Many poker players’ biggest fear is that they’ll someday end up broke and in bad health. And it is this fear that keeps many people from making it in the game of poker - along with the fact that some people just downright suck. Getting back to the point, with no retirement plans set up for poker players we are seeing this type of scenario happen all too often. But rarely does the scenario hit someone as hard as it has hit Paul “Eskimo” Clark.
Paul Clark - who’s known as Eskimo because he looked like an old Alaskan Airlines logo - was once regarded as one of the best tournament players in the world. Clark initially honed his skills back in the Vietnam War as a medic who would spend his free time playing poker with fellow amateur rounders. Years after the war ended, Eskimo decided to try his hand at professional poker tournaments in 1988, and was hit with immediate success.
Not only was Clark winning smaller tournaments around Los Angeles and Las Vegas, but he also managed to place 8th in two tourneys at the 1988 WSOP. 1992 saw Eskimo achieve even more success when he won the $5,000 Seven Card Stud event and earned his first gold bracelet. Clark was able to pick up bracelet number two and three in 1999 and 2003 which solidified him as a top WSOP player.
Unfortunately, Clark had let his weight problem go on for far too long and he had begun to show frequent grogginess at tournaments. During the 2007 WSOP, people had reported that he passed out 3 different times in one tournament, but he refused to leave the table and battled to a 4th place finish. This may be his last great finish though as people believe he has serious health concerns that he refuses to get checked out.
And even though Clark has some skills left, his money problems may force him out of the game soon since others are hesitant to back him. They fear that he’s not all there anymore and that his health problems have gone unchecked for too long. Whatever the case may be, I hope that Eskimo can come to grips with reality and get his health problems solved someday.