American swimmer Michael Phelps, the world-record holder for most medals won in a single Olympics, may be a fish in the water, but he’s not at the poker tables. At event No. 2 of the Caesars Palace Classic, a $1,500 buy-in tournament, Phelps finished ninth out of more than 150 players for a payday of $5,000.
The two-day event began on Saturday, with the final sixteen players returning on Sunday to play down to a winner. Phelps started day two average in chips and worked a short stack going into the final table. His tournament came to an end when his A-K fell to his opponent’s A-J when a jack hit the river.
With the Summer Olympics in Beijing having come to a close only a few months ago, the images of Phelps’ almost super-human performance to win eight gold medals are still fresh in people’s minds. It would be hard for his face to go unnoticed, and fans surrounded the area to catch a glimpse of him.
Competing nearby in event No. 3 of the Caesars Palace Classic was CEO of Card Player Media Barry Shulman. Shulman took advantage of the chance encounter to congratulate Phelps on his success and welcome him into the poker world.
In addition to the prize money, Jim Pedulla, poker room manager for Caesars Palace, ceremoniously presented Phelps with a Caesars Palace medal, giving him a ninth gold medal this year for his ninth-place finish.
The full results on this event will be made available on CardPlayer.com under the Tournaments tab later today.
