Poker player Adam Rude (pictured) was not in the best of health beginning Day 5 of the ongoing World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas this week.
He took to the felt having come fresh from the hospital, where he had spent the morning thanks to a heart attack. The Tennessee native, 40, was taking a shower in his Horseshoe Las Vegas hotel room on the morning of the tournament when he collapsed with chest pain.
Rude had an emergency defibrillator alarm installed inside him. It went off and alerted first responders. He was taken to a hospital, where they monitored him for several hours before releasing him with medication.
Rude then returned to the WSOP event and hit the tables for day 5, where he went on to win $60,000, cashing out in 194th place in the latter half of the day.
The Tournament
The WSOP 2024 Main Event attracted a record 10,112 entrants at Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. They are all vying for a share of the $94 million prize pool, including $10 million for the overall winner, and $1 million each for the final table players.
Among those competing was Rude, who managed to make it through the first two rounds and into the fourth day of the 11-day tournament. That already saw him in the top 1517 players, the so-called money bubble, who would all cash out the tournament minimum award of $15,000.
The Heart Attack
Rude, who also runs a poker YouTube channel with 10,000 subs, went to bed feeling confident. But when he awoke bright and early and hopped in the shower at his hotel room, things changed.
He had been given a defibrillator implant in 2014 after contracting a flu that put him in hospital with heart issues. This morning, it alerted him to the problem and he managed to call for help before he collapsed.
“I went to the hospital and it was registering as a heart attack,” he said. “So, I mean, they didn’t see any damage, they did what they could do. They got my vitals, everything, looking good. And they gave me some strong medicines to get me through.”
Get through he did, managing to last around halfway through day 5 before bowing out in 194th place with a $60,000 payday. Which might just cover his hospital bills.
“I am getting a little negative feedback at the table,” Rude said. “One guy is a little outspoken that I shouldn’t be here. The reason I’m here — the only reason I’m here — is because I have two boys, and I want to give them $10 million.”
Earlier this year, a man had a heart attack at a poker table in JACK Casino in Cleveland, Ohio, and his heart stopped completely for several minutes. Luckily for John Grace, an off-duty doctor was nearby to save the day, and revived him with an onsite defibrillator.
David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
