Johannes Strassman Death Reportedly Tied to Hallucinogenic Drugs

Johannes Strassman, a German poker pro whose lifeless body was recovered from a Slovenia riverbank late last month, may have been under the influence of a hallucinogenic drug.

Further details have been released and a write up at Bild.de references eyewitness accounts declaring that the 29-year-old and three Slovenians had ingested hallucinogenic mushrooms on the night Strassman disappeared. One of the Slovenians was reportedly a friend of Strassman and another was a reputed drug dealer.

Apparently, some time after taking the drug on June 21, Strassman quickly up and left the pub without explanation. After the poker pro was nowhere to be found, the authorities were alerted and a massive search operation ensued that included helicopters and bloodhounds.

The initial search was unsuccessful and was complicated by recent inclement weather that made for difficulties investigating the area surrounding where Strassman was believed to have disappeared. His friends and family created a Facebook page, offered a reward for information to anyone who could provide such, and employed a private investigator and searched themselves in hopes of locating Strassman.

Slightly more than a week passed before Strassman's body was recovered June 29 on the banks of the Ljublianica River in Ljubljana. His death shook the entire poker community, as the young pro from Germany was apparently extremely well-liked.

Strassman's poker career included over $1.5 million in live tournament winnings. His appearance at the live tables began in 2007 when he cashed for over a combined $110,000 in tournaments around the world that included Monte Carlo, Prague and Las Vegas. The following year, Strassman took his game to a higher level and banked more than half a million dollars mostly on the strength of three EPT final table finishes, the Hendon Mob database reported.

Psilocybin mushrooms can produce mind-altering and hallucinogenic effects that can last up to eight hours. But the effects tend to vary greatly among users according to many factors. The environment of those taking the drug apparently has a lot to do with whether or not ingestion will result in a pleasant experience or perhaps one in which fear and anxiety become prevalent.