Crandell Addington, a legendary Texas poker pro, has passed away at age 85.
The Poker Hall of Famer cashed four times in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event — three times in the 1970s — including runner-up finishes to Johnny Moss (1974), Doyle Brunson (1976), and Bobby Baldwin (1978).
Texas Poker Legend Passes On
Addington, born June 2, 1938 in Graham, Texas, passed away April 14, 2024. He competed in the first ever World Series of Poker in 1970 against Brunson, Moss, Amarillo Slim, Puggy Pearson, Sailor Roberts, and Carl Cannon. Back then, poker’s world championship event was tiny and in its infancy, and the winner — Moss — was determined by a vote.
The late poker legend still holds the record for most WSOP Main Event final table appearances with seven. His last WSOP cash came in the 1989 Main Event, a 36th place finish for $7,500.
Addington was one of the lone remaining Texas road gamblers from the 1960s and 1970s. He came up in poker competing against the likes of Brunson, Moss, and Amarillo Slim, all Texans and fellow Poker Hall of Famers. In 2005, Addington joined the crew in the HOF, and was inducted alongside Jack Binion.
Poker was far from the only thing Addington is known for. The Southwestern University graduate with degrees in economics and accounting put that college education to good use after leaving Nevada to return to his Texas roots in San Antonio. He was an entrepreneur and the CEO, Chairman, and Director of Phoenix Biotechnology, a cancer treatment research organization.
A Celebration of Life memorial is set for Mr. Addington on April 26 at the Paisanos Restaurant in Lincoln Heights, Texas, not far from his home in San Antonio.
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