East Coast Poker Community Mourns Passing of David Goldberg; Phil Ivey Offers Condolences
The East Coast poker community recently received the sad news that David Goldberg (1949-2023), 74, passed away on July 22 due to complications with COVID.
Goldberg was a familiar face in Atlantic City during the early days of casinos in New Jersey. He was a fixture at the Taj Mahal and eventually the Borgata. In Atlantic City, Goldberg formed a friendship with Phil Ivey, who was just starting his poker career.
"David was just a terrific and generous person, and I knew him well during my time coming up the ranks in Atlantic City."
- Phil Ivey
“David was just a terrific and generous person, and I knew him well during my time coming up the ranks in Atlantic City,” Ivey said. “David even co-signed my first car loan when I was 19 years old. He will be greatly missed by anyone that ever knew him”.
An avid poker player, Goldberg was known for winning a huge pot and saying “What did you think I had?”
When someone would tell him a bad-beat story, he would often remark that “10 to 1 is not 10 to none.”
According to The Hendon Mob, Goldberg amassed $183,595 in lifetime tournament earnings dating back to 1996. That included a career-best $86,440 for winning the 2021 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Online Event #27: $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship for an online gold bracelet.
David "lox10" Goldberg Wins 2021 WSOP Online Event #27: $1,000 PLO Championship ($86,440)
The Spirit of a Gambler
Born June 18, 1949, and originally from Margate, New Jersey, Goldberg majored in Business at NYU and graduated in 1971. He married his wife, Andi, in 1975, and two years later they welcomed their son, Larry.
Goldberg owned Atlantic City Linens, which did the laundry for most of the casinos there and in Connecticut in the 1980s. After selling the business, Goldberg turned his attention to supporting his son’s Boxing Insider website and promotion of live fight cards in New York City.
According to his obituary: “When he wasn’t working, he volunteered his time with Catholic Charities of Atlantic County, the Food Bank of Southern NJ, and JFS, among others, and was a member of the Board of Directors of the Tisch MS Research Center of New York, and Linwood Country Club (where he served as President for over a decade).”
Goldberg was also said to be “born with the spirit of a gambler” and “instinctively gregarious.” In 1999, he finished fourth in the WSOP $1,500 Limit Hold’em event for $54,810
“Everyone loved David, and he would always help anyone that was down on their luck,” said friend Larry Bernstein. “Not just the poker community, he helped people in every aspect of life. David had a unique depth and understanding of what you were going through, and was the nicest, most loyal, and genuine person one could ever meet.”
Goldberg is survived by his wife Andi, his son Larry, and his brother Howard (Margaret), and sister Beth (Stan). He was cherished by his nephews, Dan, Eric, Michael, Jason, Matt, and Scott, and leaves behind a long list of adoring extended family and dear friends.
Goldberg was laid to rest last week at Shirat Hayam/Emeth Shalom Cemetery, Lincoln Road, Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey.
