Moustache Man: Steve Z Talks Facial Hair, Playing at the Historic Mayfair Club

Dec 19, 2019

Steve Zolotow

By Sean Chaffin

As the money bubble burst on Day 3 of the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic, one of those remaining in the field was Steve Zolotow. This longtime poker pro’s tournament career dates back to the ‘70s and ‘80s when he also cut his teeth playing cash games in New York at the iconic Mayfair Club.

Originally a bridge club, it later morphed into a backgammon club before becoming home to high-stakes poker games featuring some well-known players in the poker world. Some of those who played at the poker hotspot include Erik Seidel, Dan Harrington, Jay Heimowitz, How Lederer, Stu Unger, Paul Magriel, Mickey Appleman, and numerous others.

“It was just poker,” he says of the scene. “In those days there weren’t a lot of casino poker games and the Mayfair was an alternative. The game there had a whole bunch of people who won WSOP bracelets.”

In the film Rounders, the Chesterfield Club was modeled after the Mayfair. Screenwriter Brian Koppelman was a regular in the games and it helped inspire the movie. The club operated for years underground, literally in a basement, but was eventually shut down in 2000.

Apparently Zolotow was a fast learner in those games and has seen just about everything in poker. He has lifetime career tournament winnings of $2.4 million including includes two World Series of Poker bracelets. The first came in 1995 in a $5,000 Chinese Poker event for $112,500, and the second in 2001 in a $3,000 Pot Limit Omaha event for $243,335.

Zolotow has found success on the WPT as well, with almost $493,000 in winnings. His best tour finish came in Season II, when he took fourth in the PartyPoker Million III for $259,684. He also had another deep run last season, finishing 10th in the Aria Summer Championship for $42,845.

“I’ve gambled my whole life,” Zolotow says. “I have a BS and an MBA, but when I was in my 30s I switched to full-time gambling.”

He now divides his time between Las Vegas, New York, and San Francisco. Before becoming a professional gambler, Zolotow worked for in the financial department for Harper and Row, which would later become HarperCollins.

Beyond his play at the tables, Zolotow might be recognized for having one of the most interesting mustaches in the game. He lets it grow out long and strands extend a couple of inches below his chin. Despite its lengthy appearance, Zolotow trims it frequently.

“It just grows on its own,” he says. “I’ve had a mustache like this since the ‘60s and sometimes it gets this long and gets trimmed off. When I zip my jacket up and the mustache gets caught in the zipper, that’s when I know it’s time for a trim.”

Sean Chaffin is a freelance writer in Crandall, Texas, and his work appears in numerous websites and publications. Follow him on Twitter @PokerTraditions.

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