Card Player CEO Barry Shulman from Las Vegas, NV, has won the 2009 World Series of Poker Europe at the Casino at the Empire in London’s World famous West End. Collecting his second World Series bracelet, Shulman, whose son is one of this year’s November 9, took home £801,603 following a tense 17 hour final table and an enthralling head’s up with Daniel Negreanu. Negreanu, who came fifth last year, also made history becoming the World’s biggest poker career money winner, breaking the $12,000,000 barrier and taking the title from Phil Ivey, who will reclaim it if he finishes better than 5th at the World Series Final Table in November.
It took more than 5 hours to eliminate the first player from the final table, but late afternoon, November 9 finalist James Akenhead finally crumbled and was eliminated. Although not beating the record for the longest span at a final table without elimination, once it happened it opened the flood gates and four more eliminations followed in quick succession over a 90 minute period. Shulman had arrived at the final table in 4th place in the chip count, but took the lead about two thirds of the way into the final table; then see-sawed throughout the remainder of the day with Negreanu. When heads up play began it was actually Negreanu who was enjoying a slightly better than a 3 to 2 lead over Shulman. After about an hour of heads up a critical hand took place where Shulman was down about 5-3 in chips and after the flop he moved all in on a flush draw. He held the A-5 of hearts and was down a heart draw when the board showed Kd-8h-6h. Negreanu called the all in semi bluff immediately and tabled two black aces. Negreanu was two hands away from taking the title, but a heart on the turn saved Shulman and a deflated Negreanu seemed to lose momentum. This hand gave Shulman about a 3 to 1 advantage.
However Negreanu kept plugging away and after another 2 hours he had regained his chip lead. There were no real notable moments, but Negreanu kept his focus and kept on chipping away at Shulman’s lead. But the decisive hand came when Negreanu was dealt Q-J with Shulman being dealt A-A. The flop came down J-X-X, and Negreanu holding top pair bet out and Shulman raised all in (with an over pair aces). After some prolonged thought from Negreanu he finally called. A noisy crowd took to their feet and as the turn came down J the roof of the Empire nearly came off. The J gave Negreanu a near-miracle catch and put him just one card away from winning what would have been a fifth WSOP bracelet. With both players on their feet, a sombre Shulman was juxtaposed by a blushing Negreanu but now down to 2 remaining aces, the bullet hit an ace on the river. Shulman was a whisker away from being champion; a near stunned room fell silent for a moment until the enormity of what had just happened sunk in.
The winning hand was something of an anti-climax as Negreanu’s pocket 4s were in the end beaten by Shulman’s pocket 10s, a ten flopped, good for a set which amounted to running up the score after the game was over, but at 5.17am Barry Shulman was champion.
Final Table Final Standings
1st Place – Barry Shulman (£801,603)
2nd Place – Daniel Negreanu (£495,589)
3rd Place – Praz Bansai (£360,887)
4th Place – Jason Mercier (£267,267)
5th Place – Markus Ristola (£200,367)
6th Place – Christer Bjorin (£150,267)
7th Place – Antoine Saout (£114,228)
8th Place – Matt Hawrilenko (£87,074)
9th Place – James Akenhead (£66,533)
World Series of Poker 2009 Stats
WSOPE Event 4
2009 WSOP Gold Bracelet Event: 61
No-Limit Hold’em
Buy-In: £10,000 (= $16,020 USD)
Number of Entries: 334
Total Net Prize Pool: £3,340,000 (= $5,348,677 USD)
Number of Places Paid: 36
First Place Prize: £801,603 (= $1,283,687 USD)
26 September to 1 October 2009: The Casino at the Empire, Leicster Square London.
