Dan Smith [] b. in Manalapan Township, New Jersey Won 2022 $25,000 Head Up No-Limit Hold 'Em ($509,717). 2016 High Roller for One Drop 2nd place ($3,078,974). 2018 Big One for One Drop 3rd place ($4,000,000). Five cashes for $500,000+ and 12 for $100,000+. Global Poker Index Player of the Year 2012. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
March 10
Dan Kelly [] b. in Fairfax, Virginia Won 2010 $25,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em 6-Max ($1,315,518) & 2014 $1,500 Limit Hold 'Em ($195,167). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
March 12
Sarge Ferris d. 1989 [age 60] (b. 12/1/1928) Won 1980 $10,000 No-Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw (preliminary event record $150,000) from which he staked Stu Ungar for his WSOP Main Event victory. Poker Hall of Fame 1989. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
April 11
Bryan Piccioli [] b. in Allegany, New York 2017 WSOP Main Event 6th place ($1,675,000); Won 2013 WSOP Asia-Pacific $1,100 No-Limit Hold 'Em Accumulator ($211,575) & 2021 Online $500 No-Limit Hold 'Em Turbo Deepstack ($83,332). Wikipedia | WSOP.com
April 16
Austin Squatty d. 1989 [age 49] (b. 3/22/1940) 1983 WSOP Main Event 7th place ($21,600). Nicknamed as a kid for the low crouch he used as a baseball catcher. Obituary | WSOP.com | Hendon
May 3
Dewey Tomko Reaches Decade-High 12th Final Table of 1980s Finishes 8th in $1,000 Limit Hold 'Em for $8,980. [Tomko would end the decade one ahead of Berry Johnston and Jack Keller.]
WSOP Awards 200th Bracelet George Allen Shaw defeats record field of 449 in $1,000 Limit Hold 'Em for $179,600 and the historic bracelet.
$1,000 Limit Hold 'Em (Event #1, 1 day [5/2 start; ended past midnight])
Winner: George Allen Shaw ($179,600 & 1st bracelet)
$1,500 Seven-Card Stud Is 200th Event in WSOP History The milestone comes six events after the 200th bracelet due to one chop and five Mixed Doubles events.
$1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha (Event #6, 2 days [5/7 start])
Stephen Chidwick [] b. in Deal, Kent, England as Stephen James Chidwick Won 2019 $25,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller ($1,618,417). Card Player Player of the Year 2019 & 2022. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
Phil Hellmuth Wins 1989 WSOP Main Event Defeats field of 178, including double defending title holder and Last Champ Standing Johnny Chan heads up, for $755,000 to become the youngest Main Event champion at 24. For the first and only time in WSOP history, no tournament winner in 1989 had previously won a bracelet.
June 7
Benny Glaser [] b. in Southampton, England as Benny Jules Glaser Won 2015 $1,500 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Draw ($136,215), 2016 $1,500 Omaha Hi/Lo ($244,103), 2016 $10,000 Omaha Hi/Lo ($407,194), 2021 Razz ($274,693), 2023 $10,000 Limit Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw ($311,428), 2025 $1,500 Dealers Choice 6-Max ($150,246), & 2025 $1,500 Mixed Omaha 7-Max ($258,193). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
July 13
Gordon Vayo [] b. in Connecticut 2016 WSOP Main Event 2nd place ($4,661,228). WSOP.com | Hendon
July 27
Joao Vieira [] b. in Madeira, Portugal as Joao Filipe Martins Vieira Won 2025 $100,000 No-Limit Hold 'Em for $2,590,000. Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
September 20
Loni Harwood [] b. in Staten Island, New York as Loni Beth Harwood Won 2013 $1,500 No-Limit Hold 'Em (609,017) & 2015 $10,000 Circuit National Championship ($341,599). Tied women's record with three final tables in 2013. Holds women's record of 5 open Circuit rings (one more than La Sengphet) and is the only female with multiple bracelets and multiple rings. [estimated birthdate] Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
November 14
Dan Cates [] b. in Virginia as Daniel Lawrence Cates Won 2021 & 2022 $50,000 Poker Players Championship ($954,020 & $1,449,103). Wikipedia | WSOP.com | Hendon
December 23
Sarge Ferris Joins Poker Hall of Fame Ferris, who won the 1980 $10,000 Deuce-to-Seven and used some of his profit to stake Stu Ungar for the Main Event, joins the Hall nine months after passing away.
December 25
Benny Binion d. 1989 [age 85] (b. 11/20/1904) Founder of Binion's Horseshoe Casino and the World Series of Poker. Poker Hall of Fame 1990 & Seniors Poker Hall of Fame 1995. Obituary | Wikipedia