After over 16 hours, CardPlayer CEO Barry Shulman defeated Team PokerStars Pro member and crowd favorite Daniel Negreanu to win the Main Event of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe. Shulman earned £801,603.
The win marked Shulman’s second WSOP bracelet. The first came in 2001, when the media mogul won a $1,500 buy-in Limit Seven Card Stud High-Low event for $123,000. The London Main Event marked his eighth WSOP final table and 14th in the money finish. His win gave the United States its second WSOP Europe bracelet; both have come by virtue of taking down the Main Event, as John Juanda emerged victorious from the pack in 2008. Other countries that have grabbed WSOP Europe bracelets include Denmark (2), Finland (1), Afghanistan (1), Germany (1), England (1), Canada (1), Italy (1), and Norway (1).
The £10,000 buy-in feature tournament was nearly decided one hour into heads-up play. Negreanu held a 5:3 chip lead and his adversary called all-in after flopping a flush draw with A-5 of hearts. Negreanu turned over pocket aces on the Kd-8h-6h board, but watched as the turn filled Shulman’s flush. The hand propelled the CardPlayer CEO to a 3:1 chip edge.
Later on, Negreanu peeked down at Q-J and Shulman, this time, was dealt aces. The flop came jack-high and Negreanu led out. Shulman pushed all-in over the top and Negreanu tanked, before finally calling once again with a chance to win the tournament. The turn came another jack, giving Negreanu one card to victory in London and his fifth WSOP bracelet. However, Shulman spiked one of two remaining aces on the river to take down the hand with aces full of jacks. In the final hand in London, Negreanu ran his pocket fours into Shulman’s pocket tens. A ten hit the flop and running fours failed to hit, giving Shulman the WSOP Europe Main Event title.
In an interview with WSOP officials, Negreanu discussed playing with Shulman heads-up: “Playing against Barry is dangerous. There is no pressure on him. That makes him very difficult to play against because I can’t be sure where I am at. I’ve played a lot of hours with Barry and think I have him somewhat figured out. But he’s got at least one advantage against me, which is having no pressure.” Shulman’s son, CardPlayer Editor Jeff Shulman, is a member of the WSOP November Nine and will hold the third largest chip stack when play resumes in Las Vegas.
Besides Shulman and Negreanu, four other former bracelet winners took to the felts at the Casino at the Empire for the WSOP Europe Main Event final table. Chris Bjorin, a two-time bracelet winner, was sent packing in sixth place after running A-J into Negreanu’s A-Q. Shulman busted Matt Hawrilenko, who has taken down one WSOP event, in eighth place for £87,074.
Team PokerStars Pro member Jason Mercier, who grabbed his first bracelet during the 2009 WSOP in Las Vegas, was eliminated in fourth place after entering as a dominant chip leader. In his final hand, Mercier’s wired pair of sevens could not draw out on Negreanu’s pocket nines. The last decorated player to take to the WSOP Europe televised table was Praz Bansi, who won a bracelet in a $1,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em event in 2006. Bansi was the hometown hero and was eliminated in third place.
Incredibly, two members of the November Nine reached the WSOP Europe Main Event final table. Everest Poker pro Antoine Saout was ousted in seventh place after coming out on the short end of a coin flip holding pocket fives against Negreanu’s A-Q of spades. Negreanu made a flush on the river to send Saout home in dramatic fashion. Eliminated shortly before Saout was James Akenhead, who hit the skids in ninth place. Negreanu’s pocket kings staved off disaster against Akenhead’s A-Q and the London native was sent home.
Here were the results from the 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event:
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