Hal Fowler

{{infobox poker player

|name=Harold Arthur Fowler

|nickname=Hal

|image=HalFowler.jpg

|caption=Hal Fowler at the 1979 World Series of Poker

|birth_date = {{birth date|1927|1|12|mf=y}}

|birth_place =

|death_date = {{death date and age|2000|11|7|1927|1|12}}

|death_place =

|hometown=Tulare, California

|Offspring= Gregory Arthur Fowler|Marcy Fowler

|wsop bracelet count=1

|wsop money finishes=1

|wsop main event best finish rank=Winner

|wsop main event best finish year=1979

}}

Harold Arthur "Hal" Fowler (January 12, 1927 – November 7, 2000){{Cite web |title=Harold A. Fowler |url=http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi?lastname=Fowler&firstname=Harold |access-date=November 30, 2009 |publisher=Social Security Death Index |quote=Harold A. Fowler 12 Jan 1927 7 Nov 2000}} was an American poker player known for winning the 1979 World Series of Poker Main Event. He is considered the first amateur poker player to become poker's World Champion.{{Cite web |last=Holloway |first=Chad |date=November 4, 2010 |title=History in Spades: The First Amateur to Win the Main Event |url=http://www.pokernews.com/news/2010/11/history-in-spades-the-first-amateur-to-win-the-main-event-9269.htm |access-date=August 2, 2011 |website=PokerNews.com }}

Fowler was born in Rutland (city), Vermont and later lived for many years in Tulare, California. Before his WSOP victory, he worked as an advertising executive.

Poker

Although he was a relative unknown amateur player, Fowler won the 1979 World Series of Poker Main Event. At one point in the tournament, he was down to around 2,000 in chips (out of over 500,000 total tournament chips) at a final table that included Johnny Moss, Bobby Baldwin, Bobby Hoff, and other professional players. Additionally, it is believed that Fowler could not cover the entrance fee and Benny Binion had to loan it to him. {{Citation needed|date=September 2007}} Fowler's 1979 win is sometimes called the greatest upset in the history of the WSOP.{{Cite web |last=Wise |first=Gary |author-link=Gary Wise |date=May 25, 2009 |title=The Only Legend |url=http://www.espn.com/espn/poker/columns/story?columnist=wise_gary&id=4205054 |access-date=December 8, 2023 |website=ESPN.com}}

Fowler defeated professional Bobby Hoff heads up to win the championship when his {{cards|7♠|6♦}} made a gut-shot straight and defeated Hoff's {{cards|A♣|A♥}} on a board reading {{cards|5♥|3♣|J♠|4♠|T♦}}.{{Cite web |last=McManus |first=James |author-link=James McManus |date=August 27, 2005 |title=Running Bad When You Want to Be Running Good |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/27/sports/running-bad-when-you-want-to-be-running-good.html |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=New York Times |language=en}}

Fowler later faded from the poker scene because of complications from diabetes that hurt his eyesight and his legs. {{Citation needed|date=September 2007}}

Fowler's career tournament earnings exceeded $380,000.{{Cite web |title=Hal Gene Fowler's profile on The Hendon Mob |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=27590 |access-date=December 8, 2023 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}}

He died at the age of 73 of hemorrhagic shock due to upper gastro-intestinal bleeding, after having been driven to the hospital by a friend on November 7, 2000. He had been living in a seniors housing complex and was experiencing symptoms of a duodenal ulcer and cirrhosis.{{Cite book |last=Wilson |first=Des |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cjNjBlbhwkAC&q=Harold+A.+Fowler&pg=PT157 |title=GHOSTS AT THE TABLE: Riverboat Gamblers, Texas Rounders, Roadside Hucksters, and the Living Legends Who Make Poker What It Is Today |date=March 17, 2009 |publisher=Hachette Books |isbn=9780786732050 |location=Google Books |pages=157–158}}{{Cite web |last=Brunson |first=Doyle |author-link=Doyle Brunson |date=April 13, 2008 |title=DOYLISM OF THE DAY: "Don't take life too seriously; nobody gets out alive." |url=http://www.doylesroom.com/blog/?p=32 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513114417/http://www.doylesroom.com/blog/?p=32 |archive-date=May 13, 2008 |access-date=June 2, 2008 |publisher=doylesroom.com}}