Nick Schulman wins 2009 WSOP Event 23

With over 15 cashes in high stakes poker events, a WPT title, and close to $4 million in career winnings Nick Schulman generally is one of the more accomplished players at any final table he makes. However, last night was not an ordinary final table; this was the 2-7 NL Lowball world championship which attracts the biggest names in poker, most looking to add additional bracelets to their already impressive collections. Despite the tough company he was matched up against, in the end Schulman added one of the few things his poker resume was missing, when he defeated Finnish poker sensation Villie Wahlbeck heads up in the final.

Event 23 – Deuce to Seven NL Lowball Championship: Day 3 Report

There were 96 entrants in this $10,000 buy-in championship event, but when day three began we were down to just one. Roland de Wolfe, a former EPT and WPT title winner, is considered by many one of the top players without a WSOP bracelet. Unfortunately for him his chance to get the first WSOP bracelet monkey off his back fell short as he was the first casualty of day three. On his final hand Ville Wahlbeck raised predraw, de Wolfe moved all in over the top, and Wahlbeck called. Both players stood pat, and de Wolfe showed J-10-8-4-2-. His ten was no good as Wahlbeck showed J-8-5-4-3 to send de Wolfe to the rail to collect $19,871 for his tenth place finish.

The next elimination hand came when David Benyamine raised, Justin Smith moved all in and Benyamine called. Both players drew one card Benyamine’s 9-6-5-3 to Smith’s 9-7-4-2. Benyamine drew a deuce to give him a lock on the hand which sent Smith out as the final table bubble boy to collect $19,871.

The final table chip counts and seat positions were:

Seat 1: Ville Wahlbeck (740,000)
Seat 2: Nick Schulman (295,000)
Seat 3: Vince Musso (799,000)
Seat 4: Michael Binger (59,000)
Seat 5: John Juanda (248,000)
Seat 6: Steve Sung (155,000)
Seat 7: David Benyamine (265,000)
Seat 8: Archie Karas (384,000)

Michel Binger got his remaining chips in shortly into final table play. Binger thought for a moment and then drew two with 9-7-2 and Juanda stood pat with T-8-6-4-2. Binger ended with a pair of nines and was out in eighth collecting $24,545.

Next to fall was poker sensation David Benyamine who picked up $30,492 for his seventh place finish. On his final hand Steve Sung had raised, Benyamine reraised all in and Sung called and stood pat with J-8-7-3-2. Benyamine turned up 9-6-5-4 to draw one. He was live, however his draw gave him a pair of nines and he was out in seventh worth $30,492.

It had been a while since Vince Musso last made a WSOP final table, in fact a while is an understatement as the last one was in 1979 also in a deuce-to-seven lowball event. Unfortunately for him he was not able to improve on his previous best (3rd place) finish as his run today ended in sixth place. On his final hand he moved all in over the top of Ville Wahlbeck’s predraw raise, and Wahlbeck called. Musso drew one after Wahlbeck stood pat, but he was drawing dead to Wahlbeck’s 7-5-4-3-2 for the nuts. Musso opened 9-5-4-2, and headed to the rail to pick up his $39,697 in winnings.

Archie Karas’ is known as the man who came to Vegas with nothing and ended up winning millions. His run at Binions Horseshoe Casino made him a legend, but also his losses of millions made his story better known. Today he got back $53,783 of it, cashing in fifth place. On his final hand Steve Sung pushed all in Karas’ called and both players stood pay. Karas showed a J-10-8-5-2 and was eliminated when Sung tabled 10-9-8-7-3.

John Juanda found himself crippled after his pat 9-8 fell to Sung’s pat 9-5. A few hands later Juanda moved all in over the top of Nick Schulman, and Schulman made the call. Each player drew one card and both made hands: Juanda 9-6-5-4-3 but he was out in fourth to collect $75,964 when Schulman caught an eight to make 8-7-5-3-2.

Steve Sung would need to try another tournament to win his second bracelet of the 2009 World Series of Poker, when he found himself pat all in 10-8-5-4-3 against Schulman who spent a while in the tank before staying pat with 10-7-5-4-3. Out pipped by just one card Sung headed to the rail to collect $112,042 in prize money.

Villie Wahlbeck has been one of the most impressive players in the WSOP so far. He found himself heads up after having cashed in three previous $10,000 buy-in World Championship Events. He missed the final table by a few spots in Event #18, took third in Event #6 and won Event #12. In the end he was unable to become the 2009 WSOP’s second multiple-bracelet winner as he’d eventually become the runner up collecting $172,864.

On the final hand Wahlbeck reraised Schulman predraw, and both players drew one card. Wahlbeck moved all in after the draw with 9-9-8-5-2 and was snap-called by Schulman, who had drawn the nuts with 7-5-4-3-2. Nick Schulman received $279,742 prize money and coveted WSOP bracelet topping the tough field of 96 competitors.