WPT Profile | Champion Mark Davis Passes Away at Age 46; Career Winnings Exceed $2.3 Million

Sad news has come from the American poker world. PokerNews reported on July 25, 2026, that WPT champion Mark Davis has passed away unexpectedly at the age of 46.

This professional poker player from Alabama has won over $2.3 million in live tournament winnings throughout his career. He has achieved numerous significant results in the World Poker Tour (WPT) and WSOP Circuit and is a familiar face to the poker community along the Gulf Coast of the United States.

The Gulf Coast poker community mourns Mark Davis

Mark Davis has been active in the live poker scene in the southern United States for many years, frequently appearing in well-known poker rooms such as Choctaw in Oklahoma and Harrah's Cherokee in North Carolina.

His sudden passing has deeply shocked the Gulf Coast Poker community. For many local players, Davis was not only a professional player with outstanding results, but also a friend and competitor they frequently encountered in various tournaments.

Mark Davis's career highlights

Davis's most iconic achievement was winning the $3,500 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown in 2022.

The tournament attracted 2,010 participants, and he ultimately won $1,000,300, marking the largest single prize of his career.

Defeated Darren Elias to win his career WPT title

The 2022 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown final table was held at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas.

Four-time WPT champion Darren Elias entered the six-handed final table as the chip leader, aiming for a record fifth WPT title; Mark Davis started the final table with the second-highest chip count.

Davis eliminated his opponents one after another at the final table, eventually facing Elias heads-up. The championship match lasted nearly 100 hands, with the two players exchanging the lead several times.

In a crucial phase, Davis successfully called a bluff with King-high. Five hands later, Elias went all-in on the turn with a gutshot straight draw, and Davis quickly called with bottom two pair. The river failed to help Elias complete his straight, thus securing the championship for Davis.

WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown Final Table Results

This victory not only made Davis the WPT champion, but also prevented Elias from extending his personal WPT title record to five.

Chance Kornuth assisted in preparing the final table.

After advancing to the WPT final table, Davis invited Chance Kornuth, a high-stakes poker pro and founder of Chip Leader Coaching, to assist him in his preparations.

Davis stated at the time that his original playing style was quite similar to Kornuth's, which allowed him to quickly understand the adjustments and table strategies proposed by Kornuth.

This collaboration ultimately helped Davis achieve the most important championship breakthrough of his career. After winning the title, Kornuth was also present to celebrate the seven-figure dollar prize with him.

Three-time WSOP Circuit ring winner

In addition to being a WPT champion, Mark Davis is also a three-time WSOP Circuit champion.

His most important victory also came in 2022. He defeated a field of 1,402 players in the WSOP Circuit Harrah's Cherokee Main Event to win the $334,678 first-place prize.

This victory was Davis's highest prize money of his career until he won the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown a few months later, which raised his personal best to the million-dollar level.

Winning both the WSOP Circuit Main Event and the WPT Championship in a short period of time made 2022 the most representative year of Davis's career.

He was still competing a week before his death.

Davis last won tournament prize money about a week before his death.

He participated in the Gulf Coast Poker Mid-South Mini-Series in Tunica, Mississippi, and finished 68th in the $400 No-Limit Texas Mini Main Event, winning $652.

This record also shows that in the final stages of his life, Davis remained active in the live poker scene of the American South, a place he was familiar with.

A formidable player at the poker table, but also a valuer of friendship in life.

Michael Graydon, a poker player also from Alabama, recalled on social media that he and Davis used to play cards together in an old limousine dealership in their early years, and the two went from playing small local games to playing on a larger poker stage.

Graydon described Davis as extremely competitive at the poker table, but also kind-hearted in life, always ready to lend a helping hand to friends in need. Graydon also traveled to Las Vegas to celebrate Davis's WPT victory in 2022.

PokerNews reports: Davis was hospitalized due to a stroke.

According to PokerNews, Davis was airlifted to the hospital after suffering a stroke and subsequently suffered several more strokes.

The original article did not disclose further medical details, nor did it quote any further statements from the family.

Important memories left by the WPT champion

Although Mark Davis's professional career ended abruptly at the age of 46, he has left a clear mark on the history of live poker in the United States.

Three WSOP Circuit rings, over $2.3 million in career prize money, and a million-dollar victory over WPT all-time champion Darren Elias constitute his most important competitive achievements.

For the Gulf Coast Poker community, Davis left behind not only championship and prize records, but also memories of years of playing, traveling, and growing together. His tough image at the poker table and his genuine personality in the eyes of his friends will be the reasons why the poker community continues to remember him.

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