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The poker world is mourning the unexpected death of Mark Davis, a well-known tournament pro from Alabama, who passed away on Saturday at age 46. Davis had amassed over $2.3 million in live tournament earnings according to The Hendon Mob, with notable results in World Poker Tour and WSOP Circuit events in recent years.
He was a familiar figure at Southern card rooms including Choctaw Casino in Oklahoma and Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina, where he built a reputation as a skilled and respected competitor.
Davis captured three WSOP Circuit rings, including a $334,678 victory in the 2022 WSOPC Cherokee Main Event, topping a field of 1,402 players. His biggest career achievement came that same year when he won the $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown for a career-best $1,000,000, defeating Darren Elias heads-up and denying him a record fifth WPT title.
During that run, Davis credited guidance from high-stakes player Chance Kornuth, founder of Chip Leader Coaching, saying their similar playing styles made the coaching partnership seamless.
Davis remained active on the felt until recently, finishing 68th for $652 in a Mini Main Event at the Gulf Coast Poker Mid-South Mini-Series in Tunica, Mississippi, just over a week before his passing.
Friend and fellow Alabama player Michael Graydon remembered Davis as fierce at the tables but deeply caring toward others. According to PokerNews, Davis suffered a stroke and was airlifted to a hospital, where he later suffered additional strokes before passing.
