Brek Schutten Defeats Largest Field In World Poker Tour History To Win $1,261,095

The 2021 World Poker Tour Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown $3,500 buy-in important occasion set the document for the biggest main-event discipline within the WPT’s historical past, with an enormous turnout of two,482 entries.

In the tip, just one participant might stroll away because the champion of this record-breaking occasion. That participant is Brek Schutten, a 32-year-old ICU nurse and father of 4 from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Schutten earned a payday of $1,261,095 because the champion.

“You play a tournament and everybody except one person ends up disappointed at the end and this time, I’m the person who’s not disappointed,” Schutten instructed WPT reporters after popping out on prime.

As a nurse, Schutten has been on the entrance traces of the COVID-19 pandemic over the previous 12 months.

“It’s just rewarding in that sense,” he said when asked how it feels to secure a huge poker win after such a trying period. “I’ve put in time at the hospital and saw COVID first-hand quite a bit. Then, things start to open back up and go down to Florida and win the thing is an amazing feeling.”

In addition to the title and the cash, Schutten was additionally awarded 1,620 Card Player Player of the Year factors. This was his first POY-qualified rating of the 12 months, nevertheless it alone was sufficient to see him climb into fifteenth place within the 2021 POY race, which is sponsored by Global Poker.

The earlier document for WPT important occasion discipline dimension was established within the 2020 WPT Online Championship, which had 2,130 entries. The largest reside WPT important occasion discipline previous to this occasion was the 2014 operating of this occasion, which atracted 1,795 entries.

This 12 months’s unimaginable turnout resulted in a prize pool of $7,942,400, with the highest six finishers all cashing for greater than 1 / 4 of one million {dollars}. The televised ultimate desk was set on the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood on Apr. 27. The ultimate six made their strategy to Las Vegas to play right down to a champion on the PokerGO studios in Las Vegas, with Sonny Franco holding the chip lead and Schutten sitting in second place.

World Series of Poker bracelet winner Ken Aldridge was the primary to hit the rail. The 69-year-old former instructor from Burlington, North Carolina fell to the underside of the chip counts after doubling up Albert Calderon. He then obtained his final 5 large blinds in with Okay9 in opposition to the pocket fives of Schutten. A 5 on the flop gave Schutten a lead that he by no means relinquished and Aldridge was eradicated in sixth place ($261,700).

Schutten took the lead shortly after that and prolonged his benefit by knocking out Calderon in fifth place. Calderon shoved for simply shy of 12 large blinds with A9 as the primary to behave. Schutten re-shoved with AOkay from the button and the 2 noticed a OkayJ355 runout. Calderon earned $326,750 for his sturdy displaying on this occasion.

Sonny Franco had entered the ultimate desk because the chip chief. During four-handed motion he tried an enormous bluff with air, solely to have Schutten shove all-in excessive with pocket queens to take down the large pot and prolong his benefit. Franco fell to 3rd place on the leaderboard because of this. He finally discovered himself all-in for simply over 11 large blinds with A9 in opposition to the QQ of Steven Snyder, who flopped prime set and held from there. Franco was awarded $438,500 because the fourth-place finisher.

Viet Vo started the day because the shortest stack with simply over 10 large blinds. He survived to the ultimate three, however his run got here to an finish when his 77 was unable to carry up in opposition to the ten8 of Schutten. A ten on the flop gave Schutten the benefit, and Vo obtained no assist by the river. The 2018 WPT Choctaw runner-up finisher earned $593,140 for this newest deep run.

With that Schutten took 61,800,000 into heads-up play in opposition to Snyder, who sat with 37,500,000. The two battled it out for 35 fingers, with Schutten retaining the lead your entire approach. In the ultimate hand, Schutten raised to 2.5 million on the button with 85. Snyder put within the 1.5 million wanted to name from the large blind with A2 and the flop got here down 1055. Snyder checked his flush draw and Schutten bets 2 million along with his journey fives. Snyder check-raised to 4.8 million and Schutten referred to as. The flip introduced the 7. Snyder fired one other 5.2 million. Schutten moved all-in and Snyder referred to as off his final 21.9 million along with his flush draw. Schutten’s journeys have been forward, and the two on the tip secured him the pot and the title. Snyder was awarded $899,295 because the runner-up on this record-breaking occasion.

Here is a take a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the ultimate desk:

Photo credit: WPT / Joe Giron.