Beloved Mississippi poker player David 'Atom Bomb' Hendrix passed away on Wednesday at the age of 34.
Hendrix was the oldest living American with Type 1 Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare neuromuscular disorder that was diagnosed shortly after his birth. Patients born with Type 1 SMA typically do not live more than 1-2 years.
Hendrix picked up a lot of hobbies in his 34 years, but a true love was poker. He won a live tournament at the Pearl River Poker Open in Mississippi in 2021, and he stacked up seven other cashes — mostly on the Gulf Coast Poker Tour. Hendrix also made a lot of poker friends — one of them eight-time WSOP Circuit ring winner Preston McEwen.
Hendrix featured on magic hoodie
McEwen wore a picture of Hendrix on a custom-made hoodie during a deep run in the 2021 WSOP Main Event, where we caught up with him on Day 4. Hendrix turned 31 that day and followed along at home while McEwen went from 360K chips to north of 1.7 million. McEwen eventually finished in 57th place out of 6,650 entries and he sported the hoodie the entire way.
Preston McEwen wore Hendrix on his hoodie for a deep Main Event run. "He also enjoyed playing poker and was well-known among his friends by his nickname, The AtomBomb," his obituary states. "Though he couldn’t hold his cards, his remarkable memory and quick thinking allowed him to win many tournaments with a little help from those who loved him. His intelligence, humor, and bright spirit will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him.
Funeral services will be held at 1pm at Bethel Apostolic Church in Amory, Mississippi, with burial to follow at New Chapel Cemetery. Visitation is available from 11am–1pm.
Featured image courtesy of Gulf Coast Poker.
