H3 Podcast’s Executive Assistant, a Complete Poker Newbie, Takes Down Celebrity Poker H3 Game Night

Can you believe this?! Lena Ayad (cover image), the executive assistant for the wildly popular H3 Podcast, recently won the Celebrity Poker Tour H3 Game Night at PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. And get this – she had never played poker before in her life!

Ayad managed to outlast the entire H3 crew, including the co-hosts Ethan Klein and Hila Klein. She even took down the head of production, Dan Swerdlove, in a heads-up battle to win the $5,000 grand prize and a seriously awesome WWE-style championship belt.

“I learned from the best, first of all, Ethan and Hila, and also, I just kind of learned the mechanics of the game,” she told PokerNews in a post-win interview. “But in terms of actually playing, I’ve never done that.” Well, it seems like she learned pretty quickly!

Your FIRST PLACE CHAMPION is @LenaAyad_ 🤯

Lena takes home a $5000 prize on the @h3h3productions game night! 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/sn4FHL1aYA

— Celebrity Poker Tour (@celebpokertour) October 8, 2024

This incredible victory, which happened on Monday, October 7, makes Ayad the sixth woman to ever win a CPT event. She joins a pretty elite group of female poker stars, including Maria Ho, Katie Thurston, Princess Love, and Qiyu “Nemo” Zhou. “This is for women everywhere!” she cheered after her victory.

The H3 Game Night was a blast, with plenty of laughs and unexpected twists. YouTube stars Tana Mongeau and Steiny were also there to play, but unfortunately, they both missed out on the money. Steiny busted in ninth place, and Mongeau bubbled in fourth.

Ethan Klein, who finished ninth in last month’s Game Night III, was looking to improve on his previous performance. He actually got off to a great start, building a massive chip lead early on. But then, disaster struck! He lost a huge chunk of his stack when his ace-king ran into Swerdlove’s kings. He eventually busted in fifth place after being three-outed by Swerdlove.

H3 Game Night Results (USD)

1. Lena Ayad – $5,000
2. Dan Swerdlove – $3,000
3. Olivia Lopes – $2,000

Who is Lena Ayad?

Lena Ayad, also known as LenaStarkilla online, is a key member of the H3 Podcast crew. She’s the executive assistant to Ethan and Hila Klein and also works for Teddy Fresh, a streetwear company. She’s married to AB Ayad, who is a Twitch streamer, YouTuber, and the head researcher for the H3 Podcast.

What is the H3 Podcast?

If you’re not familiar with the H3 Podcast, it’s a comedy talk show hosted by Ethan and Hila Klein of h3h3 Productions. The show has been running since 2016 and covers a wide range of topics, from pop culture to current events, always with a healthy dose of humour. They’ve had some big-name guests on the show, including Steven Williams, Marques Brownlee, and Erik Hoffstad. With 2.85 million subscribers on YouTube, they’re definitely doing something right!

You can catch the full recap of the Celebrity Poker Tour H3 Game Night IV on the CPT YouTube channel. And don’t forget to mark your calendars for the CPT Championship on November 20 – it’s going to be the tour`s biggest event of the year!

Content & Images Courtesy: PokerGO and PokerNews