First-Time Poker Player Wins Celebrity Poker Tour H3 Game Night
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Lena Ayad had never played before this week's Celebrity Poker Tour H3 Game Night at PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. But that didn't stop the H3 Show executive assistant from winning the event for $5,000 and besting the H3 crew, which included co-hosts Ethan Klein and Hila Klein, before ultimately defeating head of production Dan Swerdlove during heads-up play.
"I learned from the best, first of all, Ethan and Hila over here, and also I just kind of learned the mechanics of the game," she told CPT in a winner's interview. "But in terms of actually playing, I've never done that."
CPT H3 Game Night IV Payouts
| PLACE | PLAYER | PRIZE (IN USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lena Ayad | $5,000 |
| 2 | Dan Swerdlove | $3,000 |
| 3 | Olivia Lopes | $2,000 |
The H3 Game Night also featured two special guests, YouTube stars Tana Mongeau and Steiny. Both players missed out on the money with Steiny having an early ninth-place exit and Mongeau finishing on the bubble in fourth place.
The victory made Ayad the sixth female champion of a CPT event, joining the likes of Maria Ho, Princess Love, and Qiyu "Nemo" Zhou.
"This is for women everywhere!" Ayad cheered.
Read About Other Celebrity Poker Tour Highlights!
Ethan Klein Can't Hold Onto His Stack
The H3 crew and the Mongeau and Steiny entourages mingled around the PokerGO Studio bar on Monday, Oct. 7 before players made their way to the streamed table for over four hours of tournament action.
YouTube celebrity Ethan Klein looked prime to improve on his ninth-place finish in last month's Game Night III as he built up seven starting stacks and a dominant chip lead. However, he lost half his stack when he ran ace-king into the kings of Swerdlove before being three-outed by his production head to go out in fifth. He later recapped the CPT event in a live stream on his YouTube channel.
Next up for the Celebrity Poker Tour is the CPT Championship on Nov. 20, the tour's biggest event of the year.
Head to YouTube to watch the full Celebrity Poker Tour H3 Game Night IV.
*Photos courtesy Celebrity Poker Tour
