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Josh “JT” Turner, a well-known poker professional from St. Louis, has died at the age of 46 after a two-year battle with cancer. He passed away on Sept. 2, though the news was only recently made public.
Daniel Lowery, a fellow poker player who recently earned his 21st WSOP Circuit ring, announced the death on Facebook. He noted that Turner’s mother had chosen to delay sharing the news publicly, eventually confirming it herself through Turner’s X account.
In her message, Turner’s mother wrote that her son “fought like a warrior,” comparing his battle with illness to the tenacity he showed at the poker table. A memorial service was held on Sept. 8 at Kutis Affton Chapel in St. Louis, Missouri, with many members of the poker community sharing tributes and condolences online.
Lowery described Turner as “one of the truest, stand up guys on the scene,” adding that while he knew his friend was sick, he had not realized the illness was terminal, making the news especially shocking to those close to him.
Born on Dec. 20, 1979, Turner built a respected tournament resume over the years, amassing more than $2.4 million in live cashes according to The Hendon Mob. He captured seven WSOP Circuit rings, most recently in 2018, along with titles on the RunGood Poker Series and Heartland Poker Tour.
Turner was a familiar face at The Lodge Card Club near Austin, Texas, where he recorded his final cash last month. His biggest career score came in 2018, a third-place finish worth $294,760 in a WSOP $1,000 buy-in event.
