This content was AI generated based on the original article published on https://www.pokernews.com/news/2026/08/don-nelson-poker-game-52132.htm. All credits for the original reporting belong to them.
Don Nelson, the former NBA coach and University of Iowa standout who died Aug. 9 at age 86, was known for more than his basketball résumé. After retiring to Hawaii, Nelson became a fixture of the local poker scene, hosting regular home games that attracted a colorful mix of celebrities.
Among the frequent players were musician Willie Nelson and actors Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson, all of whom became regulars at his table over the years.
In a 2023 interview with Rick Quan, Nelson shared one of the game’s most unforgettable moments. About five years earlier, a player named Greg Booth died during a session. Rather than end the game, Nelson encouraged the group, which included actor Woody Harrelson, to keep playing in Booth’s honor.
“I told the guys, Greg would want you to play on. He was a live life at its fullest,” Nelson recalled. The remaining players reportedly moved Booth’s body to the porch and each placed a $20 chip in his pocket before officials arrived.
Nelson described the stakes in his games as moderate, with pots typically reaching around $3,000, according to a WRAL News interview. He also joked that Willie Nelson “never saw a card he didn’t like.”
A basketball standout at Iowa in the early 1960s, Nelson went on to a 14-year NBA playing career, winning five titles with the Boston Celtics, before becoming a longtime coach best known for his tenures with the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks. He retired with 1,335 coaching wins, the second-most in NBA history. Nelson passed away following a stroke and a brief stay in hospice care in Texas.
