15 Jan
The poker world has lost one of the great characters of the game with the passing of Howard “Tahoe” Andrew, a familiar player at venues in Nevada and California during the entire era of modern poker. The cause of death for Andrew, of Walnut Creek, California, has not been disclosed.
Andrew was a mechanical engineer by trade and a semi-pro poker player by choice over a career that spanned more than six decades. He was a feared opponent in several poker variants, and he shot to fame in 1976 when he won the first two events of that year’s World Series of Poker, no-limit tourneys with $1,000 and $2,500 buy-ins.
Though additional bracelet gold eluded him, “Tahoe” won numerous other titles and amassed more than $1.5 million in official tournament winnings. He also endeared himself to fellow players and tourney officials across the United States with his quick wit and friendly personality.
Andrew is also believed to hold the record for the most consecutive years playing the WSOP $10,000 Main Event, at 41 (1974-2014). Though Andrew skipped playing the Main Event more recently, he still continued to play in other tournaments until very recently.
Linda Johnson, the “First Lady of Poker,” offered this take on Andrew’s passing, which was typical of the fondness shown for Tahoe across the poker world:
