Shocking Death of Player With Active Stack in MPP Tournament

The Oklahoma poker community are in mourning after receiving news that well-liked and highly-respected player Eric Thompson had passed away unexpectedly on September 1st after suffering a heart attack mid-tournament…

The 49-year old’s passing was honoured during the Oklahoma State Championship being held at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tulsa with a minute’s silence at the beginning of day 2 of the Kickoff Event, a tournament in which Thompson still had a stack when he passed away – his chips being blinded out as play got underway…

Friends and fellow players paid tribute to the man who won the 2014 Choctaw Fall Poker Series Championship for a lifetime best cash of $103,228 – Eric Thompson’s total career tournament earnings of $545,075 placing him 19th on Oklahoma’s all-time money list according to his extensive Hendon Mob listing.

Chad Holloway, who broke the sad story on PokerNews, quoted Thompson’s ‘friend and fellow poker player’ John Reynolds as saying:

“You was also always there willing to share your hotel rooms and talk Poker. We had many a fun time all over, Tulsa, Siloam, Joplin, St. Louis, Las Vegas, Durant. I will cherish all the good memories buddy, you will be missed!”

Holloway also writes that the service for Eric Thompson will be held Friday at 3:00 p.m. at Christ Memorial Episcopal Church in El Reno, Oklahoma, while a GoFundMe page to help with funeral costs has also already reached more than half its $5000 target.