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Jeremy Kaufman, a very popular high-stakes poker player, died unexpectedly at the age of 56. Kaufmann, the head of Chicago real estate investment firm Kaufman Jacobs, leaves behind three teenage children.
Kaufmann, known for his “life of the party” attitude, appeared on Poker Night in America, Hustler Casino Live and Poker at the Lodge. He finished his live-stream career on a six-show winning streak up around $250,000.
Hustler Casino Live co-founder Ryan Feldman broke the news on Twitter/X:
“A very close friend of mine, Jeremy Kaufman, passed away suddenly over the weekend. Jeremy was an integral part of my poker network in LA and Chicago.
“Jeremy was a very successful, wealthy businessman with 3 teenage children and left us way too early at the young age of 56. He certainly didn’t act his age. He was always the life of the party. He always had a smile on his face and made people laugh. I’m certain he was the most loved person in our poker group. Everyone loved spending time with him.
“His attitude at the table was perhaps the best of anyone we know. Never once did he complain about losing a hand. No matter the size of the pot or how bad of a beat it was, he would lose graciously with a smile. He popularized the phrase “fair” as a comment after an all-in run-it-twice situation where the result clearly wasn’t fair. Sometimes players who didn’t know him would say “wtf how was that fair,” and we’d have to explain that it’s what we say no matter how fair or unfair the hand is. He also popularized “drats” as a comment after losing a big pot.
“Jeremy really was a one-of-a-kind unicorn. His humor, his positive attitude, his words of wisdom, his caring for all of his friends made him so amazing to be around, whether it was poker or vacations or dinners or just phone calls.”
Many players in the high-stakes poker community penned tributes to Kaufman, many of whom remember him strictly for his kindness, humor, and always having a smile on his face.
Mike Matusow tweeted: “The loss of Jeremy Kaufman is truly one of the hardest things I’ve ever felt in my life! I can’t believe he’s gone; he was my closest friend in life.
“A person who would talk to me for hours and hours about life, and I’d talk hours and hours about poker. He literally made me laugh every single day, no matter how bad my day or week would be going! I’m going to miss him so much!”
Phil Hellmuth added: “Jeremy was always the life of the party! His kindness and love showed through every time I was with him.
“I played hundreds of hours of poker with JK, both online and in the real world. In high-stakes poker, “needles” are the norm. But JK was such a great guy that his needles – delivered with kindness and obvious concern – felt like a luxurious warm bath. You actually wanted JK to needle you!”
Kaufmann became known throughout the poker world nearly a decade ago when he appeared on Poker Night in America against top players like Shaun Deeb and Doug Polk. During the game, off-stream, he somehow received more fanfare after agreeing to a $42,000 10-card stud poker flip with Polk.
After eight cards, Polk had aces and tens while Kaufman had a pair of fours and a couple of backdoor and gutshot draws. They negotiated a buyout, with Kaufman paying Polk $25,000. Kaufman would have ended up making a straight.
Kaufman will always be remembered as a person who was extremely successful in life on and off the felt. He will be missed.
