Arkansas poker player Tiffany Keathley has passed away at the age of 40. A long-time active player on the U.S. Southern Circuit, she amassed a career live tournament winnings of $115,328. In 2019, she defeated a field of 632 to win the RGPS Tunica $575 Main Event and $48,796. She reached the final table of the same event again in 2023. Details regarding the cause of death have not yet been released at the time of PokerNews' report.
Published: 2026.09.30Updated: 2026.09.30Category: International News
International Poker NewsRGPS champion Tiffany Keathley passes away at the age of 40, with career prize money exceeding $115,000.
Tiffany Keathley, a poker player from Arkansas, USA, passed away at the age of 40. She won the RGPS Tunica Main Event in 2019, defeating a field of 632 players.
On September 29, 2026, PokerNews reported that American poker player and RunGood Poker Series (RGPS) Main Event champion Tiffany Keathley passed away at the age of 40. Keathley, from Arkansas, was a long-time player on the Southern Circuit, achieving cashes in tournaments such as Tunica, Durant, Houston, Pocola, and Tulsa.
The news was shared on social media by WSOP Circuit multiple champion Daniel Lowery. Lowery and Keathley have been familiar faces on the U.S. Southern Circuit for many years. In his tribute, Lowery reminisced about his friend and urged everyone to pay more attention to those around them who are going through difficult times.
As of the time of PokerNews's publication, the specific circumstances of Keathley's passing have not been made public, and no official obituary has been issued. Therefore, there is currently insufficient information to confirm the cause of death and related background.
He began recording live results in 2019, and his career earnings total $115,328.
According to Hendon Mob's data cited by PokerNews, Keathley's career winnings since winning his first live tournament in July 2019 totaled:
$115,328
Her first record came from the WSOP Circuit Choctaw, where she achieved third place in a competition.
$10,058
However, the results that truly brought her more attention on the US regional tour came just a few months later.
632 players won the RGPS Tunica Main Event, taking home $48,796.
In August 2019, Keathley participated in the RunGood Poker Series "Game 7" $575 Main Event held by Horseshoe Tunica.
The event attracted:
632 contestants
This set a record for the largest lineup in the history of the RGPS Main Event at the time.
Keathley fought her way to the final five, where she held a chip lead. The five players eventually reached a deal, and Keathley won the championship title, a championship ring, and:
$48,796
This is also the largest prize money she has ever won in a live tournament.
Top 5 of the 2019 RGPS Tunica Main Event
Ranking
player
bonus
1
Tiffany Keathley
$48,796
2
Adam Byars
$41,776
3
Bill Latta
$33,692
4
Tim Harris
$28,439
5
Dennis Thurman
$24,890
The top five prizes came from a five-way deal, with Keathley winning the championship due to his chip lead at the time.
He eliminated his friend Daniel Lowery on his way to the championship.
That RGPS main event also left behind a story on the field between Keathley and Daniel Lowery.
Later in the tournament, Keathley was at a significant disadvantage in a three-way all-in with TT against Lowery's JJ and another player's AA. Lowery even hit a set on the flop, but Keathley ultimately made a straight on the river, winning a crucial and huge pot.
After several hands, the two faced off again. This time, Lowery held AA, but Keathley hit trips on the flop, ultimately eliminating his friend in 15th place.
That series of hands allowed Keathley to quickly accumulate chips, and she subsequently rose to the chip lead, maintaining it throughout until she finally won the RGPS Main Event, a landmark title in her career.
Four years later, he returned to the Tunica final table, sharing the table with Chris Moneymaker.
Keathley's connection with RGPS Tunica didn't end with the 2019 championship.
Four years later, she completed the deep run again at the 2023 RGPS Tunica Main Event.
This time, Keathley once again made it to the Final Table and ultimately achieved:
7th place
bonus:
$10,827
The final table also featured Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 WSOP Main Event champion, allowing Keathley to once again leave his mark on the important stage of RGPS.
From Choctaw to Tunica, becoming a familiar face on the US Southern Tour
Keathley's live event experience is primarily concentrated in the southern United States.
Besides RGPS and WSOP Circuit, she has also achieved cashes in Durant, Houston, Pocola, Tulsa, and Tunica. More notably, compared to professional poker players who consistently pursue high-stakes global tournaments, she is a Southern Grinder who has been active in the US regional circuits for many years.
Her last public live tournament winnings came from:
WSOP Circuit Tunica Main Event, April 2024
Final rankings:
43rd place
bonus:
$3,281
This also became the last match record recorded by Hendon Mob to date.
Many poker players posted messages of condolence, and the poker community reminisced about their former friends on the field.
Following the news of Keathley's passing, many players who had faced her on the US Tour publicly expressed their condolences.
In addition to Daniel Lowery, WSOP Circuit champion ring winner Scott Smile and Chris Read also shared their memories on social media.
In a PokerNews report, Chris Read described Keathley as a friend he had talked to frequently over the years and missed dearly.
For players familiar with the live poker scene in the southern United States, Keathley is not only the 2019 RGPS Tunica champion, but also a familiar face who has been a regular at the regional tour tables for many years.
The RGPS championship became his career highlight.
From making her first money-making appearance at the WSOP Circuit in 2019, to defeating a field of 632 players to win the RGPS Tunica Main Event that same year, and then returning to the same series final table in 2023, Tiffany Keathley's main poker career has been focused on the U.S. Southern Circuit.
She left behind $115,328 in live tournament winnings, including $48,796 from the 2019 RGPS Tunica title, which was the most important result of her career.
Tiffany Keathley passed away at the age of 40. Since the cause of her death has not been publicly disclosed, this report retains only confirmed information and does not speculate further.
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