Large segments of the US poker world have been shocked and saddened to learn of the unexpected passing of well-known New Jersey pro Daniel Sewnig earlier this week. Sewnig, 33, of Hoboken, died on Tuesday, and notice of his passing was shared by his friend Mike "gags30poker" Gagliano on Saturday:
Sewnig, a licensed teacher, played poker at high levels for well over a decade and soon made a career of it. He was most known as an online player, where he cashed for over a million dollars in recorded online events, and he won at least another $370,000 in live tournaments, mostly on the East Coast but with scores in occasional Las Vegas events as well. He was also a popular poster on multiple online poker forums.
Two victories in WSOP Online Circuit ring events highlight his career results. He first claimed a ring in September of 2022 in a $320 NLH freezeout event, and he followed that up with another ring-event win last March in a $215 NLH Turbo tourney. He also made relatively deep runs in both the 2021 and 2022 WSOP Main Events, and logged a live-career best $81,000 score with his 79th-place finish in 2021.
Well-liked player a staple of New Jersey poker community
Sewnig was warmly remembered by numerous well-known players who he befriended over the years, many of whom were heartbroken to learn of his unexpected passing. Social media posts such as these expressed those emotions:
Gagliano also shared an obituary published by Sewnig's family that offered details on his life away from poker. Services for Sewnig will be held this coming weekend, and the family has asked that in lieu of other remembrances, donations can be made in Sewnig's memory to the Parkinson Foundation.
