Henry Orenstein, Inventor Of The Hole Card Camera, Dies At 98

Henry Orenstein, poker champion, and Polish-American toymaker has passed away at his New Jersey home. He was 98 years old. The cause of his death has not been revealed. The late inventor is survived by his wife, Susie Orenstein. His good friend and President of PokerGO, Mori Eskandani confirmed the news of the entrepreneur’s passing.

Orenstein’s invention of the hole card camera became a catalyst for the popularity of poker all over the world. He revolutionised the way poker was watched on live television by making it possible to broadcast a player’s hole cards for millions to see.

For Orenstein, televised poker shows were far too dull and boring without being able to see a player’s hole cards. In order to make poker games more exciting and interesting for viewers, Orenstein invented the hole card camera. BBC’s Late Night Poker became the first televised poker show to use the hole card camera. The invention became an overnight hit.

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Orenstein was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2008; he was also inducted into the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame in 2006. Back in 1996, Orenstein also won the $5,000 Seven-Card Stud tournament at the World Series of Poker for $130,000.

Born in Poland in 1923, Orenstein was a Holocaust survivor. Both his parents were killed in 1942. Only Orenstein and two of his brothers, Fred and Sam, managed to survive the German concentration camps.

He emigrated to the U.S. in 1947 where he found success in the toy-making industry. toy industry. He was credited with the creation of the Transformers toys. Besides this, Orenstein holds more than 100 patents which also includes the poker hole card camera.

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Donna Amo

Donna Amo is a writer at Gutshot Magazine. She is a graduate from Sophia College of Women, Mumbai with a degree in English Literature. When this October born foodie is not writing content or poetry, she spends her time laughing at memes or watching series. Based out of Mizoram, she is drawn to all things nature and has a soft spot for puppies.

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