Rodney H. Pardey
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| Nickname(s) | Senior, Magoo |
|---|---|
| Hometown | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelet(s) | 2 |
| Money finishes | 7 |
| Highest ITM main event finish | None |
Rodney (Rod) Herm Pardey (aka "Senior" and "Magoo", born May 5, 1945 in Vincennes, Indiana) is an American professional poker player, currently residing in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pardey is the father of professional poker player and singer/songwriter Rodney E. Pardey.
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[edit] Early Years
Pardey began playing poker professionally in his early twenties in and around the Seattle/Tacoma area in Washington state. In 1969, while still in the reserves for The United States Coast Guard, Pardey began making regular money in a low-limit poker game featuring a host of local professionals that even included a local judge. At the advice of another player, Pardey embarked on a trip to Las Vegas to try his luck there.
[edit] Career
In Las Vegas in the 1970s, Pardey rose through the ranks playing his signature game: seven-card stud. Pardey sharpened his skills against some of the toughest competition then playing: Doyle "Texas Dolly" Brunson, David "Chip" Reese, Danny Robison, Eric Drache, Roger Moore, Stu Ungar, Tommy Cress, Johnny Moss, Puggy Pearson and Sarge Ferris. Many allege these games involved rampant cheating.
In the late 1970's, famed author of poker-playing guidebooks, David Sklansky, ranked Pardey the number one seven-card stud player in the world. In a time well before the rise of Texas hold 'em, this allowed Pardey a very comfortable living. By the end of the 1970's, Pardey was regularly playing as high as $1,000-$2,000.
The 1980s saw many changes in the poker industry, and these changes took their effect on Pardey as well. With the onset of the popularity of hold 'em, Pardey found himself shut out of the ensuing poker boom that was so crucially associated with "flops" and big tournament scores.
The early 80's brought on the rise of The Golden Nugget cardroom, run by Eric Drache. Pardey and Drache were good friends who had similar ideas on how a cardroom should be run. Pardey was thrilled to play in Drache's honest well-run cardroom. After years of training his eyes to watch for crooked players and crooked dealers, Pardey was able to focus on just cards. Since May of 1995, Pardey has been playing regularly in Los Angeles, California.
[edit] Controversy
In 1984, Pardey played in private home games with millionaire publisher Larry Flynt. After losing close to a million dollars during one of these sessions, Flynt allegedly refused to pay the debt. Pardey was the most damaged by Flynt's decision not to pay. It is alleged Flynt still owes close to $250,000 to Pardey.
[edit] World Series of Poker Bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | $2,500 Seven Card Stud | $133,600 |
| 1994 | $2,500 Seven Card Stud | $132,000 |
[edit] Outside of Poker
Pardey has been married twice. His first wife, Sandra Marie (born January 8, 1950 in Spokane, Washington), bore him three children: Rodney Erin (born September 14, 1976 in Las Vegas), Ryan Joseph (born February 25, 1979 in Las Vegas), and Lucynda Laurynne (born September 13, 1980 in Las Vegas). His second wife, Carmen Guffey (born September 29, 1946 in Dallas, Texas) bore him no children.
Before poker, Pardey was a professional bowler and bowled briefly on the PBA tour. In 1977, Pardey used his poker proceedings to purchase a run-down bowling alley in south Seattle called Skyway Park Bowl. Pardey is currently co-proprietor of the business with younger brother, David Pardey. Skyway Park Bowl expanded to include a casino in the late 1990s and has hosted a number of PBA tour events, including three visits from ABC.
[edit] Notes
- Pardey has stated on several occasions that Stuey Ungar was his toughest opponent. Sometimes, he added that Stuey "could read my mind."
- Danny Robison, who many consider the greatest stud player, has stated that Pardey is one the "two or three toughest opponents" he ever faced.
