Freeroll Fairytale: Shrikant Pillamarapu Wins WPT Prime Lodge Championship for $148,527

An extraordinary poker story with a happy ending unfolded at the WPT Prime Lodge Championship in Texas's The Lodge Card Club. After a thrilling battle, Shrikant Pillamarapu emerged as the absolute winner. The player, who qualified for the Main Event with a $1,100 buy-in from a free freeroll, without spending a single dollar, secured the prestigious trophy and a prize of $148,527 after a heads-up deal.

The $1,100 WPT Prime Lodge Championship attracted a total of 1,083 entries across four starting flights. Thanks to the high turnout, the originally guaranteed million-dollar prizepool was surpassed, reaching a final bank of $1,051,480.

Pillamarapu entered the tournament as a qualifier with minimal prior tournament winnings. At the nine-handed final table, he faced experienced opponents, including triple WSOP bracelet winner David "The Dragon" Pham.

After David Urban was eliminated in 3rd place, the final heads-up was set between Pillamarapu and Kenneth Quattrocchi. The players agreed on an ICM deal, and Pillamarapu handled the subsequent play better.

In the decisive hand, Quattrocchi went all-in with A d J h, and Pillamarapu called with a pair of 5 d 5 c. The board A h 9 s 5 h 6 d T s gave Pillamarapu a set, completing his incredible journey from zero to triumph.

Final Table Results of the $1,100 WPT Prime Lodge Championship:

Place	Player	Prize
1.	Shrikant Pillamarapu	$148,527*
2.	Kenneth Quattrocchi	$126,733*
3.	David Urban	$75,000
4.	Preston Duron	$57,000
5.	David "The Dragon" Pham	$43,500
6.	Vladyslav Shovkovyi	$32,500
7.	Matthew McDowell	$25,000
8.	Pranay Reddy Patlolla	$19,700
9.	Michael Jones	$16,700

*ICM deal

Sources: WPT, X, YouTube

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