Larry’s Game High Stakes Stud

As many people know, Larry Flynt is the owner of Hustler Magazine. He was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in 1978 by a white supremacist. His bouts with law enforcement and Jerry Falwell have become legendary. Flynt was even the subject of the movie, The People vs Larry Flynt. What many people do not know is that Larry Flynt is a high limit 7 Card Stud player.

Flynt started playing 7 Card Stud back in the 1970’s and regularly like to play heads-up stud. He frequently took trips to Las Vegas to play and regularly played against the best poker players, including the last Stu Ungar. By the early 1990’s, Flynt wanted to start hosting the game at his home in Beverly Hills. This was the birth of what is known as the “Larry Game.”

Eric Drache, former Mirage Poker Room Manager, helped to manage the Larry game. While Flynt didn’t care whom he played, Drache believed that it was a good idea that the top professionals did not play Flynt. That is one reason why Chip Reese, who was the best stud player in the world at the time, was not invited. Other pros still made it to the game, such as Barry Greenstein.

Play Online Poker The game was held about two to three times a week and players were charged a $500 fine if they were late to the game. Limits for the game were as high as $2,000 – $4,000 and there were also many wealthy amateurs in the game. According to accounts, the temperature of the room was freezing most of the time, which made for uncomfortable playing conditions for the players. One player even suffered a minor case of frostbit, but stayed in the game because it was so good.

According to Gabe Kaplan, Flynt was not a total fish in the game. There were times where he did lose, but there were also just as many times where he walked a way a winner. Eventually, the “Larry Game” moved to Larry’s Hustler Casino in Gardena, CA.

The new game started as a $75-$150 game to drum up business. The move worked in the beginning, but Flynt was better than most of the players at that limit and the game broke for good.

Eventually, the “Larry Game” evolved into the current $4,000 – $8,000 game played there regularly. The game is regularly populated with pros, including Phil Ivey. Flynt has stated that he has over $5 Million in the game from 2007 to 2008, but the dealers of the games have contended that he loses are around $300,000 per month.

According to Eli Elezra and Barry Greenstein, Flynt is a great guy but very streaky as a player. According to Greenstein, when Flynt is winning, Greenstein wants to get out of the game. When he is losing, he loses more than other players. Elezra stated that when he is losing that he plays too many hands. He also stated that he has seen Flynt win Millions at the table, but due to his style of play, he loses what he should by the end of the year.

Flynt has admitted that he prefers to play against the best competition on the planet. He says that it is no fun for him to play against amateurs, even if he could crush them. He gets more of a thrill beating the top pros.

Flynt is one of the biggest recreational stud players on the plant. Whether Flynt is a big winner or a bankroll booster depends on who you ask. However, Flynt is still a regular player at the high limits and has the money to back his loses. If you have the bankroll to support the “Larry Game,” you are more than welcome to take your shot at some of his money. Just remember, there will likely be around a half dozen professional there to take his money, and yours as well.