Updated on 22 Feb 26 by
Barry carter
Poker Expert

Poker legend Sam Grizzle passes away

The old school icon, well known for his altercations with Phil Hellmuth, has passed away following a stroke.

sam grizzle
Sam Grizzle

One of the most colourful characters of the old school era of poker, Sam Grizzle, passed away on Monday night.

He died of a stroke and brain aneurysm after slipping into a coma, he was 67 years old. 

Grizzle was a precursor to the Mike Matusow and Tony G characters we see in poker, known for getting under his opponent's skin and putting them on tilt. 

Most famously he had a rivalry with Phil Hellmuth. While many people wonder how the Poker Brat gets away with his rants without being punched, Grizzle famously thumped Hellmuth in a parking lot giving him a black eye and a bloody nose. 

Grizzle had $1,354,877 in live tournament cashes which included wins in the Jack Binion World Poker Open and the LA Poker Classic. 

Poker Expert

Barry Carter is the editor of PokerStrategy.com and the co-author of The Mental Game of Poker 1 & 2, Poker Satellite Strategy, PKO Poker Strategy, Endgame Poker Strategy, GTO Poker Simplified, Mystery Bounty Poker Strategy and Beyond GTO. In 2025, he won the Global Poker Awards for Best Book and Twitter Personality of the Year.