Troubled Poker Player Brandi Hawbaker Commits Suicide at Age 26.

In a story that has been confirmed by several top poker media websites, troubled poker player Brandi Hawbaker has apparently committed suicide, ending her young life at just 26 years of age. Brandi first made headlines around the world when she flashed a cameraman at the Festa Al Lago main event at the Bellagio back in 2006. Although she would end up finishing a personal-best 35th in that same $10k event, the life of this young woman would never be the same again.

From the conclusion of the Festa Al Lago tournament, the story of Brandi Hawbaker would become a never-ending tale of drama, controversy, and random mental episodes. Her life would become a public soap opera, and any hopes of her trying to hide her personal demons would just never be possible. And while the life of Brandi Hawbaker was continually showcased on many popular internet poker forums, I can still say that the situation itself is still very sad and tragic.

Regardless of the negative incidents and PR that Brandi put on herself throughout her later years, the fact of the matter is she was still a person that just got herself caught up in the torrid world that is known as Sin City. Las Vegas swallowed this girl up whole, and her dreams of becoming a great poker player were tarnished by getting involved with the wrong people and never being able to break her degenerate-like cycle of always needing money just to gamble on the felt.

(oh, and to David Sklansky: You really should be proud of what your words and actions have finally resulted in.)

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