2024 World Series of Poker

Event #26: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em (8-Handed)
Day: 3
Event Info

2024 World Series of Poker

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
104
Prize
$1,667,842
Event Info
Buy-in
$25,000
Prize Pool
$7,473,000
Entries
318
Level Info
Level
26
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
19
Players Left
1

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

Day 3 Completed

Nick Schulman Secures Fifth Bracelet & Biggest WSOP Cash in $25,000 High Roller ($1,667,842)

Level 26 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Nick Schulman Wins 2024 WSOP Event 26
Nick Schulman Wins 2024 WSOP Event 26

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

 RankPlayerCountryPrize
 1Nick SchulmanUnited States$1,667,842
 2Noel RodriguezUnited States$1,111,897
 3Dean LyallUnited Kingdom$760,083
 4David StammUnited States$529,833
 5Ben HeathUnited Kingdom$376,762
 6Roberto PerezSpain$273,414
 7Yingui LiChina$202,574
 8Shaun DeebUnited States$153,302

"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.

Nick Schulman Wins 2024 WSOP Event 26
Nick Schulman and Noel Rodriguez

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."

Nick Schulman Wins 2024 WSOP Event 26
Nick Schulman

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.

Noel Rodriguez
Noel Rodriguez

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.

Shaun Deeb
Shaun Deeb

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.

Nick Schulman Wins 2024 WSOP Event 26
Nick Schulman

Tags: Ben HeathChino RheemDavid StammDean LyallJosh AriehMatt GlantzNick SchulmanNoel RodriguezRoberto PerezShaun Deeb

Noel Rodriguez Eliminated in 2nd Place ($1,111,897)

Level 26 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Noel Rodriguez
Noel Rodriguez

On the first hand of the heads up, Nick Schulman limped in from the button and Noel Rodriguez checked his big blind. A flop of 2810 was then spread, on which Rodriguez checked to Schulman.

Schulman made a bet of 400,000 and Rodriguez raised to 1,300,000. After some thinking time, Schulman shoved all in to put Rodriguez's 6,275,000 remaining chips at risk.

Rodriguez snap called and the cards were flung open as the players awaited their fate.

Noel Rodriguez: J2 All in
Nick Schulman: 104

Schulman's top pair was up against Rodriguez's bottom pair and flush draw. The 6 turn did not help either player, nor did the 6 river.

Schulman's top pair remained best, knocking out Rodriguez as the runner up.

Rodriguez took home the first seven-figure score of his career, more than doubling his lifetime tournament areas up until this point.

Player Chips Progress
Nick Schulman us
Nick Schulman
47,700,000
7,075,000
7,075,000
WSOP 5X Winner
Noel Rodriguez us
Noel Rodriguez
Busted

Tags: Nick SchulmanNoel Rodriguez

Dean Lyall Eliminated in 3rd Place ($760,083)

Level 26 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Dean Lyall
Dean Lyall

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: A3 All in
Noel Rodriguez: AK

Lyall did not find any help on the board of 57849, and he was sent home in third place, leaving Rodriguez and Schulman heads up for the bracelet.

Player Chips Progress
Nick Schulman us
Nick Schulman
40,625,000
1,200,000
1,200,000
WSOP 5X Winner
Noel Rodriguez us
Noel Rodriguez
7,075,000
2,575,000
2,575,000
Dean Lyall gb
Dean Lyall
Busted

Tags: Dean LyallNick SchulmanNoel Rodriguez

David Stamm Eliminated in 4th Place ($529,833)

Level 26 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
David Stamm
David Stamm

Nick Schulman put David Stamm all in from the small blind, with the latter calling off his stack of 1,250,000 from the big blind after some thought.

David Stamm: J5 All in
Nick Schulman: Q5

The flop immediately paired Schulman with Q36. The 7 turn brought some chop outs, but the K river was of no help to Stamm, who shook the hands of his opponents before leaving the final table.

Player Chips Progress
Nick Schulman us
Nick Schulman
39,425,000
4,650,000
4,650,000
WSOP 5X Winner
Noel Rodriguez us
Noel Rodriguez
4,500,000
-2,000,000
-2,000,000
Dean Lyall gb
Dean Lyall
3,775,000
-1,900,000
-1,900,000
David Stamm us
David Stamm
Busted

Tags: David StammNick Schulman

Schulman Flops It

Level 26 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante

David Stamm raised under the gun to 800,000 with Q9 and Nick Schulman defended 108 in the big blind. Schulman then led out for 400,000 on the 796 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 10 turn.

Player Chips Progress
Nick Schulman us
Nick Schulman
34,775,000
3,400,000
3,400,000
WSOP 5X Winner
David Stamm us
David Stamm
3,650,000
-3,750,000
-3,750,000

Tags: David StammNick Schulman

For More on the $25K Fantasy League Follow PokerNews' Curated X List of All Draftees

Level 26 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
$25K Fantasy League
$25K Fantasy League

At the end of May, 152 players were auctioned off into 19 teams of eight during the 25K Fantasy Draft for the 2024 World Series of Poker, held at the illustrious PokerGO Studio.

With a total prize pool of $475,000, the stakes are incredibly high for the participants. The payouts are structured to reward the top four teams substantially, with the first-place team taking home $225,000, followed by $125,000 for second place, $75,000 for third, and $50,000 for fourth.

Most of the players drafted are on social media, and PokerNews has taken the liberty of compiling all of their accounts into a single list on X (formerly Twitter). Simply follow our list and you'll be able to see any update posted by the draftee!

Click here to follow the $25K Fantasy list on X!

Remember, PokerNews has been tracking $25K Fantasy players in our live updates, and have even made it simple to follow the action by tagging all players with a $25K Fantasy badge. That allows you to utilize our chip count filter option to follow only those players (just tick the $25K Fantasy badge); what’s more, each blog will have a “$25K Fantasy” tab that if you click all you will see are hands played by $25K Fantasy players.

Ben Heath Eliminated in 5th Place ($376,762)

Level 26 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Ben Heath
Ben Heath

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: A10 All in
Nick Schulman: 106

Heath looked to be in great shape to double up, but the 6K6 flop turned out to be a disastrous one, making trips for Schulman.

The A turn gave him a slither of hope, but the 7 river sealed his fate as the British high stakes regular was sent out in fifth place.

Player Chips Progress
Nick Schulman us
Nick Schulman
31,375,000
6,325,000
6,325,000
WSOP 5X Winner
Ben Heath gb
Ben Heath
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Ben HeathDavid StammNick Schulman