Poker Players

[alt obits guy 3,374]

Perry Friedman, a World Series of Poker bracelet winner and founding member of Tiltboy, has died. He was 55.

 

https://www.pokernews.com/news/2024/01/poker-wsop-perry-friedman-passes-away-at-age-55-45298.htm

[YoungWillz 21,086]

On 17/02/2019 at 21:59, RIP Wee Jum said:

Don't think there is a topic for poker players, if there is feel free to delete this

 

There are currently 56 people who have been put in the Poker Hall Of Fame, and 30 are still living

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poker_Hall_of_Fame

  
Crandell Addington    
 

Crandell Addington reportedly dead: https://www.casino.org/news/poker-legend-crandell-addington-dies-age-85/

 

List of the Missed @Death Impends, seemingly last picked in 2015: https://www.derbydeadpool.co.uk/deadpool2015/celebs_A.html#addinc

[Spade_Cooley 9,569]

Which leaves Carl Cannon (if he is still alive, which I'm not 100% convinced of) as the only person definitively known to have competed at the first World Series of Poker still living (the first WSOP is very poorly recorded, some say it was just a seven-man table game, some say it was a mini-tournament of 30 people). 

[Evil Grimace 359]

40 minutes ago, YoungWillz said:

Crandell Addington reportedly dead: https://www.casino.org/news/poker-legend-crandell-addington-dies-age-85/

 

List of the Missed @Death Impends, seemingly last picked in 2015: https://www.derbydeadpool.co.uk/deadpool2015/celebs_A.html#addinc

Sorry @Salmon Mousse, it seems the FOMO called your bluff.

 

I recall seeing that 'Poker Hall of Fame' team on the DDP.  A full 20 uniques!  Has that ever been replicated?

[Ulitzer95 12,703]

9 minutes ago, Spade_Cooley said:

Which leaves Carl Cannon (if he is still alive, which I'm not 100% convinced of) as the only person definitively known to have competed at the first World Series of Poker still living (the first WSOP is very poorly recorded, some say it was just a seven-man table game, some say it was a mini-tournament of 30 people). 

I *think* he's dead but not 100% certain. I can find only a few mentions of him in the newspaper archives from the 1970s until 1984 then any mention of him suddenly stops. The only other details that these articles give are that he was from Houston, Texas and was a law graduate.

FindAGrave page here for a Carl Allen Cannon, born 16 Apr 1938 in Mexia, Texas and died 12 Dec 1984 in Houston, Texas. Is this our man? Associated family trees confirm that he lived in Houston, and mention he died from a heart attack. They say nothing about poker nor do they mention a degree. My hunch is it's him but I have no further proof.

[Evil Grimace 359]

58 minutes ago, Spade_Cooley said:

Which leaves Carl Cannon (if he is still alive, which I'm not 100% convinced of) as the only person definitively known to have competed at the first World Series of Poker still living (the first WSOP is very poorly recorded, some say it was just a seven-man table game, some say it was a mini-tournament of 30 people). 

This picture clearly shows more than 7 people - and it has a 'who is who' guide too!  I can't make it out - can anyone make it legible?  Based on his age of 32 in 1970 and the picture from the FindAGrave, I suspect he is the man on the far left, between a short man with a cigar and 'Amarillo Slim' Preston in his trademark white hat.  The picture is from this website in Spanish.

 

 

 

30 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

I *think* he's dead but not 100% certain. I can find only a few mentions of him in the newspaper archives from the 1970s until 1984 then any mention of him suddenly stops. The only other details that these articles give are that he was from Houston, Texas and was a law graduate.

FindAGrave page here for a Carl Allen Cannon, born 16 Apr 1938 in Mexia, Texas and died 12 Dec 1984 in Houston, Texas. Is this our man? Associated family trees confirm that he lived in Houston, and mention he died from a heart attack. They say nothing about poker nor do they mention a degree. My hunch is it's him but I have no further proof.

I've checked records on cash winning for various WSOP touraments and he's last in the money in 1982 in 9th place.   Here WSOP , a notable WSOP records page Home (which also lists 38 players for 1970!) .  Also a newspaper archive, likely that @Ulitzer95 has seen that mentions his finish in May 1982, won by Jack Strauss; also gives residence as Houston, Texas.

Only other date to add was the day of his 9th place finish given as 22 May 1982.

 

@Ulitzer95 - I'd bet good money that you've made the correct call above.  No way would a player reputed to be one of the best, hence his 1970 invite, suddenly stop attending the highlight tourament of the year.

[Spade_Cooley 9,569]

44 minutes ago, Evil Grimace said:

This picture clearly shows more than 7 people - and it has a 'who is who' guide too!  I can't make it out - can anyone make it legible?  

 

There's a much larger version of the image seemingly scanned from a book on Reddit here. Cut-off at the bottom original scanner's error:

 

[Spade_Cooley 9,569]

 

From Byron "Cowboy" Wolford's 2005 autobiography. Cannon, on the right, could definitely be the guy whose photo is on the FindAGrave mentioned upthread 25 years on...

[gcreptile 10,994]

Rising star and one-time bracelet winner Matthew Parry dies unexpectedly at the WSOP in Las Vegas:

https://www.pokerstrategy.com/news/world-of-poker/Bracelet-winner-Matthew-Parry-passes-away_131666/

[Spade_Cooley 9,569]

2023 Matthew Perry, 2024 Matthew Parry: could it be time to add Matthew Porry, the minor league Floridian pickleball player, to your 2025 lists?

[Spade_Cooley 9,569]

Archie Karas, who turned his last $10,000 into $40,000,000 during one of the longest winning streaks in Vegas history (only to lose it all again in a few months) dead at 73. At one point during his run the Binion casino ran out of $5,000 chips due to them all being in Karas' bankroll.