Sam Angel, b. Los Angeles, CA (d. 3/21/2007) Two bracelets: 1973 $1,000 Razz ($32,000) & 1975 $1,000 Razz ($17,000). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
1921
1922
January 21
Telly Savalas, b. Garden City, NY as Aristotelis Savalas (d. 1/22/1994) Last Celebrity Standing in 1992 WSOP Main Event (21st for $8,080). 1985 $1,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo 3rd ($14,900), 1987 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo 5th ($11,650). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
1923
October 13
Henry Orenstein, b. Hrubieszow, Poland as Henryk Orenstein (d. 12/14/2021) Invented hole card cam (and Transformers). 1995 WSOP Main Event 8th place ($51,900). Won 1996 $5,000 Seven-Card Stud ($130,000). Poker Hall of Fame 2008. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
1924
June 3
Jimmy Casella, b. New York, NY (d. 8/10/1976) Three unpaid Top 10 WSOP Main Event finishes: 1972 8th place, 1973 WSOP Main Event 7th, & 1974 10th. Three bracelets: 1971 $1,000 Razz ($10,000), 1974 $10,000 Seven-Card Stud ($41,225), & 1974 $1,000 Razz ($25,000). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
1925
January 6
Paul McKinney, b. Princeton, WV as William Paul McKinney (d. 7/6/2013) 1998 WSOP Main Event 9th place ($57,500). Won 2005 $1,000 Seniors Championship ($202,725) to become the oldest player to win his first bracelet at age 80. Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 2006. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
1926
1927
January 1
Jesse Alto, b. Mexico as Jesse Michael Alto (d. 5/3/1998) Eight WSOP Main Event Top 9 finishes: 1974 4th, 1975 6th, 1976 2nd, 1978 5th for $21,000, 1984 2nd for $132,000, 1985 6th for $42,000, 1986 4th for $62,700, & 1988 9th for $21,000. Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 1996. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
Don Holt, b. Pittsburgh, PA (d. 5/2/2003) 1991 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($402,500). Won 1989 $5,000 Seven-Card Stud ($154,000). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
1928
December 31
Amarillo Slim Preston, b. Johnson, AR as Thomas Austin Preston, Jr. (d. 4/29/2012) 1972 WSOP Main Event winner ($80,000). Three other bracelets: 1974 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em, 1985 $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha, & 1990 $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha. Poker Hall of Fame 1992. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
April 7
James Garner, b. Norman, OK (d. 7/19/2014) Maverick actor played in the 2006 WSOP Main Event. Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 2007. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
June 12
John Bonetti, b. Brooklyn, NY (d. 6/27/2008) Three WSOP Main Event final tables: 1990 8th place ($33,400), 1993 3rd place ($210,000), & 1996 3rd place ($341,250). Three bracelets: 1990 $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($83,250), 1993 $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold 'Em ($122,400), & 1995 $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($101,250). Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 2011. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
December 1
Sarge Ferris, b. Waterville, ME as Fred Barnard Ferris (d. 3/12/1989) Won 1980 $10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($150,000) from which he staked Stu Ungar for his WSOP Main Event victory. Poker Hall of Fame 1989. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
1929
January 29
Puggy Pearson, b. Adairville, KY as Walter Clyde Pearson (d. 4/12/2006) 1973 WSOP Main Event winner ($130,000). Three other unpaid Top 9 finishes: 1972 2nd, 1974 9th, & 1976 7th. Four other bracelets: 1971 $1,000 Seven-Card Stud ($10,000), 1972 Seven-Card Stud (banquet award missing from the record books), & 1973 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em ($17,000). Set record for most bracelets won in one year with three in 1973. Poker Hall of Fame 1987. Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 1995. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
March 9
Bob Thompson, b. Coalinga, CA (d. 12/6/2009) WSOP Tournament Director from 1999 to 2002. Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 2000. Wikipedia
August 5
Al Alvarez (d. 9/23/2019) Wrote the "Biggest Game in Town", which covers the 1981 WSOP Main Event in depth and popularized the Nick Dandolos-Johnny Moss match myth. Wikipedia
August 18
Bob Hooks, b. Edgewood, TX (d. 6/18/2016) Four unpaid WSOP Main Event final tables: 1973 5th place, 1974 6th place, 1975 2nd place, & 1977 5th place. Hendon
