The long-time poker road warrior succumbed to injuries suffered in a recent fall
Celebrated Texas “road gambler” Crandell Addington passed away at the age of 85 on April 14 after battling difficulties from a fall he suffered late last year. A “Celebration of Life” for the Poker Hall of Famer will take place at Paisanos Restaurant in Lincoln Heights, TX, on April 26.
Born on June 2, 1938, Addington graduated from Southwestern University with economics and accounting degrees and would put his numbers mastery to use when on the Texas “road gamblers” circuit. He would battle with poker legends such as Doyle Brunson, “Amarillo Slim” Preston, Bryan “Sailor” Roberts, and Puggy Pearson, who all appreciated Addington’s cash game skills.
Addington and his counterparts attended the inaugural World Series of Poker in 1970 at Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas. He also holds a record that may never be broken after reaching the final table of the $10,000 Championship Event seven times between 1972 and 1979. He would finish 36th in the 1989 Main Event, taking home $7,500.
Addington would earn over $162,000 in live tournaments but won at least ten times that amount from cash games throughout his career.
Known at the tables as “Dandy” for his fashionable attire, Addington eventually left poker for the business world. He successfully created businesses in several industries, such as oil and gas and chemicals, and developed plant-based medicines for humans and animals.
Addington was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2005 along with former Binion’s Horseshoe operator Jack Binion. He is survived by his wife, Judy; sister, Karen; and son, Brett.
