Suicide Claims Another Poker Player as Epidemic Rampant in Community
"In the 35 years that I've been closely involved in the poker community, I've lost track of the number of poker professionals and semi-pros we've lost to suicide. So often, we're not even sure it's suicide because there's still a stigma around it, and families don't publicize it."
That was a quote from Lee Jones very recent piece on the suicide epidemic that is running rampant throughout the poke community.
He wrote this just over a week ago.
This week we learned of yet another poker player suicide.
Jason 'Clozer' Kapoor Takes His Own Life
Jason “Clozer” Kapoor died at the age of 29. He was a well-known player from both the Michigan poker community and the Midwest circuit who enjoyed even greater success online.
By most accounts, his life was not an easy one.
From PokerNews.com:
Born December 21, 1994, Kapoor left home when he was just 14 years old and worked 70 hours a week at a Dunkin Donuts during his teenage years. He began selling cars before eventually turning to poker full-time in 2019. Originally from Michigan, Kapoor had relocated and built a home in Thailand at the end of 2022, often sharing pictures and videos of his adventures on social media.
Suicides Among Poker Players Common
Prior to the news of Kapoor's untimely death, Jones discussed the 2004 suicide of famed player Andy Glazer.
"The 'official' notices, such as there were, said he died of a blood clot (his Wiki entry still says that). But his close friends knew the actual cause, and one of them broadcast it to the community – Andy had taken his own life."
Glazer long suffered from depression.
More recently, troubled poker pro Matt Marafioti committed suicide in 2021. His tragic life played out in real time on social media platforms like Twitter and on the TwoPlusTwo posting forum.
This was evident in 2016 with a post by TwoPlusTwo forum member Indrax:
"Playing 2/5 at Aria, guy across from me looks super familiar, starts talking about how his dad is a millionaire in the mob and is trying to murder him so he's currently "running away from home". Look at the bravo box and see "Matt M." Do my best to contain my laughter as I blow him off top pair. Picture proof when I get home."
But, as another forum member was quick to point out, Marafioti's issues were evident long before this particular incident.
"Based on his tweets a while ago it's no laughing matter - sounds like he's suffering from mental illness."
Around this same time, Marafioti went missing.
A Redditor posted:
"Matt has been missing since June 16th. He has not been seen or heard from family or people he had been in recent contact with. Was supposedly at South Point with a girlfriend who supposedly has not seen him since 6/16. A missing persons report was filed with LVPD. If anyone has any information please contact the LVPD missing persons, report number 1600615 3511 Officer who took report 702 828 3111 Missing Persons department or @randydorfman so he can contact his father who is very worried about Matt's well being"
The signs were there years prior.
In 2012, Gambling911.com reported on Marafioti's Twitter meltdown.
Marafioti’s rants included accusations that his girlfriend ************ attacked him and he even discusses grotesque sexual encounters where he would pop yellow pimples off her back. Ewwww... Mike "The Mouth" Matasow suddedly looks like the Dalai Lama.
In between the shocking rants, Marafioti would cheer on his fellow poker players taking part in this year’s WSOP events.
The cold reality is that poker community mostly saw Marafioti and his antics as a carnival sideshow.
Lee goes on to explain the disconnect within the poker community when it comes to mental illness.
If one of ours dies of cancer, there are fundraisers and memorial charity tournaments (remember Chad Brown?). But when a poker player commits suicide, we don't discuss it. A precious life is erased but we're unwilling to talk about why or see if some enlightenment can come from the tragedy.
Time for a Frank Conversation
Problem gamblers are at a 15 times higher risk of suicide, an Academics at Lund University study found five years ago.
2,000 individuals with gambling disorders were monitored for the study. It found that suicide rates increased 19-fold among men between the ages of 20 and 49 if they had a gambling problem and by 15 times among men and women of all ages.
A research study submitted by the Department of Society and Engineering at the University of Virginia arrived at the following conclusion:
Poker, both online and live, often cultivates an environment that can be detrimental to cardiovascular, neurological, and hormonal health (Johansen-Berg & Walsh, 2011). Thisenvironment is cultivated by casinos and cardrooms where unhealthy practices such as smoking,
alcohol consumption, and sedentation are prevalent; in addition to the already high-stress situations that players constantly face while playing (Mcgrath & Barrett, 2009; Molinaro et al., 2018). Thesefactors are known to play roles in the development of prolonged hypertension which is one of the most well-known risk factors for cardiovascular disease (Greenland et al., 1999; Smith et al.,
2004).
Jones writes:
You probably (thankfully) aren't old enough to remember, but for the longest time, women wouldn't discuss having (whisper) breast cancer. Only in the 1970s, when American First Lady Betty Ford opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis did women feel free to openly discuss it. Now, people talk about breast cancer just as they would the flu – it is a disease that you treat and combat.
The difference between suicide and breast cancer is that suicide is more preventable, which makes it all the more infuriating that we don't talk about it openly.
He goes onto explain that people in your own poker circle are at risk.
Poker is an extraordinary game, and I'm proud to be part of it. But it has dark corners and traps that can draw in people most vulnerable to suicide. We, as a community, have an obligation to ourselves and to our fellow players to be alert, be watchful, and not let somebody slip through the cracks.
If you or someone you know is contemplating taking their own life, here is the number to call: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK(8255)
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