The Editor of CardPlayer Magazine, Jeff Shulman resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. He’s 34 years-old and finished seventh in the 2000 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, banking $146,000 when he was just 25. That tournament was ultimately won by Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, who firmly entrenched himself as one of poker’s top stars. Shulman was a member of the November Nine of the 2009 WSOP Main Event and earned $1.9 million for his fifth place finish.
Tossing Out the WSOP Bracelet
Immediately following the final elimination in July of the Main Event, Shulman ignited controversy by claiming that if he won, he might “toss out” the tournament’s celebratory bracelet instead of wearing it. Many in the industry speculated that Shulman’s comments stemmed from the fact that Bluff, not CardPlayer, received media rights to the WSOP. However, Shulman retorted to reporters, “It’s my lack of respect for the WSOP and the management and what they’ve done to all of the players. I don’t like it.”
Shulman’s comments polarized the attitudes towards the Nevada native among those in the industry. Some have inquired why the CardPlayer Magazine Editor entered the tournament, while others have questioned whether he should have returned to the Rio in November for the final table of the Main Event. He formulated alternatives to trashing the bracelet, including auctioning it off for charity, holding a tournament for players shut out of the 2009 Main Event and awarding the bracelet to its winner, and giving the piece of hardware away on SpadeClub, CardPlayer’s subscription-based online poker site.
Shulman’s last WSOP final table appearance prior to the 2009 Main Event came in 2005, when he finished seventh in a $5,000 buy-in Limit Hold’em tournament for $50,000. Shulman finished 12th in the Season III World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship, taking home $94,000, and owns nearly $400,000 in career earnings on the WPT circuit.
Like Father, Like Son
He’s the son of CardPlayer owner Barry Shulman and has become one of the most influential figures in the industry. Shulman’s nonchalant attitude is in stark contrast to the serious nature of most poker players. When asked if this easy-going mantra gives him an advantage over other players in the game, Shulman candidly explained to reporters gathered around him at the 2009 WSOP, “I feel like I’m on Adderall and everyone else is on Xanax.”
CardPlayer is one of the world’s premier poker magazines and has over 20,000 subscribers. Besides its American version, Shulman and company produce CardPlayer Europe, which distributes nearly 13,000 copies across 40 countries. CardPlayer features live coverage of top tournaments around the world.
The elder Shulman took down the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event, defeating a field of 334 players and edging out Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu heads-up. The Shulmans seemed poised to conquer the poker industry if Jeff could win the Main Event in Las Vegas, but he fell short, finishing in fifth.
WSOP Coaching
Shulman received coaching from 11-time WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth prior to the start of the Main Event’s final table, claiming he needed help with his short-handed game. However, he played largely tight at the final table and could not amass any momentum.
Click here for Jeff Shulman’s interview with Poker News Daily.
