News Wire Service

Poker champion and Augusta arcade owner, Norman A. Boulus sadly passed away on Sunday 5th August. Aged 77, he succumbed to pneumonia, leaving behind friends, family and many teenagers for whom he was a role model to during his time.

Norman won the seven-card stud split event at the 1990 World Series of Poker. His victory came at a time when poker was shooting up in national prestige, but prior to the boom in the online industry after the birth of online poker giants such as PokerStars. He made a name for himself in the sport, beating professionals and celebrities alike, including Huck Seed, Mike Sexton and even Bill Cosby.

He also operated a video games hall during the height of their popularity. The arcade, called Norman's Electric Galaxy made a difference to the lives of young people living in the area.

Norman's wife, Sissy Boulus and nephew Paul Boulus said that the games hall kept countless teenagers out of trouble. In an article in its 1985 issue, The Augusta Chronicle praised the hangout for being "even more free of violence, drugs and alcohol than local schools." Norman would watch over the children who played there, earning respect from both the arcade's patrons and parents, who knew that their children were well looked after.


Norman Boulus, who succumbed to pneumonia had won the seven-card stud split event at the 1990 World Series of Poker,

The Electric Galaxy shut down in 1991 following the rise in sales of home game consoles.

His wife of 18 years, Sissy, told the Augusta Chronicle that "Norman will live on through the lives of the men he helped shape during their teenage years."