The poker world misplaced an attention-grabbing character and an vital determine for the trade this week with the demise of longtime participant Perry Friedman on Sunday. He handed away at age 55 after a battle with pancreatic most cancers.
The enterprise capitalist and pc programmer channeled his eager mind and ability with numbers right into a profitable profession on the poker desk. Many bear in mind Friedman for his distinctive persona and as a member of the “Tiltboys” poker crew, which additionally included Phil Gordon and Dave Lambert.
Friedman was recognized for his distinctive hair colours on the tables and in addition for donning some attention-grabbing apparel in tournaments together with lighted hats, tuxedos, and sock puppets.
“Horrible news!!” Phil Hellmuth famous on Twitter. “I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my time spent with Perry Friedman, on and off the poker tables. Perry was a great guy, by all accounts, who was always smiling, joking, and infecting others with his contagious laughter.”
Originally from New York, Friedman graduated from Stanford University with bachelor’s and grasp’s levels in arithmetic and pc science. As a poker participant, he went on to place these levels to good use on the tables and in addition as one of many first staff of Tiltware in 2003. The firm was the software program supplier for Full Tilt Poker.
Beyond his involvement with the web sport, success additionally got here on the dwell felt. In a event profession stretching again to 2000, Friedman recorded greater than $1.1 million in dwell event winnings. That included successful a $1,500 Omaha eight-or-better occasion on the 2002 World Series of Poker for $176,860. Friedman’s remaining money got here final summer time on the WSOP in a $1,500 PLO eight-or-better occasion.
Law School and Giving Back
While at Stanford, Friedman started enjoying common poker video games with Gordon and others. Many within the crew went on to work at tech companies whereas additionally enjoying high-stakes poker. The group collected a lot of their playing tales within the e book Tales from the Tiltboys in 2005.
Prior to his time at Tiltware, Friedman labored at IBM and Oracle earlier than launching a sports activities handicapping startup. He went on to work for different tech companies earlier than launching extra into poker.
Beyond life on the tables, giving again additionally grew to become an even bigger a part of Friedman’s life after going again to legislation faculty on the University Nevada, Las Vegas in 2012. That included establishing a scholarship at the university benefitting one pupil each fall and spring semester.
“Because of my unique situation, I was thrilled to be able to give back to the UNLV community, while also encouraging and rewarding others who want to give back to society by fighting for civil liberties,” he advised the college on the time. “I hope that [the school] continues to provide excellent legal professionals who’re moral and accountable members of society. I hope, and I do know, we are able to do many nice issues sooner or later.“
The Poker World Reacts
Poker misplaced a shining gentle in additional methods than one
Not solely did his inventive hats gentle up whereas enjoying the WSOP, so did his smile, his chortle, his whole being made everybody round him happier
A pleasure to play with, a pleasure to know… RIP Perry https://t.co/ebSRbMJmPM
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) January 23, 2024
RIP Perry Friedman.
The World Series of Poker bracelet winner was a breath of recent air at any desk.
He was a poster boy for tableside method:
Congenial, pleasant, refreshing, humorous, gracious.You might by no means spend a nasty second with Perry in a card room.
— Norman Chad (@NormanChad) January 23, 2024
Just waking as much as this information from abroad and tremendous saddened. He at all times had an infectious, impish smile on the prepared, which can be missed. Love that that spirit lives on within the roast-y feedback, however I do know they’re simply masking our shared ache. RIP PF. Also:
— Ali Nejad (@Ali_Nejad) January 23, 2024
In true Perry trend, making an attempt to go away us laughing till the very finish, he wrote his personal ObituPerry.
Bury Perry #Obituperry
— Emily Jillette (@EmilyJillette) January 22, 2024
RIP Perry Friedman.
One of probably the most beneficiant, good, humorous and dependable pals I’ve ever recognized. I’ll cherish the recollections we made on this life.
Perry was an even bigger a part of the poker increase than a lot of you recognize.
Hope you discover your subsequent poker sport quickly.
Will miss you buddy.
— Vengmoney (@MattVengrin) January 23, 2024
For all you youngin’s on the market, Perry Friedman used to have a bit the place he’d put on a fucking sock on his hand and ask it poker recommendation mid hand… You all haven’t any fucking clue what you missed within the early 2000’s pic.twitter.com/ST0LPpI0F0
— Matt Berkey (@berkey11) November 5, 2021
Speechless on the passing of Perry Friedman rip
— Max Pescatori (@maxpescatori) January 23, 2024
I simply discovered that an outdated co-worker at Full Tilt, Perry Friedman, handed away at 55. I have not seen him ages however I can nonetheless hear his joking and laughing from 3 workplaces down the corridor. I’ve to share a narrative about how he received one over on me on my first day on the job. pic.twitter.com/XStSY2E63N
— chrishanel.psd is now additionally on bluesky (@ChrisHanel) January 22, 2024
Rip @PerryFriedman Always enjoyable having you on the tables. You can be missed.
— Robert Mizrachi (@PokerRob24) January 24, 2024
From what I heard, Perry Friedman was one of many loudest objectors to Full Tilt’s shady enterprise practices. He stepped down from the board about 6 years earlier than the collapse.
Pancreatic most cancers is sadly a demise sentence. Absolute worst analysis to get.
— Todd Witteles (@ToddWitteles) January 23, 2024
Horrible information!! I completely loved each minute of my time spent w Perry Friedman, on-and-off, the poker tables. Perry was an important man, by all accounts, who was at all times smiling, joking and infecting others w his contagious laughter. He would carry issues like “lighted hats,”… https://t.co/rRh0cLSHNV pic.twitter.com/BUDCsv66ke
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) January 23, 2024