Prahlad Friedman Crowned WPT Legends Of Poker Champion

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.”