Barry Shulman Wins Main Event of WSOPE
It’s looking like a Shulman-y kind of year at the 2009 World Series of Poker. Jeff Shulman is a few people’s quasi-dark-horse pick to win it all at the WSOP, and while that group is waiting to resume play, his father Barry Shulman decided to add a bit of additional pressure by taking down the main event of the World Series of Poker Europe.
Shulman beat out Daniel Negreanu in a heads-up battle that swung back and forth over the course of several hours. The final blow to Negreanu came when the two got all in on a jack-high flop, with Daniel holding top pair with QJ and Shulman holding AA. Negreanu managed a J on the turn to reduce Shulman to a two-outer, but the river promptly delivered one of the remaining aces.
The heads up battle followed a grueling final table experience. Once final table play began, it took five hours for the first player to be eliminated.
Shulman had this to say about the hand: “The truth is, because it was on television and we were heads up, I knew I got in with the best hand (holding pocket aces). When the jack came on the turn (giving Negreanu three-of-a-kind and making him the huge favorite), I had pretty much given up. I said to myself, ‘well, at least I am not going to be embarrassed here. What are you going to do? That’s poker.’ When the ace came (on the river), I just about passed out.”
Shulman came into the final table in fourth chip position; Negreanu entered as a short stack.
That river was worth £801,603 to Shulman, or about $1.2 million US. Negreanu received just shy of £500k, which, according to the Hendon Mob database, pushed him ahead of Jaime Gold on the all-time tournament money winnings list.
The final standings and payouts:
1. Barry Shulman – £801,603
2. Daniel Negreanu – £495,589
3. Praz Bansi – £360,887
4. Jason Mercier – £267,267
5. Markus Ristola – £200,367
6. Chris Bjorin – £150,267
7. Antoine Saout – £114,228
8. Matt Hawrilenko – £87,074
9. James Akenhead – £66,533
Saout and Akenhead are both members of the 2009 November Nine. The WSOPE final table featured 6 former bracelet winners.
Shulman had these words for his son Jeff: “I did my part. Now, you do your part. It’s your turn to win.”
Photo: flipchip • lasvegasvegas.com
Follow all of our WSOP coverage here, including live coverage of the WSOP final table.
Submit Your Email to Create a PTP Rewards Account