambition of his, and that was to win the WSOP Main Event. He outlasted 20 other players to win the Championship Bracelet and the $210,000 prize.
Technically, every year before 1975, the Main Event winner received a trophy and the prize money for winning the event. 1975 was the first year the physical bracelet was award, so in a way Roberts was the first ever bracelet winner. Later, bracelets were given to past champions once it was determined that bracelets would be the permanent reward for the Main Event Champion.
While Roberts would play for the WSOP for several years, he never attained nearly the same success. His best finish was 8th in the 1982 Main Event. He later died of sclerosis caused by hepatitis. Roberts was remembered by his peers as a very caring man. After a health scare in 1961, Roberts tended to Doyle Brunson after receiving emergency surgery. Also, he was remembered as being a man that would help out a fellow gambler that was down on his luck. When he won the Main Event, it was said that there wasn't any jealousy in the room.
Sailor Roberts' poker career was not as long and storied as other champions of the past due to his health, but he was remembered as a good man. While that doesn't always win the most money at a poker table, it did earn him the respect of those he played with.
