If you turned on a TV in the mid-1970s, you couldn't miss him. The curly hair, the thick mustache, and that unmistakable Brooklyn honk. Gabriel Weston Kaplan, or just Gabe to the millions of fans who spent their Tuesday nights in a fictional classroom, was the ultimate "cool teacher." But lately, people are asking a very different question: how old is gabe kaplan and where did he go?
Time moves fast. One minute you're trading quips with John Travolta, and the next, you're a legend in a completely different industry—professional poker.
As of early 2026, Gabe Kaplan is 80 years old. He was born on March 31, 1945. That puts him into a very exclusive club of Hollywood icons who actually managed to walk away from the spotlight on their own terms. Most people at 80 are slowing down, but Kaplan has always been an outlier. He didn't just age; he evolved.
The Brooklyn Roots of Mr. Kotter
Kaplan didn't start out wanting to be a teacher or a comedian. Honestly, he wanted to play baseball. Specifically, he wanted to be a Major League star for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He even quit high school at sixteen to chase that dream, but the talent just wasn't quite there for the big leagues.
Instead of sulking, he found work as a bellman at a New Jersey hotel. This is where the magic happened. He watched the touring stand-up comics and thought, I can do that. He wasn't wrong.
By 1975, he had co-created Welcome Back, Kotter. The show was basically a mirror of his own life—a guy returning to his old high school to teach a group of misfits known as the "Sweathogs." It was a massive hit. You've probably heard the catchphrase "Up your nose with a rubber hose!" even if you weren't alive to see the premiere.
Transitioning From the Classroom to the Card Room
When the show ended in 1979, Kaplan didn't follow the typical Hollywood path. He didn't desperately hunt for the next sitcom. He didn't spiral. Instead, he leaned into a hobby that most people didn't know he had: poker.
He was actually really good. Not just "celebrity good," but professional-level good.
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- 1980: He won the Main Event at Amarillo Slim's Super Bowl of Poker.
- Total Earnings: His live tournament winnings eventually topped $2 million.
- The Voice: He became the iconic voice of High Stakes Poker on GSN, providing commentary that was both hilarious and deeply analytical.
People were shocked. How could the funny guy from Brooklyn read a poker table better than the pros? It's because Kaplan has a "math brain." He understood the odds and the psychology of the game long before poker was a televised phenomenon.
Why We Are Still Talking About Gabe Kaplan Age Today
So, why does everyone keep Googling how old is gabe kaplan? It's probably because he keeps disappearing and reappearing.
In early 2023, Kaplan surprised the poker world by announcing his retirement from the commentary booth. He was 77 at the time. He said it was time to "hang it up and empty my locker."
But then 2025 rolled around, and the 50th anniversary of Welcome Back, Kotter brought him back into the public eye. Fans were stunned to see him at 80, still sharp, still funny, and still rocking a version of that classic mustache. He’s living in Los Angeles now, mostly staying out of the limelight unless it’s for a special anniversary or a high-level poker event.
There's something comforting about seeing a guy like Kaplan age so gracefully. He made a ton of money—estimated around $50 million—through a mix of acting, poker, and smart financial investments in the stock market. He’s the guy who won the game of life.
The Secret to Staying Relevant at 80
It's not just about the money, though. Kaplan stayed relevant because he was never afraid to pivot. He was a baseball hopeful, then a bellman, then a comedian, then a TV star, then a poker pro, then a commentator.
He didn't let one identity define him.
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If you're looking for Gabe these days, you might catch him at a high-stakes table in Vegas or doing a rare interview about the old days with the Sweathogs. He’s proof that you don't have to stop being productive just because the calendar says you've hit 80.
Most people get stuck in the past. Kaplan just uses it as a launchpad. Whether he's 30 or 80, the guy is a closer.
If you want to dive deeper into the legacy of the show that started it all, your next best move is to check out some of the 50th-anniversary retrospective interviews. They offer a rare glimpse into the behind-the-scenes chaos of 1970s television that Kaplan navigated so perfectly. Or, if you’re a card player, go find those old High Stakes Poker episodes; his commentary is still the gold standard for anyone trying to learn the mental side of the game.