Prahlad Friedman has just become the 2009 WPT Legends Of Poker Champion after beating November Niner Kevin Schaffel in Los Angeles to win the $1,009,000 first prize.
Friedman is better known for his online cash games, particularly the $25/$50 NL level, where he has been able to dominate the play with his aggressive style and overbets on the river. He has also enjoyed success playing live tournaments, and has now $2,444,497 in tournament wins which includes winning the 2003 WSOP $ 1,500 Pot Limit Hold’em for $109,400 and two other deep runs at WSOP events earning him a further $857,922.
He acknowledged the positive influence these past successes had on his latest victory at the WPT Legends Of Poker and said: “More experience will always help you and because I’ve had a couple of deep runs, I kind of know how to survive a little bit,”
Kevin Schaffel proved this year’s WSOP final table qualification was no flash in the pan event as he started Wednesday as chip leader and eventually was locked in a heads-up battle with Friedman for the WPT title. At the beginning of play Friedman, with 6,605,000 chips, had over a three to one advantage over Schaffel’s 1,850,000, and a double up brought things to almost even but fourteen hands later the contest was over.
Although disappointed in coming in second, Schaffel still secured an impressive $471,670 in prize money and talked positively about the experience gained from appearing in his first televised final table ahead of the WSOP Main Event:
“You can’t simulate the difference in chip counts, but this was absolutely a great experience heading into November. I felt very comfortable out there, very calm and I think that’s the way I’ll be at the World Series. Maybe a little more nervous, because it’s a bigger stage, but not by a lot.”
Prahlad Friedman who is married to poker pro Dee Luong and has three children said of his latest victory: “I’m not tripping about the title or the bracelets or anything like that. I don’t need any real fame or anything; I’m just trying to provide for the fam.”
