Nick Schulman ended 2024 on a excessive observe, taking down the $5,000 turbo bounty occasion on the World Series of Poker Paradise for his sixth profession bracelet.
The 40-year-old poker professional additionally began his 2025 off with a bang by rising victorious within the first PokerGO Tour occasion held within the new 12 months.
Schulman overcame a area of 111 complete entries within the kickoff occasion of the PGT Last Chance collection. He earned $283,050 because the final participant standing within the $10,100 buy-in no-limit maintain’em event. He now has practically $22.1 million in profession earnings after this triumph contained in the PokerGO Studio at ARIA Resort & Casino Las Vegas.
This victory got here with 600 Card Player Player of the Year factors, which supplies Schulman the early lead within the 2025 POY standings offered by Global Poker.
Schulman additionally earned 283 PGT factors, sufficient to maneuver him to ninth in that high-stakes-centric points race, which signifies that he has all however assured himself a spot within the forthcoming PGT Championship which is able to run subsequent week.
The ultimate day started with seven remaining and Schulman within the lead. The first knockout arose from a traditional preflop race, with bracelet winner Aram Zobian (seventh – $44,400) holding pocket fives towards the Ok-Q suited of two-time bracelet winner Joao Simao, which ended up making king-high straight to slender the sector to 6 contenders.
The subsequent large conflict noticed Schulman try to make use of a key straight blocker to bluff Simao. Unfortunately for Schulman, Simao had made the straight himself on the tip and rapidly referred to as Shulman’s shove to double into a large lead.
Risky Business! Nick Schulman Goes For It on the River! pic.twitter.com/WeqKxMKGW1
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) January 3, 2025
Schulman was left brief after that, however managed to bounce again rapidly with a double up by means of Matthew McEwan. He then received a flip with pocket sixes towards the Ok-Q of Nguyen Le (sixth – $55,500) to maneuver again into second chip place.
In protecting with the theme to this point, it was one other race that resulted in McEwan’s knockout. His pocket threes had been counterfeited by a double-paired board, which despatched the pot to Bryce Yockey and his A-Ok. McEwan earned $72,150 for his fifth-place displaying.
Despite scoring that elimination, Yockey was in the end the subsequent to fall. He received all-in with A-10 on a ten excessive flop, however discovered that high pair, high kicker was no good. Simao had been dealt pocket kings, which remained finest by means of the flip and river to present him a wholesome lead going into three-handed motion. Yockey earned $99,900 because the fourth-place finisher. The two-time bracelet winner now has greater than $6.1 million in profession earnings to his title.
Victoria Livschitz received her final chips in with A
3
main the Ok5 of Simao, however a Ok
544
Ok runout gave Simao kings full and the knockout. Livschitz cashed for $127,650. This rating noticed her surpass $2.2 million in recorded stay earnings.
Heads-up play started with Simao holding 9,800,000 to the 4,075,000 of Schulman. The hole had expanded barely within the early going earlier than Schulman discovered a double up with A-Ok holding towards Ok-9 to almost even the enjoying area.
As the stack depth decreased, the swings elevated. Simao retook the lead and held it for some time, however it was Schulman who was out in entrance with higher than a 3:1 benefit when the ultimate hand arose. Simao shoved from the button for 9 large blinds with J2 and Schulman referred to as with J7 out of the massive blind. The board got here down Ok6657 and Schulman made sevens and sixes to win the pot and the title.
Simao earned $177,600 because the runner-up. He is approaching $8 million in profession earnings due to this newest deep run, which marked his 182nd recorded money.
Here is a take a look at the payouts and rankings factors awarded on the ultimate desk:
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points | PGT Points |
| 1 | Nick Schulman | $283,050 | 600 | 283 |
| 2 | Joao Simao | $177,600 | 500 | 178 |
| 3 | Victoria Livschitz | $127,650 | 400 | 128 |
| 4 | Bryce Yockey | $99,900 | 300 | 100 |
| 5 | Matthew Mcewan | $72,150 | 250 | 72 |
| 6 | Nguyen Le | $55,500 | 200 | 56 |
| 7 | Aram Zobian | $44,400 | 150 | 44 |
Photo credit: PokerGO.
