Adam Friedman Wins Hard Rock Cincinnati��s First Major Tournament for $171K
The Hard Rock Cincinnati recently hosted its first major post-pandemic poker tournament, a $1,500 buy-in, $500,000 GTD Main Event, which attracted 632 entries over three starting flights and offered up an $834,240 prize pool.
After a full weekend of play, it was four-time bracelet winner and three-time consecutive World Series of Poker (WSOP) $10K Dealer��s Choice champ Adam Friedman emerging victorious for
It wasn��t the first time Friedman has won a poker tournament in his home state. Back in 2019, hetopped a 596-entry field to win the Mid-States Poker Tour (MSPT) $1,100 Main Event at JACK Cleveland Casino for $121,405.
��It always feels good to win a tournament, even if is a two-card poker tournament,�� Friedman told PokerNews. ��I've really enjoyed playing some of the local tournaments in Ohio lately, including the Shark Tank Poker Club in Columbus and now the Hard Rock in Cincinnati.��
Hard Rock Cincinnati $1,500 Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adam Friedman | $171,020 |
| 2 | JB Whitehouse | $105,782 |
| 3 | Brian Hall | $77,584 |
| 4 | Brent Ballentine | $57,729 |
| 5 | Angela Shade | $43,464 |
| 6 | Tim Bishop | $33,203 |
| 7 | Michael McCauley | $25,695 |
| 8 | Peyton Smith | $20,189 |
| 9 | Ray Attiyah | $16,017 |
Day 2 saw 77 players return to action, of which the top 72 were slated to get paid. Among those to cash the tournament were Jay Kelley (12th - $12,847), Keven Stammen (17th - $8,593), Allen Kessler (21st - $7,174), Nicholas ��Dirty Diaper�� Rigby (33rd - $3,921), Myra Alexander (48th - $2,753), Richard Ali (63rd - $2,586), and Matthew Johnson (72nd - $2,336).
Click here for a look at the full results.
��It was run very well, especially considering it was their first big tournament post-Covid,�� said Friedman, who is fresh of winning a Global Poker Award for ��Best Final Table Performance,�� which included defeating Phil Hellmuth heads-up. ��The people running the tournament were very professional and I spoke with a few of the people individually, very open to suggestions for improvement on future events.��
Those sentiments were echoed by perennial critic Allen Kessler, who traveled out for the tournament.
They didnt do everything right here at @PokerCincinnati, but it's refreshing to see a venue that is so open to sugg�� https://t.co/KltCl2XLUL
— Allen Kessler (@AllenKessler)
Hard Rock Cincinnati will continue to host poker tournaments throughout March, including two events daily. Click here for a look at their March tournament schedule.
