Local poker pro looks to earn respect with WSOP Main Event run
Adam Hendrix scrolled through several lists of the notable players remaining in the World Series of Poker Main Event and noticed he was conspicuously absent from many of them.
“They’ll learn my name soon, right?” he said.
The professional poker player who resides in Las Vegas continued to rake in chips Saturday at the $10,000 buy-in No-limit Hold’em World Championship. Hendrix had a top-10 stack with 36 players left in the chase for the $10 million first prize.
Kenny Hallaert of Belgium was the unofficial leader with over 50 million chips at the 7 p.m. dinner break as action carried on late Saturday at Horseshoe Las Vegas. All the remaining players are guaranteed $240,000.
The Main Event continues Sunday with Day 8 and is expected to play until the final table of nine players is reached.
Hendrix learned to play poker as a child growing up in Alaska, and his father’s job in the oil and gas industry took the family around the world. He also lived in Aberdeen, Scotland, and Houston before moving to Cairo, where he attended an international school from ninth grade until graduation.
“Poker is all about stereotyping someone really quick and figuring out on the fly,” Hendrix said. “I think that’s one of my strong suits, just adjusting to these players. I think definitely my background helps with that.”
Hendrix graduated from Virginia Tech, where he was introduced to online poker, and started working for a government contractor in 2015. But he was making more money at the poker tables and quit his job in 2017 to play full time.
In his WSOP debut that same year, Hendrix finished second in the $1,500 buy-in Pot-limit Omaha High-Low Eight or Better event and has gone on to capture two WSOP Circuit rings, which are awarded for tournament victories.
He won his sixth PokerGO Tour title for just over $316,000 in February and finished first in the World Poker Tour World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas in December for $629,000, his largest live cash.
Hendrix, who is getting married at Smith Center in September, has more than $8 million in career live tournament earnings, according to the Hendon Mob Poker Database.
Hendrix entered play Saturday in eighth place and won a big pot before the second break with a set of threes to put himself in solid position. Along with the prize money Hendrix has locked up, he won an additional $50,000 from a ClubWPT Gold last-longer promotion.
“I’ve had a lot of experience at other final tables and it’s helped me,” Hendrix said. “I’ve prepared for years for this moment. I’m just doing the same thing I usually do, and it’s working out a little better.”
William Kassouf remained the story of the tournament on Day 7 and drew most of the attention inside Horseshoe Events Center. He repeatedly clashed with players and tournament officials, including Jack Effel, the senior vice president of poker operations and WSOP for Caesars Entertainment.
Kassouf was given a one-round penalty for verbal abuse of an opponent during the first level of play, and officials threatened to disqualify him from the tournament if he continued to be disruptive.
The talktative poker pro from England had a tense conversation with WSOP officials during the first break, and security was called to the area as a precaution. At the second afternoon break, Kassouf and Effel had another somewhat heated exchange after officials put Kassouf on a 10-second shot clock in an effort to speed up his decision making.
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.