Jack Straus b. in Travis, Texas (d. 8/18/1988) 1982 WSOP Main Event winner ($520,000). Six unpaid Top 10 finishes: 1971 2nd, 1972 5th, 1973 4th, 1974 3rd, 1977 8th, & 1984 10th. Poker Hall of Fame 1988. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
September 13
Ken Smith b. in Olney, Texas as Kenneth Ray Smith (d. 2/4/1999) Two WSOP Main Event final tables: 1981 4th ($37,500) & 1978 6th (not paid). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
September 14
Byron Wolford b. in Barbers Hill, Texas (d. 5/13/2003) 1984 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($264,000). Won 1991 $5,000 Limit Hold 'Em ($210,000). Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 1995. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
1931
March 7
Sailor Roberts b. in Portland, Oregon as Bryan Roberts (d. 6/23/1995) 1975 WSOP Main Event winner ($210,000). 1982 WSOP Main Event 8th place ($20,800). Four other unpaid Top 6 finishes: 1973 6th, 1974 3rd, 1976 5th, & 1977 4th. Won 1974 $5,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($35,850). Poker Hall of Fame 2012. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
Hal Kant b. in New York, New York as Harold Sanford Kant (d. 10/19/2008) Grateful Dead attorney was Last Celebrity Standing in 1995 WSOP Main Event (26th for $17,300), 1996 (24th for $19,500), & 1999 (21st for $27,950). Won 1987 $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha ($174,000). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
December 14
Frank Henderson [] b. in Vicksburg, Mississippi{?} 1987 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($250,000). Won 1989 $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Rebuy ($184,000); Seniors Poker Hall of Fame. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
1932
April 30
David Spanier b. in London, England as David Graham Spanier (d. 4/18/2000) Wrote 1977 book, Total Poker, which includes coverage of the 1973 WSOP Main Event among its many stories. Wrote the first national poker column (England).
1933
January 27
Jerry Buss b. in Salt Lake City, Utah as Gerald Hatten Buss (d. 2/8/2013) Los Angeles Lakers owner had four cashes, including 1991 $2,500 Seven-Card Stud 3rd place ($33,250). Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 2007. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
January 29
J.C. Pearson b. in Tennessee (d. 1/18/2021) Won 1984 $2,500 Limit Omaha Hi/Lo for $103,000 to join older brother Puggy as the first siblings with WSOP bracelets. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
August 10
Doyle Brunson b. in Longworth, Texas as Doyle Frank Brunson (d. 5/14/2023) Two-time WSOP Main Event winner: 1976 ($220,000) & 1977 ($340,000). Four other Main Event final tables: 1972 3rd (not officially paid), 1980 2nd ($146,000), 1982 4th ($52,000), & 1983 3rd ($108,000). Won first bracelet in 1976 $5,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw and last in 2005 $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max. One of four players to win multiple bracelets in consecutive years. Poker Hall of Fame 1988 & Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 1996. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
December 8
Dave Crunkleton [] b. in U.S. Two WSOP Main Event final tables: 1990 3rd ($167,000) & 1992 5th ($60,600). Seniors Poker Hall of Fame. WSOP.com | Hendon
1934
February 22
Louis Hunsucker b. in Harris, Texas as Louis Sager Hunsucker Jr. (d. 4/27/2021) 1978 Main Event 3rd ($63,000). Won 1977 $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em ($34,200). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
March 14
Bill Smith b. in Roswell, New Mexico as William Paul Smith (d. 2/28/1996) 1985 WSOP Main Event winner ($700,000). Two other WSOP Main Event final tables: 1981 5th ($37,500) & 1986 5th ($51,300). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
August 15
Howard Andrew b. in Hollywood, California (d. 1/13/2021) 1984 WSOP Main Event 8th place ($26,400). Won 1976 $2,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em ($28,000) & 1976 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em ($23,600); Played in record 45 straight WSOP Main Events from 1974 to 2018. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
September 27
Wilford Brimley b. in Salt Lake City, Utah as Anthony Wilford Brimley (d. 8/1/2020) Actor was Last Celebrity Standing in 2001 WSOP Main Event (not paid). Cohosted Discovery Channel's broadcast of the 1999 World Series of Poker with Marianne Shafer. Wikipedia
1935
July 5
Stan Schrier (d. 4/1/2025) 2001 WSOP Main Event 3rd ($699,315) Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
August 20
Eddie Schwettman b. in Egypt Mills, Missouri (d. 4/30/2022) Won 1981 $1,000 Limit Hold 'Em for $90,000 (missing from most online sources). Two runner-up finishes: 1986 $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha ($78,375) & 1991 $1,500 Limit Hold 'Em ($128,100). WSOP.com | Hendon
September 25
Berry Johnston [] b. in Bethany, Oklahoma 1986 WSOP Main Event winner ($570,000). Three other WSOP Main Event final tables: 1982 3rd ($104,000), 1985 3rd ($140,000), & 1990 5th ($75,150). Won first bracelet in 1983 $2,500 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold 'Em ($40,000) and last in 2001 $1,500 Razz ($83,810). Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 1995 & Poker Hall of Fame 2004. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
1936
March 17
Perry Green [] b. in Seattle, Washington Two WSOP Main Event final tables: 1981 2nd ($150,000) & 1991 5th ($69,000). Won 1976 $1,000 Ace-to-Five Draw ($68,300), 1977 $500 Ace-to-Five Draw ($10,000), & 1979 $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em ($76,500). Seniors Poker Hall of Fame. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
August 17
Sam Petrillo b. in Chicago, Illinois (d. 6/24/2005) Two WSOP Main Event final tables: 1979 6th (not paid) & 1981 9th ($15,000). WSOP.com | Hendon
1937
February 21
Jack Binion [] b. in Dallas, Texas as Jack Benny Binion Benny Binion's older son became the president of the Horseshoe in 1963 and helped create the World Series of Poker in 1970. American Gaming Association's Gaming Hall of Fame 2004 & Poker Hall of Fame 2005. Wikipedia
April 28
Dana Smith [] Wrote "Tournament Poker" (with Tom McEvoy), "Championship No-Limit & Pot-Limit Hold'em" (with McEvoy & T.J. Cloutier), "Championship Table" (with McEvoy & Ralph Wheeler), "Cowboys, Gamblers and Hustlers" (with Byron Wolford), "World Series of Poker Offical Guidebook" (multiple editions with Avery Cardoza), and numerous others.
May 3
Dody Roach b. in Corpus Christi, Texas as Felix Dodier Roach (d. 9/7/2004) 1982 WSOP Main Event 6th place ($41,600). Won 1981 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em ($81,000) & 1996 $1,500 Limit Omaha ($102,600). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
Jay Heimowitz [] b. in Bethel, New York Won first bracelet in 1975 $1,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em ($32,000) and last in 2001 in the same event ($115,430) to become one of only three players to win a bracelet in four consecutive decades (Phil Hellmuth 5 decades, Billy Baxter 4). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
1938
April 10
Roger Moore b. in Chauncey, Georgia (d. 10/22/2011) 1986 WSOP Main Event 6th place ($39,900). Won 1994 $5,000 Seven-Card Stud for $144,000. Poker Hall of Fame 1997. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
June 2
Crandell Addington b. in Graham, Texas (d. 4/14/2024) 1978 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($84,000). Seven unpaid Top Ten finishes: 4th place in 1972, 9th in 1973, 2nd in 1974 3rd in 1975, 4th in 1976, 7th in 1979, & 10th in 1983. Poker Hall of Fame 2005. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
July 17
John Spadavecchia b. in Molfetta, Italy (d. 6/10/2023) 1994 WSOP Main Event 3rd place ($294,000). Won 1991 $5,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($58,500); ERROR W or obit: 262nd in 2024 Seniors (oddly H has a different 2024 cash for him)! Maybe his son John, Jr. also plays poker!? Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
August 21
Kenny Rogers b. in Houston, Texas as Kenneth Ray Rogers (d. 3/20/2020) Sang his hit song, "The Gambler" ("You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em"), at the 1979 WSOP. CBS also featured the song in its broadcast. Wikipedia
1939
February 25
Bruce Van Horn [] b. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 1996 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($585,000). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
April 13
Chuck Thompson b. in U.S. (d. 9/8/2021) 1995 WSOP Main Event 6th place ($86,500). Seniors Poker Hall of Fame. WSOP.com | Hendon
May 26
Brent Musburger [] b. in Portland, Oregon as Brent Woody Musburger Announcer for CBS's 1977 coverage of the World Series of Poker. Wikipedia
August 31
Tommy Fischer [] b. in U.S. Won 1985 $10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($95,000) & 1986 $1,000 Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo ($73,600). WSOP.com | Hendon
October 13
T.J. Cloutier [] b. in Albany, California as Thomas James Cloutier Four WSOP Main Event final tables: 1985 2nd ($280,000), 1988 5th ($63,000), 1998 3rd ($437,500), & 2000 2nd ($896,500). Six bracelets from 1987 $1,000 Limit Omaha to 2005 $5,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em. Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 1998 & Poker Hall of Fame 2006. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
October 14
June Field [] b. in Wenonah, New Jersey Won 1982 Ladies Championship ($16,000). Card Player magazine founder. Women in Poker Hall of Fame 2009. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
December 14
Bobby Hoff b. in Victoria, Texas as Robert Charles Hoff (d. 8/25/2013) 1979 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($108,000). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon