Known as Gentleman Jack, Keller started playing poker with his fellow members of the US air force and soon caught the bug. Upon discharge from the force Keller moved to Las Vegas in order to pursue his dream of becoming a professional poker player, which he succeeded in doing. Having been predominantly a cash game player, he showed that he had picked up the art of tournament play when in 1984 he won his first WSOP bracelet in stud.
One week later the main event beckoned and having made his way through what was a record field at the time, Keller found himself sat with just two other players between him and a world championship. With the chip lead and vastly more tournament experience behind him Jesse Alto was favourite to win but after Byron Wolford fired a three barrel bluff then showed total trash to the table, Alto went on mad tilt. The next two hands saw him move all in blind and both times Keller called and won. That was enough to see Keller on to victory and he collected $660,000 as the new world champion.
Further tournament success came over the years including victory in the $10,000 main event of Amarillo Slim’s Superbowl Of Poker in 1987 and a further bracelet in Omaha in 1993. Having made it in Vegas, ill health meant that he had to move away to a more sedate setting and saw out the rest of his days playing poker in Mississippi until his death in 2003.

Written by Ina Rkh
Last update: 22/04/2015