Anyone who finds himself short-stacked at the poker table should take the time to remember Jack “Treetop” Straus.

Born in Texas at the start of the Great Depression, the 6-foot-6 Straus made a name for himself in the 1970’s as an aggressive player who treated money as if it were mere pieces of paper.

In 1982, that style of play won him the World Series of Poker in dramatic fashion.

At one point before the final table, Straus was down to a single $500 chip. The story of how he was left with one chip varies, but on one hand Straus pushed all his chips forward, was called, and lost. Except he didn’t actually go all-in as he thought he had.

The point of contention is whether Straus had said “all-in” before pushing his chips in. Either way, he continued with his lone chip and fought back to win the tournament.

Straus’ 1982 WSOP victory earned him his second bracelet, his first being a win in the Deuce to Seven Draw at the 1973 tourney. He wouldn’t earn another.

In August 1988, Straus died of a heart attack during a high-stakes game of poker at the Bicycle Club in Bell Gardens, Calif. He was 58.

Straus was named to the Poker Hall of Fame in 1988.