Perry Friedman, a member of the Tiltboys and WSOP bracelet winner, sadly passed away on January 21, 2024. Throughout his poker career, Friedman managed to land some spectacular wins while maintaining his cheerful disposition that affected everyone around him.
Friedman's playing style should be admired, and you can actually learn a lot of poker strategy tips by taking a closer look at his life and career. Let's honor this pro's legacy by taking a closer look at his past successes and the lessons they can teach us.
Perry Friedman: Life & Career
Born in New York City in 1968, Friedman had a regular life unrelated to poker until he was exposed to the game in the early 2000s. After graduating from Long Island's Sachem High School, he attended Stanford University and earned a bachelor's degree in mathematical and computational science and a master's in computer science by 1991.
He worked for multiple companies over the years, landing a job at Tiltware in 2003 – the software company used as the online poker market began expanding at warp speed.
His first recorded poker game took place in May 2000, as he joined the WSOP for the first time, winning 3rd place in 7 Card Stud on his first try. Since then, he participated in dozens of poker tournaments and events, getting 49 money finishes at the World Series of Poker events. He also won one bracelet in 2002, taking home $176,860 at the Limit Omaha Hi-Low event. His total live earnings sum up to $1,135,178, as the last event he played at the 2023 Pot Limit Omaha at the 54th WSOP tournaments.
But looking at his wins and practical achievements at the poker table is not enough to understand Friedman's legacy. Upon hearing of his passing at the age of 55, fellow poker players bade farewell to this poker pro by telling stories of his personality, as his fiery attitude was probably his most memorable trait.
Friedman was described as an aggressive jester at the poker tables, as he tended to become the life of the party with his multi-colored hairstyles, happy chatter, and generally happy aura.
His good friend Gordon tweeted: "My dear friend Perry Friedman passed away last night and he was known for writing “obituperrys” which were often “too soon” and humorous takes on people who have passed. I’ll try to figure out one for him that is fit for who he was, but for now, I’ll just say, Perry, it’s your move. Dying as an excuse not to make the next move? Classic."
You can practically feel Friedman's personality coming to life by reading this heartfelt post, but if that's not enough, his association with the Tiltboys says it all. A book released in 2005 titled Tales from the Tiltboys tells the story of Friedman, Phil Gordon, and Dave "Diceboy" Lambert, all poker players who started playing poker in university, filling their lives with joy and excitement. The book shares true tales of gambling, friendship, and of course – poker, which was something Friedman was clearly passionate about.
Friedman's Poker Philosophy
In 2009, Friedman released a short article talking about his thoughts on Pot-Limit or No-limit Omaha. He came to the conclusion that both games are all about the nuts. He wrote: "If you’re not holding them, you should be looking to draw to them. If you can’t do that, you shouldn’t commit your chips to a hand…"
In general, it is clear that Omaha poker was Friedman's specialty, but he also played Texas Hold'em and 7 Card Stud in different tournaments. His fearlessness when it came to playing different versions of the game that he loved shows that you must have courage when playing poker. Focusing on a single poker variation might make you an expert at it, but being able to diversify is crucial if you want to expand your horizons and get even better at poker.
Do you think you can play like Perry Friedman? Come to Everygame Poker and have a go at it!