Little Man Popwell

Julius Oral “Little Man” Popwell (June 1, 1912–May 19, 1966) was a well-known poker player.

Popwell is one of the most famous poker players from the first half of the 20th century. His preferred game was five card stud, and he often played against other poker legends such as Johnny Moss. He was posthumously inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1996.

Despite his nickname, Popwell was actually obese, weighing over 300 pounds (136 kg) and only being 5′6″ tall. The nickname “Little Man” actually came from his prowess in billiards when he was a teenager, because he could regularly beat men over twice his age.

He operated lotteries and card games from his home near Birmingham, Alabama and on April 3, 1954, he was sentenced to 366 days in jail and fined $250 for this, as well as income tax evasion.