Brent Carter obit

Two-Time WSOP Bracelet Winner Brent Carter Passes Away

Old-School Player Recorded Numerous Top Finishes In '90s

 He was not on the list.

Well-respected player and two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Brent Carter recently died at age 77. The cause of death is so far unknown, but it follows a series of heart attacks and strokes he experienced over the last several years.

Carter collected more than $3 million in live winnings in a tournament career spanning the 1980s to 2015. The biggest score of his career came in 1995, when Carter finished third in the WSOP main event for $302,750.

His first bracelet came in 1991, when Carter took down a $1,500 no-limit hold’em event for $166,800. He added a second in 1994 after winning a $1,500 limit Omaha event for $83,400.

Family and friends remember a generous man who was always ready to help others.

“Brent was one of the kindest people I ever knew,” Jane Paquette, Carter’s partner of 32 years, told PokerNews. “He wasn’t an angel but never accepted anything for helping someone. When Brent won something, everyone got something.”

Long Career In Game

In a career spanning about 30 years, Carter had numerous other top finishes, including winning in other series that were popular in the 1990s. Some of those included the Hall of Fame Poker Classic, Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker, the Southern Poker Championship, and others.

Beyond his two bracelets, Carter scored three WSOP runner-up finishes as well. He was a contemporary of other well-known players from the ‘80 and ‘90s, including Stu Ungar, Dan Harrington, Barbara Enright, Henry Orenstein, Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, and others.

Carter also won a WSOP Circuit ring in 2012 after finishing atop a $350 pot-limit Omaha tournament for $21,135. He previously was involved in the harness racing industry after developing a love of horses in high school. He saw some similarities between the two sports.

“At the poker table, you’re up against eight people and you’re all trying to figure out a strategy to get all the chips,” Carter said after the win in 2012. “In a harness race, you have eight, nine, or 10 horses and you’re all trying to figure out a strategy to get your horse there first. The best horse doesn’t always win… and the best hand doesn’t always win.”

Revenge Plot Gone Wrong

The poker pro drew headlines in 2021 after sending white powder to the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) headquarters in Schenectady, New York, on four different occasions. Following an FBI investigation, he pleaded guilty in federal court to the hoax. He ultimately was sentenced to time served.

His reasoning for the ruse reportedly dated back to 1976 when the commission suspended his license as part of an unfounded cheating investigation. Carter was cleared of the allegations and reinstated.

Several other elder statesmen of the game have also passed away in recent years. Poker theorist and prolific author David Sklansky died in March at age 78.

John Strzemp, former casino executive and runner-up in the 1997 WSOP main event, passed away in 2025 at age 73. The poker world lost a true legend in 2024 when Brunson died at age 89.