Jack Keller was an American poker player who won the 1984 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event.
He won two other WSOP bracelet as well as Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker twice. Outside of poker, Keller served in the US Air Force prior to becoming a poker player.
Keller was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1993. He died on December 5, 2003, aged 60.
Biography
Keller was born in Tunica, Mississippi in December, 1942. He began playing cards as a teenager in friendly "kitchen games". He served in the US Air Force prior to becoming a poker player.
His nickname of 'Gentleman Jack' was an ironic one, earned while working as a stock broker.
By the early 80s, Keller had earned a reputation as one of the best Seven Card Stud and Lowball players around.
1984 WSOP Main Event
In 1984, Keller won his first bracelet in the $5,000 Seven Card Stud event, and followed that up by winning the Main Event for $660,000. He topped a 132-player field and defeated Byron "Cowboy" Wolford heads-up.
Three years after his Main Event success, Keller quit poker and returned to stock options trading. However, in 1993 he returned to win a third bracelet in the $1,500 Limit Omaha for $61,800.
Jack Keller WSOP Bracelets
| Year | Event | Payout (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Event #7: $5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud | $137,500 |
| 1984 | Event #14: $10,000 NLHE WSOP Main Event | $660,000 |
| 1993 | Event #5: $1,500 Limit Omaha | $61,800 |
WSOP Main Event Winners 1975-84
| YEAR | ENTRIES | CHAMPION | COUNTRY | PRIZE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 132 | Jack Keller | United States | $660,000 |
| 1983 | 108 | Tom McEvoy | United States | $540,000 |
| 1982 | 104 | Jack Straus | United States | $520,000 |
| 1981 | 75 | Stu Ungar | United States | $375,000 |
| 1980 | 73 | Stu Ungar | United States | $385,000 |
| 1979 | 54 | Hal Fowler | United States | $270,000 |
| 1978 | 42 | Bobby Baldwin | United States | $210,000 |
| 1977 | 34 | Doyle Brunson | United States | $340,000 |
| 1976 | 22 | Doyle Brunson | United States | $220,000 |
| 1975 | 21 | Brian Roberts | United States | $210,000 |
