Event #26: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em (8-Handed)

High-stakes poker pro and commentator Nick Schulman won his fifth World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet as he took down Event #26: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em (8-Handed) for $1,667,842. It was a special victory for Schulman, who not only secured his biggest-ever WSOP cash but also his first non-mixed game bracelet.

The victory was nothing short of a steamroll as Schulman won a massive flip early at the final table to double through Noel Rodriguez before going on to eliminate five of his seven opponents. Rodriguez was left with just two big blinds but somehow managed to ladder to a runner-up finish worth $1,111,897.

"It felt incredible," Schulman told PokerNews about the pivotal hand. "Everybody who's played poker tournaments has a lot of residual trauma ... And holding there was amazing. And then that set up where there was one big chip leader ... It's pretty rare. And a very special setup to find yourself in.

"And I was fortunate enough to have the kind of golden lane, where they can't really do anything. Even if they know you're messing around, they still kind of can't do anything. And that's the best place to be in at a final table."

Final Table Results

"I Collect So Many Ideas"

There were 318 entries in the High Roller event, an increase from the 301 entries last year, resulting in a new record for the event and creating a prize pool of $7,473,000. The final table included six-time bracelet winner Shaun Deeb (8th - $153,302), British high-stakes crusher Ben Heath (5th - $376,762) and high roller regular David Stamm (4th - $529,833).

Schulman's previous bracelets, the first dating back to 2009, are in mixed game variants including 2-7 Lowball Draw, Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better and Seven Card Stud. Just last year, he took down Event #9: $1,500 Seven Card Stud for $110,800 in what resulted in one of the most memorable winner photos in poker history.

Schulman has had some close calls in high roller No-Limit Hold'em bracelet events. In 2019, he finished third in the $100,000 NLH High Roller for $1,187,802 and fifth in last year's WSOP Paradise $100,000 High Roller for $731,000.

With hundreds of hours logged in the commentary both analyzing high-level poker, it's hardly a surprise Schulman was able to close out.

"I mean, I collect so many ideas," Schulman said about whether commentating helps his play. "There's so many great players ... It's an intimate experience commentating ... You're actively engaged with every hand."

Schulman turns 40 later this year and will be eligible for the Poker Hall of Fame next year. While the Hall of Fame wasn't on his mind after the victory, he said being inducted would be "a tremendous honor."

"As it goes with something like that, that's not up to me," he said. "But, of course, I'm a big sports fan, and, you know, Hall of Fame has a great ring to it."

Final Table Action

The most pivotal hand of the tournament took place early as the two chip leaders found themselves colliding in a blind-versus-blind cooler. Schulman's held pocket queens against the ace-king of Rodriguez to take an overwhelming chip lead over his seven competitors, while Rodriguez was left with a stack of two big blinds that he ran up through multiple double-ups.

Deeb was looking for a seventh bracelet while competing in the best shape of his life as he entered the final table second in chips. But the "Team Lucky" member had anything but luck under the bright lights, starting off with his two pair failing to hold against the gutshot draw of Li.

Not long after, Deeb double-barrelled queen-high into the trip kings of Rodriguez to plummet to the bottom of the chip counts.

Deeb doubled and chopped an all in before a final blow where his Big Slick couldn't hit against the pocket sixes of Lyall, as Deeb watched the all in on the monitor with Josh Arieh and Matt Glantz.

The eliminations picked up from there as Li, Roberto Perez, Heath and Stamm dropped from the field, all four of whom were knocked out by Schulman. All the while, Rodriguez managed to rebuild his stack before sending Dean Lyall out in third.

Heads-up play lasted just one hand as Schulman flopped top pair and held against the flush draw of Rodriguez. Schulman, wearing round sunglasses, shook his opponent's hand before dapping up Chino Rheem, who was supporting him on the rail.

Noel Rodriguez and Nick Schulman have taken their seats as the tournament continues heads up.

Dean Lyall committed most of his chips from the button before Noel Rodriguez jammed with the covering stack in the small blind. Nick Schulman folded the big blind, and Lyall called off for his stack of 2,575,000.

Dean Lyall:   
Noel Rodriguez:   

Lyall did not find any help on the board of      , and he was sent home in third place, leaving Rodriguez and Schulman heads up for the bracelet.

Nick Schulman	40,625,000	1,200,000
Noel Rodriguez	7,075,000	2,575,000
Dean Lyall	0	-3,775,000

David Stamm raised under the gun to 800,000 with    and Nick Schulman defended    in the big blind. Schulman then led out for 400,000 on the     flop, on which he had flopped the nuts.

Stamm was not going anywhere with his top pair and flicked in a call, but he correctly folded once Schulman threw another 900,000 chips on the   turn.

Nick Schulman	34,775,000	3,400,000
David Stamm	3,650,000	-3,750,000

Nick Schulman open-jammed from the button, covering both Ben Heath in the small blind and David Stamm in the big blind. Heath tossed in a relatively fast call before Stamm got out of the way.

Ben Heath:   
Nick Schulman:   

Heath looked to be in great shape to double up, but the     flop turned out to be a disastrous one, making trips for Schulman.

The   turn gave him a slither of hope, but the   river sealed his fate as the British high stakes regular was sent out in fifth place.

Nick Schulman	31,375,000	6,325,000
Ben Heath	0	-4,675,000

Nick Schulman raised to 600,000 as first to act, after which the action folded to Yingui Li in the small blind. The last Chinese player standing tanked for some time before committing his stack of 2,550,000 to the middle.

Schulman asked for a count and made the call after the dealer told him the correct number.

Yingui Li:   
Nick Schulman:   

The     flop paired both players, but Schulman remained in the lead on the   turn.

The   river did nothing to change that fact either, and Li left the table in seventh place with a smile on his face.

Nick Schulman	23,075,000	3,900,000
Yingui Li	0	-3,900,000

Nick Schulman raised to 600,000 in the cutoff with    before David Stamm defended    in the big blind. Schulman then continued for 900,000 on the     flop and Stamm check-called.

The   turn saw Schulman make a straight, and Stamm checked to him once more after thinking it over for some time. Schulman also threw in one time bank before making a bet of 1,200,000.

Stamm correctly mucked his top pair after spending some more time extensions and the chipleader expanded his stack.

Nick Schulman	19,175,000	3,600,000
David Stamm	7,400,000	-1,950,000

Nick Schulman opened to 4,450,000 and David Stamm called off in the big blind with a stack of 4,200,000.

David Stamm:   
Nick Schulman:   

Stamm was ahead with jacks and stayed ahead as the board ran out       to earn him a double.

Nick Schulman	15,575,000	-4,450,000
David Stamm	9,350,000	4,600,000

Nick Schulman raised to 600,000 in early position with   , and the action folded to David Stamm in the cutoff, who looked down at   .

He put in his stack of 4,000,000 chips, quickly forcing a fold from the rest of the table, including Schulman.

Nick Schulman	20,025,000	150,000
David Stamm	5,350,000	600,000