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Poker Star Dies On Flight to World Series of Poker
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jun 9, 2010
Modified Jun 9, 2010
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jun 9, 2010
Modified Jun 9, 2010
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In what the Post is calling a "High-stakes croaker," Long Island poker star Paul "Smalls" Kitsos died on a flight to the World Series of Poker from an apparent heart attack. The 5' 11", 350-pound man was "sweating profusely and breathing heavily" about 20 minutes after takeoff when he called a flight attendant over for help. The attendant was soon not able to detect Kitsos' pulse, and a doctor on board pronounced him dead. The flight was forced to return to JFK Airport, and it apparently took four cops to lift Kitsos from his seat.
Kitsos became a professional card player after 9/11, ranking 320th in the 2008 World Series of Poker. His wife said, "He was a character. He lived large and that’s the way he went out — Frank Sinatra, ‘My Way.’ And that’s the way he did it." Poker news site Pokerati has some of his playing stats, and questions why the Post insisted on referring to him as "obese" in their lede. "In poker worlds, 350 pounds is hardly all that big — doesn’t even require a scooter!"
As well as poker, Kitsos owned KB Studio, a clothing line for plus size women. Just after he left for the flight, he texted his 18-year-old autistic son "Daddy misses you already."
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heart attack
long island
paul kitsos
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world series of poker
Jaya Saxena
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