In the long and illustrious history of the World Series of Poker, Hal Fowler remains something of an anomaly in the minds of many learned experts. Fowler did not enjoy a particularly varied or broad career, having won only a single championship bracelet. Yet nonetheless he has cast a long and indelible shadow over the professional circuit. His name is often invoked with respect and even awe.

What exactly is the aspect of how Hal Fowler's career that sets him apart from some of the other people who have won championships at the WSOP? Well, for one thing, there is the sheer value of originality. Hal Fowler was the first non-professional player to win in the main event championship event in the WSOP. Nowadays, it is very common for amateur players to emerge from the ranks of obscurity, either by winning an online satellite tournament or simply ponying up the buy-in fee. In this fashion, quite a wide number of non-professional players have become champions. In fact, some of the most popular recent champs (including Chris Moneymaker and Greg "Fossilman" Raymer) were amateurs when they won their respective titles.

But, back in the 1970s, it was literally unheard of for an amateur player to make an appearance at the biggest game in the world and, not only compete with distinction, but actually win the whole ball of wax. That is exactly what Hal Fowler did in 1979. And it was not easy, either. At a certain point in the tourney, Hal had only about $2,000 in chips left, after having started out with well over $500,000. That in itself would have been enough to discourage most non-pro's. Add to this the fact that he was seated at a final table with Johnny Moss, Bobby Baldwin and other world-renowned poker players and it doesn't tax the imagination to see that Hal Fowler was written off as an underdog in every sense of the word.

And yet, once again poker earned its distinction as one of the world's most unpredictable games when Fowler pulled off what many considered a genuine miracle. You could have heard a pin drop in Binion's Horseshoe Casino when it happened. His victory is often referred to as the greatest upset in the history of the World Series of Poker. And so, though he never again risen to such heights, Hal Fowler etched himself a lasting place in the history of professional poker and his name continues to inspire underdogs everywhere.