Background Information on Nick Schulman
Born on the 18th of September, 1984, Nick Schulman is an American professional poker player who has earned some amazing cash prizes at the felt table. Apart from the money, he is also the recipient of three prestigious World Series of Poker bracelets. In addition to his gaming escapades, he is also a celebrated poker commentator, having covered some of the biggest tournament circuit events that have garnered praise from top players in the industry as well as poker fans. Nick has a highly analytical mind and over the years, his analysis has drawn so much attention from across the world. In fact, many might actually not remember that Schulman is one of the top poker players that have competed at some of the highest levels in games at both tournaments and cash games.
The year 2019 brought his skills and dexterity at poker table to the world view again when he showed how great he can be at both poker games and as a poker commentator. He went ahead to take down the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Eight or Better Championship event at the 2019 World Series of Poker. The thirty four years old New York professional poker player defeated a field of 139 participants to win his third World Series of Poker gold bracelet and of course, the grand prize of $463,670 USD.
Early Life of Nick Schulman
He was born in the September of 1984. Nick is a Jewish young man who grew up in New York City. He didn’t start out in gaming as a poker player. He started his gaming with playing pool at Amsterdam Billiards. At an early age of 13, he was taught and mentored by a host of best players in the New York City area at this time. As a matter of fact, by the time he turned thirteen, he has become a world class pool player. He focused on the game and developed competence in the strategy involved in the game. Nick Schulman is also a self-acclaimed boxing fanatic and a chess enthusiast. He developed a knack for gambling at a very young age and he made some cash from his winnings while playing pool.
Nick started his poker journey from the online platform, just like many players from this generation. He tried to use his experience as a pool player to work round the game of poker but he discovered he had to learn to become a professional player indeed. He took out time to learn from other players. With time, he gained experience at the game and began to play better than his earlier poker gaming moments. With age, maturity, experience, Nick has continued to grow his skills and strategy and he has grown into a force to be reckoned with in the world of poker. He is an excellent poker player and Nick Schulman net worth from his poker earnings is a testament to his skills and competence. Over and beyond playing poker, Schulman has also taken up a new career as a great poker commentator. He has excelled in this area of career also, thanks to his intelligence, knowledge and charisma.
Popularly called the Takeover, Nick Schulman is a native of Manhattan in New York. He is a professional poker player and has won three World Series of Poker gold bracelets so far. He also won the Season 4 of the World Poker Tour, World Poker Finals No Limit Hold’em event in the year 2005 at Foxwoods. It was at this event that he made his biggest winning of $2,167,500 USD at a single season. Interestingly, he was only 21 years old when he won this huge prize. This makes him the youngest winner of a World Poker Tour event.
Nick Schulman at World Series of Poker
Nick’s first appearance at the World Series of Poker was in December of 2005. A month before this, he had made his biggest winning at the World Poker Tour championship event. At his first WSOP event, he placed 4th at the $9,700 + 300 Championship Event –No Limit Hold’em. His winning at this event was $74,495. Although it was his first event at WSOP, his placing was impressive, especially when you consider the number of entries for the event. In June of 2007, he also placed 6th in the $5,000 No Limit Hold’em event at the World Series of Poker event. He won $108,457 at the event.
Nick Schulman won his first World Series of Poker gold bracelet in 2009 at the $10,000 World Championship No Limit Deuce to Seven Draw. Nick beats a field of 96 entries to win the first prize. He went heads-up against Ville Wahlbeck and took him down. For his first place, he won his first WSOP bracelet and a cash prize of $279,751 USD. He also won $152,730 at the 2010 World Series of Poker when he placed 9th at the $50,000 The Players Championship Event 8 Game.
Two years later, he won his second bracelets at the $10,000 No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball Event #60 of the WSOP. He entered into the game with a field of 101 participants. He won against all the participants and went heads-up against Mick Wattel. After a battle of show down, Nick emerged the winner, which earned him his second WSOP bracelet and a cash prize of $294,321 at the end of the event.
In 2013, he played at the $111,111 No Limit Hold’em One Drop High Roller Event #47 during the 2013 World Series of Poker event. He placed 8th at this event, winning the sum of $485,029 USD. He made another winning the following year when he placed 4th at the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Event #5 WSOP. He placed 4th and won $99,015. He almost won another WSOP bracelet in 2015 when he finished as the runner up at the $10,000 2-7 Draw Lowball No Limit Championship Event #29. He finished 2nd and made a winning of $138,665. He also finished 3rd two years later at the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship Event #34 of the World Series of Poker 2017 edition. He placed 3rd and won $98,337.
His third WSOP bracelet finally came in June of 2019 at the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha – Hi/Lo 8 or Better 8-Handed Championship Event #65. In a field of 193 entries, Nick emerged the winner, beating some top professional poker player. He went heads up with Brian Hastings and defeated him to win the WSOP bracelet and the grand prize of $463,670 USD. One would have thought that was the height of his winning at the 2019 World Series of Poker event but far from it; he went for a bigger win. He participated in the $100,000 No Limit Hold’em – High Roller Event #83 and finished in the third place. He won a big $1,187,802 at this event. Nick Schulman net worth from his participation at the 2019 World Series of Poker events alone is in excess of $1.7 million USD.
Highlights of Nick Schulman WSOP Bracelets and Big Winnings
| Year | Tournament | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | $9,700 + 300 Championship Event – No Limit Hold’em 2015 WSOP Tournament Circuit | 4th | $74,495 |
| 2007 | $5,000 No Limit Hold’em WSOP 2007 | 6th | $108,457 |
| 2009 | $10,000 World Championship No Limit Deuce To Seven Draw | 1st | $279,751 |
| 2010 | $50,000 The Players Championship Event 8 Game WSOP 2010 | 9th | $152,739 |
| 2010 | $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship World Series of Poker 2010, Las Vegas | 7th | $78,654 |
| 2011 | $10,000 No Limit Deuce To Seven Draw World Championship, WSOP 2011 | 5th | $69,216 |
| 2011 | $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo World Series of Poker, 2011 | 7th | $56,729 |
| 2012 | $10,000 No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball Event 60 43rd WSOP, 2012 | 1st | $294,321 |
| 2013 | $111,111 No Limit Hold’em – One Drop High Roller Event #47, WSOP, 2013 | 8th | $485,029 |
| 2014 | $10,000 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Event #5 World Series of Poker, 2014 | 4th | $99,015 |
| 2015 | $10,000 2-7 Draw Lowball No Limit Championship Event #29 WSOP, 2015 | 2nd | $138,665 |
| 2016 | $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship Event #24 World Series of Poker, 2016 | 3rd | $183,779 |
| 2017 | $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship Event #34 | 3rd | $98,337 |
| 2018 | $1,500 No Limit Hold’em – 6 Handed Event #17, WSOP, 2018 | 3rd | $163,785 |
| 2019 | $10,000 Dealers Choice Championship 6-Handed Event #35, WSOP, 2019 | 6th | $52,656 |
| 2019 | $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha – Hi-Lo 8 or Better 8-Handed Championship, WSOP 2019 | 1st | $463,670 |
| 2019 | $100,000 No Limit Hold’em High Roller Event #83, WSOP 2019 | 3rd | $1,187,802 |
All his earnings from World Series of Poker events have all contributed to Nick Schulman net worth to a great extent. It is important to mention that the events highlighted above are not the only WSOP tournaments that Nick participated in. We have handpicked the above based on his earnings at the events and his placing.
Nick Schulman at World Poker Tour Events
As mentioned earlier, Nick Schulman started his poker career at the online platform. He was playing majorly at online poker rooms before he ventured into live tournaments. His first recorded tournament participation was at the World Poker Tour of 2005 that held in Mashantucket. Nick bought into the $10,000 + 200 WPT – No Limit Hold’em Event at the 2005 World Poker Finals. He finished in the first place at the event and made a winning of $2,167,500. It is important to mention that this winning is the biggest live earning that Nick Schulman has ever won until the time of this writing in August of 2019.
The following year, he also bought into the No Limit Hold’em event of the World Poker Tour Battle of Champions IV in Las Vegas. He finished 1st and made a winning of $25,000. In 2012, Schulman bought into the $25,000 + 500 No Limit Hold’em –Championship event at the World Poker Tour Championship in Las Vegas. He finished 4th and made a winning of $256,235.
He participated in the 2017 World Poker Tour Five Diamond World Poker Classic in Las Vegas. He bought into the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em – $25K High Roller Even #25 where he finished 2nd and won $60,000 for his efforts. In 2018, he also participated in the $15,000 No Limit Hold’em – World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions; Season XVI WPT Tournament of Champions Festival in Las Vegas. He finished 5th and made a winning of $89,290. In the year 2019, Nick also bought into the $15,000 No Limit Hold’em – Baccarat Crystal WPT Tournament of Champions at the Baccarat Crystal World Poker Tour Tournament of Champions in Las Vegas. He finished 6th and won $63,890 at the end of the event.
Nick Schulman at Other Poker Tournaments
Apart from World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour, there are several other live tournaments that have impacted significantly on Nick Schulman net worth. His earnings from these other tournaments are huge and they make a huge part of his net worth. In the year 2007, he participated in the $9,700 + 300 No Limit Hold’em – Championship Event at the 2007 World Poker Finals in Mashantucket. He placed 2nd at this event and won $864,652.
He also participated in the $100,000 + 500 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller Event of the PCA – 2011 at Paradise Island. Nick finished in the 4th place and made a winning of $400,000. In 2013, he bought into the $98,000 + 2000 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller Event #1 at the PCA in Paradise Island. He placed 3rd and won $744,140. In the year 2014, he participated in the $24,500 + 500 No Limit Hold’em – High Roller Event at the Bay 101 Shooting Stars in San Jose. He finished in the 1st place and made a winning of $270,480.
In 2014, Nick also played in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em event at the 2014 Bellagio High Roller V in Las Vegas. He finished 2nd and won $177,300. The following year, he bought into the $24,000 + 1,000 No Limit Hold’em – High Roller event at the Aria High Roller 21 in Las Vegas. He finished 3rd and made a winning of $133,200. In 2016, Schulman bought into the $10,000 + 400 No Limit Hold’em – Bellagio Cup XII and placed 2nd with a winning of $557,388. August of 2017, he placed 1st at the $50,000 No Limit Hold’em – Super High Roller Event #8 at the 2017 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open at Hollywood. He earned $440,000 at this event.
September of the same year, he also bought into the $50,000 No Limit Hold’em – Event #1 at the 2017 Poker Masters in Las Vegas. He placed first at the event and won the grand cash prize of $918,000. In 2018, he travelled to South Korea to participate in the HK$100,000 No Limit Hold’em – Short Deck Ante Only event at the Triton Poker Super High Roller Series, Jeju. He placed 1st at this event and made a winning of HK$2,135,000, which translates to $271,974 at that time.
The year 2019 started on a good note for Nick Schulman as he won about $390,000 at two different events just one day apart. He participated in the $25,000 Mixed Game – USPO #08 at the 2019 US Poker Open in Las Vegas. He placed 1st at the event and won $270,000. The previous day, he had also participated in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em – USPO #7 25K No Limit Hold’em Event #7 at the same US Poker Open event. He placed 5th at this event and made a winning of $120,000.
In the course of his poker career, the young professional poker player has exceeded the $13 million USD milestone in total live earnings from tournament events. He has made over 70 cashes and more than five titles in the course of his career.
Nick Schulman Net Worth
Nick Schulman, a nationality of the United States and resident of Manhattan, New York City has grown in net worth over the years he has been in the world of poker. According to the hendonmob.com, Nick Schulman net worth from his total live earnings is $13,050,030 USD. This figure is solely from his earnings at poker live tournaments. This does not account for his winnings at online poker platform and neither does it account for his earnings from his commentator’s career.
His best live cash in poker is $2,167,500, which he won this at his first participation at the World Poker Tour in the year 2005. He places 28th on the United States All Time Money List and 5th on the New York, USA All Time Money List. He occupies the 50th position of All Time Money List Current Rank in the world and 46th on the All Time Money List Best Rank. On Popularity Ranking, Nick Schulman places 104th and on Global Poker Index Ranking, he places 215th.
Nick Schulman Controversy at the 2019 World Series of Poker Event
At the wake of his third bracelet winning at the World Series of Poker event in July of 2019, rumors began to make it round social media that Nick Schulman, a much loved and celebrated commentator for WSOP Main event was removed as a result of the controversial comments he made. However, according to Norman Chad and Daniel Negreanu, his removal from the booth when he had already been scheduled to take over has nothing to do with his comments but more about a “scheduling conflict”.
In the course of the just concluded World Series of Poker Main Event broadcast, Nick Schulman commented about the quality of play and players that participated at the tournament. This comment apparently offended one of the fans on Twitter and he didn’t hesitate to air his opinion. While running a commentary at the WSOP Main Event, the recent bracelet winner, Nick Schulman said that if anyone wants to be better at poker, they shouldn’t watch the Main Event. By his comment, he obviously suggested that the play at the event is soft when compared to other high roller events where a very high percentage of the players are highly skilled professional players.
For some reasons unknown, the comment was perceived as offensive in spite of the fact that many professional poker players have made similar remarks about WSOP Main Events in the past. A fan, named David Stewart, didn’t take the comment lightly and he took to his Twitter page to comment on Nick’s remark. Stewart wrote “When @NickSchulman says on national television that “if you want to get better at poker, then don’t watch the main event”… how does that look from a recreational perspective? They view the @WSOP main event as a prestigious tournament with the best in the world playing…”
Nick responded to the comment of the poker fan that criticized his commentary and said “You might be right David… Coincidentally I have also been removed from the broadcast lol. But I won’t put the little monkey hat on and dance around for you or them. Tourney is soft with some incredible players in there battling. These are facts. It’s still an incredible sweat.” Nick Schulman went ahead to release a video and expatiate on his response. Based on his response, it seems he was removed from the broadcast as a result of the comments he made. However, Daniel Negreanu and Norman Chad have both disputed this rumor, saying Nick was removed because of a scheduling conflict.
Daniel Negreanu took to his Twitter page to explain the issue and he wrote “From my understanding Nick Schulman was not removed due to any comments he made. They love Nick as does the entire poker community.” He went ahead to reveal that he heard that the removal was as a result of a scheduling conflict, which they hope will be resolved quickly and they will use Nick going forward, as often as possible. When another fan challenged him on his claim, Negreanu took to bet straight and offered to bet on it. He laid 100-1 odds and when asked where he got the information from, Negreanu responded that he heard “straight from the horse’s mouth.” This clearly means his source is from the inner circle of ESPN and PokerGo broadcasts. When speaking on the controversy, Norman Chad, a long time ESPN poker commentator corroborated what Negreanu had said and he told CardsChat News that Nick was not removed from PokerGo broadcast and his not featuring when he was supposed to was a production decision and has nothing to do with Schulman or any personnel for that matter.
Well, the poker world is watching to see how this turned out. For now, many have settled with the explanations of Norman Chad and Daniel Negreanu and believed that there is no cause for alarm and everything is very fine on all sides.
Other Interests of Nick Schulman
The winner of the 2019 WSOP $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo has other interests outside of the world of poker. In the September of 2010, he appeared on the MTV documentary style show of Andrew Jenks. He explained everything about his early poker success, on the show titled World of Jenks. He also went ahead to reveal his ongoing struggle with anxiety and depression, as well as financial difficulties. The proud winner of a bracelet and a winning of $463,670 in the 2019 WSOP has also picked a microphone and provided a highly celebrated commentary on the game of poker, which he excels at.
His first major commentary gig was with the veteran commentator, Ali Nejad, and he featured as the color man for the $300K Buy-in Super High Roller Bowl in 2016. He worked with the CBS Sports during this event. At the end of the event, Nick Schulman was showered with praises from fans and colleagues alike for his amazing insight into the game as well as his pleasing personality. Since then, he has featured in a couple of commentator roles for World Series of Poker on PokerGo and ESPN. In the year 2018, Nick won the prestigious award of the Broadcaster of the Year. He won this award during the 2018 American Poker Awards.
In addition to functioning as a highly capable commentator, he has also grown as a professional poker player who has won three different bracelets at World Series of Poker. He has also won at various other events, including a World Poker Tour Title in 2005.
Conclusion
Nick Schulman is a professional poker player and a celebrated commentator, who has made a mark in the world of poker. He won his third bracelet during the 2019 World Series of Poker. He has finished in money at several events. He won his biggest live cash at the World Poker Tour when he played in the $10,000 + 200 WPT – No Limit Hold’em event of the 2005 World Poker Finals in Mashantucket and won $2,167,500 and a title at this event.