Battling Terminal Illness, Fan Favorite Cody Daniels Reaches PokerGO Cup Final Table
Table Of Contents
The first final table of the 2024 PokerGO Cup in Las Vegas included known crushers like David Peters and Fabian Quoss, but most of those who tuned in were likely cheering for another player.
Terminally ill Cody Daniels crossed off a bucket list item by playing the $5,100 buy-in event inside the PokerGO Studio and parlayed the experience into a streamed final table appearance.
Daniels, an Arizona resident who captured the hearts of poker fans last year with a deep run in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, entered the streamed final table fifth in chips to be guaranteed at least $27,750 — just shy of his $30,000 score last summer.
"But it’s the f***ing trophy I want. Praying for some good health tomorrow," Daniels wrote on X early Friday morning.
Daniels went on to finish in sixth place after a painful three-outer against Mark Ioli, who finished runner-up as Peters took home the trophy and top prize of $141,525.
Read About Cody Daniels' Run in the WSOP Main Event
PokerGO Cup Event #1 Final Table Results
| PLACE | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE (IN USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Peters | United States | $141,525 | |
| 2 | Mark Ioli | United States | $88,800 | |
| 3 | Shawn Daniels | United States | $63,825 | |
| 4 | Fabian Quoss | Germany | $49,950 | |
| 5 | Dusti Smith | United States | $36,075 | |
| 6 | Cody Daniels | United States | $27,750 |
Battling On & Off the Felt
Daniels, a 2015 Make a Wish recipient who used his wish to meet President Barack Obama, doesn't shy away from discussing his terminal illness, which stems from an intestinal rupture he suffered as a teenager.
Daniels recently uploaded a vlog detailing a 14-day hospital stay in an Arizona hospital after being flown in via helicopter. As Daniels states in the vlog, the video clips show him at his "lowest of low" and with "blood, sweat, tears."
Just days later, Daniels posted on social media that he was going to "check another experience off the list and play the PokerGoCup Event #1 tomorrow."
"Health is as doing decent so I’m ready to go ship this thing and more importantly just soak in the moment," he wrote on X. "Can’t wait to battle! So excited you have no idea."
The disease-battling poker player had no trouble competing against a field of 111 player that included Andrew Lichtenberger, Farah Galfond and Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel. He even found himself at risk on the money bubble three separate times, but his opponents should've known he wasn't going anywhere without a fight.
Several poker personalities sent their support to Daniels at the end of Day 1, including Jeff Platt, Joey Ingram and Ryan Feldman.
"Magic Carpet Ride"
When Daniels took his seat at the final table on Friday afternoon, he had a room full of poker players rooting him on.
As he found himself at risk in the very first hand, the winding registration line inside the PokerGO Studio turned into an unofficial Cody rail. Daniels had ace-queen and held up against the king-nine of Peters as Dylan Destefano and others watched a flop camera in suspense.
Things took a turn just a few hands later when Daniels once again found himself at risk with ace-queen as he dominated the ace-jack of Mark Ioli. A clean flop and turn left Ioli drawing to just three outs, and the entire room groaned as the dealer fanned a jack on the river for Daniels to be eliminated in cruel fashion.
"Very painful way to go," Main Event final tablist Adam Walton told Daniels as he gave him a fist-bump.
Despite the painful bustout, Daniels told PokerNews things have been "surreal" since he cashed the Main Event last summer.
"The last eight months has just been a magic carpet ride," Daniels said in an interview shortly after his elimination. "It’s stunning. I never envisioned making the final table. So it’s just beyond my wildest dreams. Obviously wish we could’ve won that last one, but that’s it. That’s poker.”
Daniels described the elite field he competed against as "Murderers' Row" and said he especially enjoyed competing against Alex Foxen, Kristen Foxen and Peters.
"Everyone was so great," he said, "and it truly felt like nobody wanted to knock me out.”
Not only did he have to battle against elite poker players, Daniels also had to fend off sickness that kicked in early in Day 1.
“It was bad," he said. "As soon as we started yesterday, I started getting dizzy, exhausted. And by the end of the night, we were down to eight, and I threw my time extensions in the middle, and I said, ‘Blind me out, I can’t do this.’ It was hand-for-hand, so I went out in the fresh air, tried to get cooled off, and then I came back in here. And as soon as I got back to the hotel, I was out.”
“Right now, I’m feeling really queasy, dizzy, and just exhausted. This is hard for anybody, let alone with someone with (health) issues like me.”
Throughout the event, Daniels had the support of not only his opponents but also his mother, who was close by as she watched from the rail.
“Couldn’t have had a better railbird than Mom," Daniels said.
*Images courtesy of PokerGO & Cody Daniels via YouTube.
