Favorite UK poker player Mel Lofthouse has passed away

Bob
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Posted on: July 20, 2020 6:01 pm EDT

The popular figure has been battling health issues for the past several years

An unfortunate loss for UK’s poker community was reported today, and the community is saying goodbye to British circuit favorite Mel Lofthouse, who has passed away. Any regular poker player in the UK has probably heard about her as an all-rounder on the tournament scene. She was more than just a pro poker player; Lofthouse was also a dealer, tournament director and poker writer. The news was confirmed by her son, Declan, last week, who acknowledged that she died on July 16.

British media member Barry Carter was among the first ones to offer his condolences to the son of the renowned poker player. Apparently, Lofthouse’s health was not in great shape, as she endured several health issues during the past few years. She suffered and survived a heart attack last year and her friends set up a Just Giving page for her to help her with the expenses after this event. Her situation was complicated by a chest infection, and she struggled to recover.

Lofthouse was involved in all things poker and, when she was not organizing a tournament – or playing in one, she was writing about news in the poker world for PokerNews. Despite her debilitating health issues, the poker community will always remember her for her never-ending positivity and confidence. She even earned a sponsorship deal with Betfred during the early days of poker. Her total career winnings coming from live events were $43,000 and her best result from a tournament came from playing a side event at EPT Deauville.