«

Man Down :(

Comments (8)
by , May 30, 2007 | 1:16 am

Pat Johnson, one of the most lovable cranky old bastards you might ever sit across from at a table, died last week at age 63 — after a motorcycle accident in Alabama. I don’t know many details about his death, but a lot of Dallas players know a few things about how he lived the last few years of his life …

Pat was a widower in declining health, and there was something charming about the way this semi-retired accountant chose to enjoy his senior singlehood — surrounded by attractive young women, playing amateur and low-stakes poker, riding his Harley, and (shamelessly) wearing a t-shirt that said “Grandpa Gone Wild.”

Pat was one of the very first Lodge Amateur Poker players (and later a founding member of the Rounder Club). He wasn’t all that good, frankly, but he was at the game(s) every week, yukking it up while drinking non-alcoholic beer, making the other players laugh. Though he liked to tell the occasional bad dirty joke, he wasn’t at the Lodge to grope dancers … on the contrary, he was more likely to be helping them do their taxes. I remember changing the Lodge poker point system specifically with Pat in mind. We wanted to make sure that players who hardly ever missed a game would be able to play for the big prizes, even if they never made a final table. Funny thing is … during that off-season his skills significantly improved and he surprised many by making four final tables in a six-week span — plenty good to make it into the Tournament of Champions even had we not changed what it took to qualify.

NOTE: One thing I found a little shocking and sad … for all the hundreds of pictures I have from nights where he was out partying or pokering or both, I don’t have any of Pat. If anyone out there does have a picture of him, please send it to me, as I would love to include it with this post.

Services will be held this weekend at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home in Colleyville. A memorial takes place Friday morning at 10 am.


Tags: , ,
  • http://hungerfan.blogspot.com/ Ed

    He will be missed. One of my fav characters at the LAP tournaments. Fun to joke with and he would jab right back ya.

    Ed

  • Aaron

    Wow I honestly had no idea if this was real or not, but now I know it is. That’s so sad. I’d doubt I can make it friday but I’ll try.

  • fubu

    I spoke with Pat’s daughter this morning. He had been in Myrtle Beach for a motorcycle roundup. He was on his way home ane was hit by a car in Alabama. She didn’t tell me the extent of his injuries. He was in the hospital for a few days but they could not keep his blood pressure under control. He passed away friday.
    As A fellow Rounder Club founding member I, as well as all members, will miss him.
    Good luck in that big poker room in the sky!

  • Sharron

    How sad, he will be missed at the LAP games but we’ll all see him again on that great felt in the sky.

    Bye Pat *kiss*

  • joe

    known him for as long as ive been at the lodge. i, as well as many other employees, will miss seeing and joking around with him. wish i would have hung out with him more outside the club…he’ll be missed

  • Earl

    Pat will be missed. I am very sad to here this news.

  • Don

    This was very sad news for me. Pat was a great guy! I will miss him.

  • John

    LOVED HIS CARD PROTECTOR