Pierre Neuville, poker professional and former Hasbro executive, dies at 83

Belgian poker professional and former toy executive Pierre Neuville has passed away at the age of 83 following a battle with cancer.

Neuville was a prominent figure in the poker community, recognized as a member of the 2015 ‘November Nine’ after finishing seventh in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, earning over $1.2 million. He was also a highly successful player on the European Poker Tour (EPT), where he secured three runner-up finishes in Main Events. Known by the nickname ‘The Serial Qualifier,’ he famously qualified for EPT Main Events online 23 consecutive times.

Before his poker career, Neuville was a successful entrepreneur and executive. He founded a game development company and created a board game named after cyclist Eddy Merckx, which led to his company being acquired by Hasbro. He subsequently served as a Vice President at Hasbro. Neuville transitioned to professional poker later in life, recording his first official tournament cash in 2008 at age 64, and eventually accumulating over $5 million in career earnings.