It’s a fair assessment that the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball boasted one of the most talented final tables of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). In the end, Nick “TheTakeover” Schulman added a WSOP bracelet to his arsenal of poker accolades.
Schulman already has two World Poker Tour (WPT) titles under his belt, winning the roving tournament series’ Foxwoods stop during Season IV for $2.1 million and taking down the Battle of the Champions event in 2006. During Season VI of the WPT, Schulman nearly won another title at Foxwoods, finishing as the Main Event’s runner-up for $864,000. However, the youngster had yet to shine on the WSOP felts until Event #23 of the 2009 Series rolled around. The $10,000 buy-in World Championship of 2-7 Draw Lowball was his playground and Schulman banked $279,000.
The final eight-handed table became seven when Ultimate Bet Star Player Michael Binger pushed all-in and 2008 WSOP Europe Main Event Champion John Juanda called. Binger drew two cards and Juanda elected not to draw any, holding 10-8-6-4-2. Binger, however, wound up with 9-9-K-7-2 and hit the skids in eighth place. In mid-November, Binger was the champion of the WSOP Circuit Event at Harvey’s Lake Tahoe for $181,000, besting Ty Stewart heads-up.
Exiting in seventh place from the 96 player event was David Benyamine, who won last year’s World Championship of Omaha High-Low Split Eight or Better for $535,000. On Friday night, newly minted bracelet holder Steve Sung ousted Benyamine when the latter pushed all-in and drew one card. He showed 9-9-6-5-4, while Sung revealed J-8-7-3-2; Benaymine took home $30,492 for his efforts. Vince Musso was the next to go, hitting the rails in sixth place for $39,697. Ville Wahlbeck called Musso’s all-in and drew no cards, while Musso drew one. However, Wahlback showed 7-5-4-3-2 (the best possible 2-7 Lowball hand), sending Musso home. Musso finished third in the event back in 1979 for $15,000 in a tournament ultimately won by Bobby Baldwin.
Las Vegas gambler Archie Karas exited in fifth place for $53,783. Sung was the executioner, showing 10-9-8-7-3, while Karas had J-10-8-5-2. WSOP coverage of the event noted that the $53,783 payday was Karas’ largest tournament score ever. He has four WSOP cashes to his name; all four are from final table appearances. Juanda, a Full Tilt Poker pro, was ousted in fourth place and earned $75,964, narrowly missing his fifth WSOP bracelet. Schulman and Juanda each drew one card when the latter was all-in. Juanda held 9-6-5-4-3, but Schulman had him beat with 8-7-5-3-2.
Sung took down the $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em Stimulus Special for $771,000, the fourth event of the 2009 WSOP. On Friday night, the Asian Poker Tour ambassador was back at a final table and finished third in the Lowball event. Sung called all-in for his tournament life and elected not to draw any cards. Schulman also held firm as well and turned over 10-7-5-4-3, barley edging out Sung’s 10-8-5-4-3. Sung earned $112,042 for his efforts and gave Schulman better than a 2:1 chip edge entering heads-up play.
In the tournament’s final hand, Wahlbeck pushed after drawing one, but was insta-called by Schulman, who showed the nuts, 7-5-4-3-2. Wahlbeck turned over 9-9-8-5-2 for an untimely bluff and Schulman scored his first ever WSOP bracelet. In addition, he banked $279,742 for his efforts. Wahlbeck took home $172,864 for his runner-up showing. Here were the final payouts from Event #23 of the 2009 WSOP:
1. Nick Schulman – $279,742
2. Ville Wahlbeck – $172,864
3. Steve Sung – $112,042
4. John Juanda – $75,964
5. Archie Karas – $53,783
6. Vince Musso – $39,697
7. David Benyamine – $30,492
8. Michael Binger – $24,545
Others who cashed in the $10,000 buy-in World Championship of No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball included Herezel Zalewski (11th place for $19,870), Max Pescatori (12th place for $17,885), Daniel Harmetz (13th place for $17,885), and Jason Gray (14th place for $17,885).
