Adam Friedman Defeats Phil Hellmuth to Win WSOP $10k Dealer's Choice for Third Straight Year ($248,350)

Bracelet number 17 was not meant to be...at least not yet.   Phil Hellmuth, the record 16 World Series of Poker bracelet winner, was taken down by Adam Friedman Wednesday night in the Dealer's Choice Championship.

Let's not shed any tears for Hellmuth however as he walked away with a cool $153,493.  For his victory, Friedman took home $248,350.

This also marks Friedman's third consecutive time he's won this very same tournament.  No player in history had ever gone back-to-back-to-back in the same WSOP event. This accomplishment is right up there with Michael Mizrachi winning the $50,000 Poker Players Championship, arguably the most prestigious non-Main Event tournament in poker, three times in his career.

"It's really amazing. I didn't expect this," Friedman said after the win. "I just wanted to have a shot to be able to do something that no one else has done in the 53-year history of the World Series and to do it in this event is pretty fantastic. Once people play the dealer's choice, they always keep coming back."

He continued: "This $10k is so much different from every other $10k event because if you look at every other tournament, there's been a less percentage drop off compared to every other event. People that play in this tournament – they want to play in it again and again because it's so addicting. There are so many games you don't get to play in other events … so many thought processes and strategies. It's such a unique tournament."

Mike "The Mouth" Matusow finished 5th in the tournament.

- Ace King, Gambling911.com