The New Yr just isn’t solely a possibility for poker gamers to look forward, maybe setting new resolutions and targets, but in addition an opportunity to look again on the 12 months passed by. In 2022, that entails remembering these gamers who handed on.
Right here’s a have a look at a few of these we misplaced over the previous 12 months.
Louie Anderson
Again in January, Comic Louie Anderson handed away on the age of 68 after a battle with most cancers. He was no stranger to mainstream audiences as he carried out a clear stand-up comedy routine for many years, received a Primetime Emmy Award in 2016 for Excellent Supporting Actor in a Comedy Collection for his position in FX’s Baskets, and hosted Household Feud from 1999-2002.
Anderson’s profession is well-documented, however do you know that he as soon as joined the poker world?
Within the mid-2000s, Anderson briefly represented PokerStars, the biggest on-line poker website on the planet, even sporting their patch whereas taking part in within the 2006 World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Important Occasion. Sadly, Anderson didn’t money that event.
Paul Strohm
Paul Strohm, probably the most revered gamers within the mid-major poker scene, particularly on the RunGood Poker Collection (RGPS), and a competitor within the famed Kansas Metropolis Monday Night time Poker Recreation handed away in late January.
The unlucky information was shared by Strohm’s three sons – Scott, Nick, and Brian – in a social media submit to his Fb account:
“We’re devastated to need to let you already know that final Thursday Paul handed away peacefully in his sleep with us by his facet. He had been privately battling most cancers and was centered on dwelling his greatest life. I feel we will all agree he succeeded. We encourage you all to please share any story/image/video you have got of him on this submit or his web page. Thanks a lot for being part of his life- his household and associates meant extra to him than something. Our father was a hero to every of us and we cherished him deeply. He can be tremendously missed by us and numerous different family and friends.”
Based on The Hendon Mob, Strohm had $117,322 in lifetime profession earnings relationship again to 2017 together with a career-high $26,058 for ending tenth within the RGPS Council Bluffs Important Occasion again in June 2021. He had two different five-figure scores on his poker résumé – $11,634 for taking ninth within the 2019 World Collection of Poker Circuit Ameristar St. Charles $1,700 Important Occasion and $10,512 for ending thirty sixth within the 2020 World Poker Tour (WPT) Fallsview.
Kelvin Beattie
Old style on-line poker legend Kelvin “aces_up4108” Beattie, a former No. 1 ranked Australian participant and proprietor of the PokerNerve coaching website, handed away on the finish of February after a protracted battle with most cancers.
“He fought so exhausting over the previous 10 months, by no means giving up and we’re devastated having misplaced him,” his household stated in an announcement. Beattie had beforehand been identified with most cancers however a number of years in the past went into remission. After regaining his well being, he dove again into poker in Asia and created PokerNerve. Sadly, his most cancers returned throughout the pandemic, and was given only some months to stay.
Within the early 2010s, Beattie was a feared on-line participant racking up greater than $4.5 million in winnings, together with a coveted PokerStars WCOOP title. He was additionally a 10x Triple Crown winner. Within the stay realm, Beattie had $194,574 in lifetime earnings in line with The Hendon Mob. That included a career-best $26,706 for ending eighth within the 2017 Macau Poker Cup Occasion #12: HK$50,000 NLH.
Shane Warne
In March, Australian cricket legend and eager poker participant Shane Warne has died after a suspected coronary heart assault whereas in Thailand. The previous 888poker Group Professional was 52 years previous.
A short assertion from Warne’s administration staff broke the information.
Warne is broadly considered among the best spin bowlers to have ever performed the sport of cricket. His unimaginable report on the worldwide stage for Australia confirmed the cricketing world what a celebrity he was.
Poker was a additionally massive a part of Warne’s life; his web site even has a bit devoted to the sport. There, he compares poker to skilled cricket and describes his love of event poker and the World Collection of Poker particularly.
888poker signed Warne to their roster {of professional} poker gamers and ambassadors in January 2008. He remained with 888poker till January 2015.
Based on The Hendon Mob Database, Warne gathered $161,325 in stay event cashes from 18 outcomes. His third-place end in an A$10,200 Excessive Stakes Occasion on the 2010 Victorian Poker Championship earned Warne A$40,000 ($35,899) which remained his largest-ever haul.
Different poker-related highlights of Warne’s profession embrace a twenty second place within the 2014 WSOP Asia-Pacific Important Occasion received by Scott Davies, a fourth-place end an A$2,500 No-Restrict Maintain’em occasion on the 2018 Aussie Tens of millions value A$41,225 ($33,320), and a money value $17,282 within the 2015 WSOP Important Occasion in Las Vegas.
George Epstein w/ Robbie Strazynski
Members of the poker group mourned the lack of Los Angeles resident and famend poker columnist George Epstein (pictured left above alongside Robbie Strazynski), who handed away on the morning of March 29 on the age of 95.
Epstein, a member of the Senior Poker Corridor of Fame, was born in Boston in 1926 and attended the College of Massachusetts and Massachusetts Institute of Know-how (MIT) earlier than having “a distinguished profession as an aerospace engineer,” in line with an obituary revealed by the Los Angeles Occasions.
After retiring within the Nineties, Epstein, a veteran who served within the Navy throughout World Conflict II, started a “second profession” within the poker business that included writing columns for varied poker websites and publishing poker technique books.
A type of books, Maintain’em or Fold’em?: An Algorithm for Making the Key Choice, provides technique to enhance restrict Maintain’em play, whereas The Artwork of Bluffing and Different Types of Deception in Poker walks via when and how one can make a transfer towards your opponents.
Epstein was additionally an achieved poker columnist and had his writing revealed by the likes of Poker Participant Newspaper, Gaming In the present day and Cardplayer Way of life, the place he revealed 100 articles and earned the moniker of “Senior contributor.”
Moe Moeini
In April, 5 individuals, together with former World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Circuit ring champion Mohammad “Moe” Moeini, had been shot useless throughout a Southern Mississippi killing spree.
Based on Fox 8, the suspect, 32-year-old Jeremy Alesunder Reynolds, barricaded himself contained in the Canal Grocery retailer in Biloxi, a poker hotbed, earlier than police tear-gassed the constructing. He was discovered useless inside the shop however authorities have not but launched the reason for loss of life.
Reynolds is alleged to have shot and killed Moeini, 51, and two others on the Broadway Inn Specific motel, a enterprise owned by the poker participant, earlier than allegedly leaving the scene of the crime. Police and witnesses say he then carjacked 52-year-old William Waltman whom he additionally shot and killed.
Mohammad was a revered and beloved poker participant who received the 2014 WSOP Circuit Biloxi Important Occasion for $106,101, beating out 301 entrants. In complete, he cashed in 9 Circuit occasions and two bracelet tournaments in Las Vegas.
“Moe” racked up over $520,000 in total stay event cashes in line with the Hendon Mob. His most up-to-date money got here in January 2020, a ninth-place end for $7,707 in a $2,000 Excessive Curler No-Restrict Maintain’em Match in his hometown of Biloxi.
“Simply horrible disappointment. Moe was simply such a superb man. He was all the time one of many nicest individuals within the poker site,” Good friend and fellow poker participant Scott Weinberg informed WWLTV New Orleans. “It’s a small group within the poker site so all of us form of know one another and we’re all associates and it’s robust on everyone.”
Todd Terry
Former skilled poker participant and legal professional Todd Terry handed away in Could after an almost decade-long battle with a devastating neurological illness.
Terry, who made quite a few deep runs on the World Collection of Poker (WSOP) and on the World Poker Tour (WPT) and was a identified and revered voice within the poker discussion board group, died in Los Angeles on Could 17 after his battle with the incurable Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), in line with his obituary within the Cleveland Plain Seller. He was 48.
Terry, initially from Solon, Ohio, graduated from Harvard Faculty and New York College Legislation Faculty earlier than turning into a practising protection legal professional in Manhattan, the place he was “concerned in a number of high-profile, front-page information trials,” as acknowledged in his obituary.
He ultimately gave up his profession in legislation to develop into knowledgeable poker participant, a second profession that allowed him to journey the world competing in tournaments.
Based on The Hendon Mob, Terry racked up $2.4 million in lifetime earnings, together with a career-best rating of $434,767 from a runner-up end on the 2009 Borgata Winter Open within the $3,000 buy-in No-Restrict Maintain’em Championship occasion.
Two years earlier, Terry completed second in a $2,000 buy-in No-Restrict Maintain’em occasion on the 2007 WSOP for $353,875. Whereas he was by no means capable of get his arms on a WSOP bracelet, he did win a Circuit ring on the 2006 WSOP Circuit Atlantic Metropolis cease in a $1,500 buy-in occasion for $96,525.
Terry had his final money in 2015 and sadly needed to retire from poker on account of his worsening well being situation.
Bob Ciaffone
In Could, the poker world acquired the unhappy information that Bob Ciaffone, an achieved poker writer and longtime Card Participant Journal columnist, handed away on the age of 81.
Born in Brooklyn, New York on December 10, 1940, Ciaffone discovered to play poker a long time earlier on the age of 9 after being taught by his mom. A 12 months later, their household relocated to Sagniaw, Michigan, and by the point he was 15 he was excelling at a number of completely different sorts of video games.
He would attend the College of Notre Dame however regardless of being the highest-ranked scholar on entrance exams, he ultimately dropped out after spending an excessive amount of time taking part in pool.
Along with his poker and pool accomplishments, Ciaffone excelled at bridge, backgammon, and chess. The U.S. Chess Federation awarded him the title of Life Grasp (he additionally obtained the identical title from the American Contract Bridge League), and he additionally beforehand served because the president of the Michigan Chess Affiliation.
He was so revered within the poker business that the New Jersey On line casino Management Fee used him to assist set up guidelines after they opened their poker rooms, one thing Florida officers did as effectively years later.
Ciaffone authored 5 poker books together with Robert’s Guidelines of Poker, Center Restrict Poker, Pot-Restrict and No-Restrict Poker, Omaha Poker: The Motion, and Enhance Your Poker.
As a participant, Ciaffone had profession earnings of $347,106 in line with The Hendon Mob. His most notable efficiency and largest money of $125,000 got here when he completed third within the 1987 World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Important Occasion to runner-up Frank Henderson and champ Johnny Chan.
Warren “Grumpa” Griffith (left) w/ Ken Tilden
Warren “Grumpa” Griffith, a double amputee who survived a number of strokes and coronary heart assaults and dreamed of taking part in on the World Collection of Poker (WSOP), has handed away on the age of 73 again in Could.
A Massachusetts native and poker fanatic, Grumpa’s story touched the hearts of poker gamers from Daniel Negreanu to Maria Ho when he made the journey West to the 2015 WSOP. The beloved Grumpa handed peacefully on Could 12 after a protracted battle with coronary heart illness, in line with his obituary.
Grumpa, who was affectionately given his nickname by his 5 granddaughters for his cranky temperament, was a large poker fan who all the time needed to journey to Las Vegas to take his shot at successful a bracelet and life-changing cash. Regardless of a myriad of well being issues, Grumpa achieved his aim in 2015 and performed within the WSOP’s inaugural “The Colossus” occasion as part of a Blaycation group.
Wealthy Korbin
Wealthy Korbin, a World Collection of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner who started working for PokerStars throughout the poker website’s early days, handed in June of a coronary heart assault at age 73, information that devastated many throughout the poker group.
The poker fanatic grew up in Ardsley, New York the place he attended Ardsley Excessive Faculty, a public faculty in Westchester. He’d go on to stay within the Denver, Colorado space, Vancouver, Canada, and Las Vegas, his most up-to-date residency.
When information started spreading of Korbin’s passing on social media, quite a few poker gamers and business personnel chimed in to share reminiscences.
“So unhappy. I used to be lucky to spend so much time with Richie over the previous few years and actually get pleasure from it. He had so many nice tales about his time at pokerstars (and others). I’ll miss him- such a pleasant man. RIP my good friend,” poker professional Ari Engel tweeted.
Korbin was the director of selling for PokerStars, the web poker website he represented for 17 years.
“Rattling, performed with Wealthy over time within the stud combine at Bellagio. All the time very nice and had a fantastic sense of Humor. Relaxation In Peace Wealthy,” Ronnie Bardah tweeted.
“Richie cruised with us years and years in the past. He could not imagine the great time that he had, he boasted about it and stated he could not wait to go once more,” Jan Fisher, a associate at Card Participant Cruises, stated.
“So sorry to listen to! I spent quite a lot of time w him on the tables a number of years in the past – all the time very pleasant. He was undoubtedly one I perked up and listened to each phrase he needed to say,” poker professional Jon Turner wrote.
As a poker participant, Korbin received a World Collection of Poker bracelet in 2001, a career-best $159,080 rating in a $2,500 restrict seven card stud hi-lo event. In that occasion, he beat a troublesome ultimate desk that included Poker Corridor of Famer John Juanda and former Important Occasion champion Chris Ferguson, who was one of many high gamers within the sport on the time.
Galen Kester
In July, the poker group discovered the unhappy information that Galen Kester, a well known participant in Tunica, Mississippi, handed away.
“Galen Kester was a legend in Tunica, and performed in monumental money video games with a fantastic solid of characters,” Johnny Grooms posted on social media.
In 2001, Kester received a World Collection of Poker gold bracelet when he topped a 145-player area to win Occasion #8: $1,500 Pot-Restrict Omaha for a career-high $167,035. He did so by defeating Poker Corridor of Famer David “Devilfish” Ulliott in heads-up play and besting a ultimate desk that included Freddy Deeb and Jay Heimowitz, in addition to deep runs by Erik Seidel (tenth place) and Johnny Chan (14th place).
Based on the Hendon Mob, Kester amassed simply over $1.2 million in lifetime event earnings relationship again to 2001. That put him fifth on Mississippi’s all-time cash record on the time of his passing.
Kester additionally received the 2012 Gold Strike World Poker Open $3,000 Important Occasion in Tunica for $165,000, took down the Fourth Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open $1,060 Pot-Restrict Omaha event for $152,096 in 2003, and was victorious within the 2006 Gold Strike World Poker Open $2,070 NLH occasion for $101,212. He additionally had a deep run within the 2006 WSOP Important Occasion ending in 173rd place for $47,006.
Panayote “Pete the Greek” Vilandos
The poker world misplaced one other character as phrase circulated that three-time World Collection of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet winner Pete “Pete the Greek” Vilandos, whose actual title was Panayote Vilandos, handed away again on July 24 on the age of 82.
Vilandos, who was born Could 30, 1940, arrived in america as an immigrant from Greece when he was simply 27 years previous. Regardless of having already earned a level on the College of Athens, he went on to graduate from the College of Houston the place he earned a level in electrical engineering.
Based on The Hendon Mob, Vilandos had $3,266,764 in lifetime earnings relationship again to 1990. Of that, $2,520,167 got here in WSOP-related cashes together with a trio of gold bracelets. His first got here on the 1995 WSOP when he received Occasion #10: $1,500 Pot-Restrict Maintain’em for $148,500, whereas the second got here on the 2009 WSOP when he topped a 2,506-player area to win Occasion #24: $1,500 No-Restrict Maintain’em for $607,256.
Amazingly, that win got here lower than two weeks after he completed runner-up to Steve Sung for $473,282 in Occasion #4: $1,000 No-Restrict Maintain’em, a event that attracted 6,012 runners.
Jan Suchanek
The poker world is mourning the lack of Australian poker participant Jan Suchanek, who handed away in September.
Suchanek had $1.1 million in stay event cashes, in line with Hendon Mob, highlighted by his memorable deep run within the 2016 World Collection of Poker Important Occasion. He completed in forty ninth place out of 6,737 for a career-best $142,447.
Irish poker professional Dara O’Kearney, a good friend of Suchanek’s, wrote a glowing tribute to his late pal.
As O’Kearney defined, Suchanek was born in Prague in April 1967, however grew up in Canada. He returned to his homeland following school the place he started to make a dwelling betting on sports activities. From there, he moved to New Zealand earlier than ending up in Melbourne, Australia.
On the felt, the late poker participant was referred to as an aggressive gambler who wasn’t afraid to play an enormous pot. He was a troublesome competitor but in addition made many associates within the sport as a result of his charming persona.
Suchanek by no means received a WSOP bracelet however he got here shut in a 2014 $1,500 10-game combine 6-handed event, taking second place to Bryn Kenney for $94,618, his second largest profession rating.
O’Kearney wrote that his good friend turned sick with abdomen issues earlier this month and he shortly turned involved. Though his passing is tragic, as “Doke” defined in his weblog submit, Suchanek lived a cheerful life full of affection.
Elias Theodorou
Former UFC fighter and poker participant Elias Theodorou handed away in September on the age of 34 after a non-public battle with colon most cancers, in line with an announcement from his household.
“He handed peacefully at residence together with his household and family members in his nook after a hard-fought struggle with colon most cancers that metastasized,” the assertion on Instagram learn.
The Canadian blended martial artist, whose loss of life was first reported by BJPenn.com, vlogged his poker journey for GGPoker and was one in every of a handful of celebrities who teamed up with GGPoker and the World Collection of Poker (WSOP) in 2020 to lift cash throughout the top of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Along with being a fierce opponent within the ring, Theodorou was a pressure on the poker desk and even landed a sponsorship with GGPoker throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March 2020, Theodorou was one in every of a handful of celebrities who performed a $1,111 COVID Charity occasion as a part of WSOP On-line Tremendous Circuit on the main poker website, an occasion that raised $175,000 for the Nevada Group Basis’s Covid-19 Emergency Response Fund.
The subsequent 12 months, Theodorou vlogged his poker journey within the 18-part “Gloves & Shoves” sequence with GGPoker Twitch Squad member Patrick Tardif, which included a December 2021 video documenting Theodorou taking part in his first poker tournaments in Las Vegas earlier that 12 months.
Ivan Leow
On Saturday, September 17, co-founder of Triton Poker Ivan Leow, 39, unexpectedly handed away from an obvious coronary heart assault. Leow’s passing got here throughout the highly-successful Triton Cyprus. Because of this, all remaining Triton Cyprus occasions, which started on September 5 and had been slated to run via the nineteenth, have been canceled so these there have the chance to “mourn his passing collectively.”
“Ivan was a vastly widespread member of the Triton household. He was heat, beneficiant, and large enjoyable each on the tables and off – a loyal good friend to us all. He was additionally a unbelievable poker participant, with a lifelong ardour for the sport,” Triton Poker stated in an announcement.
“Ivan was a really particular particular person, who lived life to the total, was all the time smiling, and cherished the sport of poker. He can be sincerely missed by his household, associates, and everybody who had the pleasure of assembly him.”
From Paul & Richard,
— Triton Poker (@tritonpoker)
According to The Hendon Mob, Leow had just over $13.1 million in lifetime tournament earnings dating back to 2015. That put him third on Malaysia’s all-time money list behind only Paul Phua and Richard Yong.
Leow’s largest score of $2.46 million came in August 2021 when he finished runner-up Wiktor Malinowski in the Merit Poker Super High Roller Bowl Europe. In 2018, when Leow received an astounding $5,691,986 in event play, he received the World Collection of Poker (WSOP) Europe €100,000 Leon’s Excessive Curler for $1,422,140, which got here lower than two months after he took down the partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Russia Tremendous Excessive Curler for $1,133,555.
Ramsey Doumani
Southern California poker participant Ramsey Doumani handed away in December. Identified by his first title to viewers, Ramsey was beforehand a daily participant on Stay on the Bike. He was widespread amongst those that watched the longstanding live-streamed poker present.
Many poker gamers shared reminiscences of the late poker participant on social media, together with Ryan Feldman, the previous Stay on the Bike producer.
“Yesterday, we misplaced a fantastic member of the LA poker group. Ramsey was beloved by everybody who knew him. He was younger and stuffed with power and love. Please pray for his household and associates at this troublesome time,” Feldman, who now runs the competing Hustler On line casino Stay present, tweeted on Tuesday.
Yesterday, we misplaced a fantastic member of the LA poker group. Ramsey was beloved by everybody who knew him. He was yo… https://t.co/OEuOpAkXQ5
— Ryan Feldman (@TheRyanFeldman)
Poker vlogger Andrew Neeme also tweeted out some love to his friend on social media. The World Poker Tour ambassador shared a video of a nasty beat he misplaced on Stay on the Bike towards Ramsey a couple of years in the past.
“Very unhappy to listen to that we misplaced Ramsey. So enjoyable loving, heat, and such a supportive dude who’d let you know how a lot he cherished you. Suppose he hated folding much more than me. Took us out in DTLA for some memorable nights involving arcade bars & excessive velocity electrical bikes. He’ll be missed,” Neeme wrote.
Others Who Handed in 2022
Others who the poker world misplaced in 2022 had been Tim Kleeman, Thierry De Fast, and Sam Khouiss. PokerNews provides condolences to the chums and households of all these
misplaced in 2022.
Chad Holloway
Govt Editor U.S.
Govt Editor US, PokerNews Podcast co-host & 2013 WSOP Bracelet Winner.
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