July 12, 2024– After finishing Day 4 of the 2024 WSOP Main Event, Adam Rude suffered a heart attack that sent him to the hospital. Remarkably, he returned hours later to compete for the $10 million prize on Day 5. However, some fellow players criticized his choice to play instead of resting.

"I am getting a little negative feedback at the table," Rude reported on the first Day 5 break. "One guy is a little outspoken that I shouldn't be here. The reason I'm here — the only reason I'm here is because I have two boys, and I want to give them $10 million," the poker player adds.

A Cause for Concern

Rude clarified that Thursday morning, while taking a shower, his defibrillator—a gadget that shocks the heart to restart a regular rhythm—went off. "So, I went to the hospital and it was registering as a heart attack," Rude said. "So, I mean, they didn't see any damage, they did what they could do. They got my vitals, everything, looking good. And they gave me some strong medicines to get me through today."

Rude doesn't think the physicians' diagnosis that he had a heart attack was accurate. Despite admitting to being "feeling tired" during the interview, he expressed confidence in his ability to navigate the day without incident.

Adam Rude, who has a defibrillator due to past heart issues, arrived on Day 5 of the WSOP Main Event with under 20 big blinds but quickly doubled up with pocket aces. Rude, who finished 117th in 2018, was guaranteed a minimum payout of $40,000, aiming to earn more for his two sons. Among the remaining 360 players were big names like Phil Ivey, Adrian Mateos, and Tony Dunst. PokerNews provided live coverage.