The first final table of the 2024 PokerGO Cup in Las Vegas include well-known breakers like David Peters And Fabian Quossbut most who tune in will probably be cheering for another player.
Fatally ill Cody Daniels ticked off a bucket list item by playing the $5,100 buy-in event at PokerGO Studio and parlayed the experience into a streamed final table appearance.
Daniels, an Arizona resident who captured the hearts of poker fans last year with a deep run in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event.will enter the streamed final table fifth in chips and is guaranteed at least $27,000 – just shy of his finish of $30,000 last summer.
“But it’s the damn trophy I want. I pray for good health tomorrow,” Daniels wrote on X early Friday morning.
Read more about Cody Daniels’ run in the WSOP Main Event
PokerGO Cup Event #1 Final Table Chip Counts
| SEAT | PLAYER | COUNTRY | CHIP NUMBER | LARGE BLINDS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Peters | United States | 4,950,000 | 62 | |
| 2 | Dusty Smith | United States | 555,000 | 7 | |
| 3 | Shawn Daniels | United States | 2,080,000 | 26 | |
| 4 | Fabian Quoss | Germany | 2,195,000 | 27 | |
| 5 | Cody Daniels | United States | 575,000 | 7 | |
| 6 | Mark Ioli | United States | 3,515,000 | 44 |
Fight on and off the felt
Daniels, a 2015 Make a Wish recipient who used his wish meet President Barack ObamaHe doesn’t shy away from talking about his terminal illness, which stems from an intestinal perforation he suffered as a teenager.
Daniels recently uploaded A vlog about a 14 day hospital stay in an Arizona hospital after being flown in by helicopter. As Daniels states in the vlog, the video clips show him at his “rock bottom” and with “blood, sweat, tears.”
Just a few days later, Daniels posted on social media that he would be “checking another experience off the list and playing at PokerGoCup Event #1 tomorrow.”
“Health-wise, I’m doing pretty well, so I’m ready to ship this thing out and, more importantly, just enjoy the moment,” he said wrote on X. “I can’t wait to fight! So excited you have no idea.”
The poker player, battling illness, had no trouble competing against a field of 111 players Andrew Lichtenberg, Farah Galfond and Poker Hall of Famer Eric Seidel. Three times he was even in danger of being caught in the money bubble, but his opponents should have known that he would not get away without a fight.
With his mother cheering him on in the PokerGo studio, Daniels secured a bag and will be in the hunt for the trophy and the $141,525 first-place prize on Friday when the final table begins at noon local time with an hour-long stream. Delay begins.
Several poker personalities have sent their support to Daniels on social media, including Jeff Platt, Joey Ingram And Ryan Feldman.
Follow Daniels on his heartwarming run by tuning in Final Table Stream on Youtube.
PokerGO Cup Event #1 Payouts Remaining
| LOCATION | PRICE (IN USD) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $141,525 | |
| 2 | $88,800 | |
| 3 | $63,825 | |
| 4 | $49,950 | |
| 5 | $36,075 | |
| 6 | $27,750 |
*Image courtesy of Cody Daniels via YouTube.
