Jeremy Kaufman, the successful real estate investor and popular high-stakes poker player, has died at the age of 56.
Kaufman passed away unexpectedly over the weekend, leaving behind three teenage children and a poker community devastated by his loss.
Known for his infectious humor and relentlessly positive attitude, Kaufman played in high-stakes private cash games and appeared on poker shows such as Poker Night in America, Hustler Casino Live and Poker at the Lodge.
The news was shared by Ryan Feldman, co-founder of Hustler Casino Live and a close friend of Kaufman’s.
“He was always the life of the party,” Feldman wrote on X. “He always had a smile on his face and made people laugh. Everyone loved spending time with him.”
‘He was always the life of the party’
Among the players paying tribute was Mike Matusow, who called Kaufman his “closest friend.”
He wrote: "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 hrs and hrs 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 played hundreds of hours with Kaufman and said that his “kindness and love showed through every time I was with him.”
“In high stakes poker, ‘needles’ are the norm,” he went on to say. “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!”
Hellmuth added: “The poker world lost a beloved member. Love you Kauf! RIP my friend.”
For the players who knew him, it wasn’t just his humor that made him so special.
Feldman also remembered Kaufman as a player who took every bad beat poker threw at him with incredible grace.
“His attitude at the table was perhaps the best of anyone we know. Never once did he ever 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.”
Feldman added: “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.”
A memorable introduction to televised poker
Kaufman reached a wider poker audience on Poker Night in America in 2017.
PNIA co-founder Todd Anderson recalled that Kaufman’s appearance was almost accidental. Anderson agreed to include Kaufman as a favor to his CEO.
"I agreed somewhat reluctantly," Anderson wrote. "Jeremy turned out to be one of the most entertaining, funny, and wild players we ever had. One of a kind. This sucks."
One particularly memorable incident happened at one of the PNIA stops at SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia.
After the action had ended, Kaufman agreed to a $42,000 10-card stud flip with Doug Polk.
Kaufman ended up negotiating a buyout for $25,000 when Polk made aces up, but would have gone on to win the hand with a straight. Polk shared the video on his YouTube channel (watch below).
Kaufman also appeared on Hustler Casino Live and Poker at the Lodge, where he continued to entertain and charm the other players – and the fans at home.
Away from the table, Kaufman was a successful real estate investor and CEO of Chicago-based Kaufman Jacobs.
Poker might have been a hobby, but Kaufman made some deep friendships through the game, and showed the world that it’s possible to take the wild swings of the game with a smile on your face.
