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The poker community is mourning the loss of Wisconsin poker legend “Big Al” Emerson, whose death was announced over the weekend by his longtime friend Phil Hellmuth on social media.
Hellmuth described Emerson as a jovial figure and a devoted fan of high/low split games who invented the mixed game known as “Archie,” a five-card triple-draw variant with a nine-qualifier for high hands and an eight-or-better qualifier for low hands.
The two first crossed paths in 1986 during a $10-$20 limit hold’em game at the Stardust Casino in Las Vegas. Emerson, who lived in La Crosse, Wisconsin, became the first professional poker player Hellmuth ever befriended, later introducing him to major games and players throughout the state.
According to Hellmuth, Emerson spent 35 years making a living at the poker tables before shifting toward sports betting, though he continued playing poker several times a week, most recently in Phoenix, until his passing.
Emerson’s influence extended into Hellmuth’s autobiography, “Poker Brat,” where he is described as a towering, 6-foot-7, 320-pound presence with a warm personality who was welcomed at games across the Midwest despite frequently being the biggest winner at the table.
Per The Hendon Mob, Emerson accumulated $237,637 in lifetime tournament earnings starting in 1985, including a runner-up finish that year in a WSOP $1,000 no-limit hold’em event, two fifth-place finishes at the 1996 WSOP, and a 14th-place showing in the 1990 WSOP Main Event.
