What do you do when you achieve one of your poker dreams? For Adam Hendrix, the sixth-place finisher in this summerâs World Series of Poker Main Event, the answer is simple: Keep calm, carry on, and try to tick another dream off the list.
âIt really was a dream making that final table,â Hendrix confirms during hand-for-hand play on the bubble at EPT Barcelona. The American proâwho won $1.9 million at the WSOP, and now has north of $10 million in career cashesâhad a comfortable stack and was almost certain to cash, taking him one step closer to his new goal.
âIt would be a dream to make an EPT final table, too,â he says. âIâve not even cashed one before because I donât play many.â
Before 2025, Hendrix had actually never played poker in Europe outside of Barcelona, but with good reason. In 2019, he finished second in the âŹ1K Main here for âŹ346,500. âThat was by far my biggest score at the time,â he says, âespecially considering the euro is a little more valuable than USD, so that was even nicer when I saw it converted over.â
A great result in Barcelona during Hendrix’s first poker trip abroad
That result has kept him coming back to Spain year after year, and he still remembers the trip fondly. At the beginning, he was scrambling for euros alongside his good friend Stephen Songâthe first time either had played poker abroad. By the end of the week, Song had taken down a âŹ2K side event for âŹ185,230, and Hendrix was flush with his runner-up finish. âWe went from scrambling to trying to figure out how to get rid of [the euros],â he says, smiling.
SOMETHING IN THE AIR
Not much has changed for Hendrix since reaching the final table of the yearâs biggest event. Heâs playing the same stuff and selling a bit less action for the bigger stuff. âIn the States, I get recognised a bit more, which is cool, yâknow?â he says.
Hendrix awaits his fate at the WSOP 2025
But here in Barcelona, heâs been flying under the radar and loving every minute. âEveryone plays fun poker here,â he says, chuckling. âAt any point, people are all-in with ridiculous hands.â
Hendrix says he definitely sees some unique plays here compared with tournaments back home. âI donât know whatâs in the air here, but people go wild,â he says.
âI’ve been lucky to have some interesting tables [during the Main Event],â he continues. âThey might not have had many pros, but there have been people who put you to the test. I had a hand with a guy who five-bet with queen-jack off, and I almost ripped something I shouldn’t have. So we were both playing outside of the box, which is fun. Every hand can go a million different ways.â
Hendrix has seen some wild play in Barcelona over the years
Itâs not just the action but also the scheduling of EPT Barcelona that keeps him coming back. âA lot of my friends come here because thereâs always big prize pools, and on Day 2 we only played for six hours, which was nice,â he says. âIt meant we could go out for dinner and relax. The whole day isnât about poker.â
All of the friends he travelled with back in 2019 still come to Barcelona, including Song, who took down the Main Event in 2024 for âŹ1,290,386. Hendrix was on the rail for Songâs victory, just like he was on their first trip. âItâs really cool to see him on the corridor walls alongside past winners,â he says proudly. âI really like how [PokerStars] does that. Itâs cool and you donât get it everywhere.â
GREAT CRAIC
This year also saw Hendrix make his maiden visit to the Irish Open. It was part of a UK and Ireland vacation with his fiancĂ©e that saw him visit Aberdeen, Scotland (âI used to live there with family with I was young and really wanted to go back,â he says), Newcastle (âThatâs my teamâ) and Dublin.
An Irish Open cash worth âŹ7,200 for Hendrix
âShe played the Ladies Eventâthe first poker event she’s ever playedâand I played the Main, that was all we played,â he says. âIt was a great trip and an amazing stop. The Irish Open is a really cool event. The Craic Den was a nice sight to see at a poker event.â
He cashed the Irish Open, and we can confirm he made it through the Barcelona bubble too, securing his first EPT Main Event result.
One step closer.