Event #21: $25,000 High Roller Six Handed No-Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Completed
Event #21: $25,000 High Roller Six Handed No-Limit Hold'em
Day 3 Completed
Call an ambulance! But not for Brek Schutten, because the ICU nurse and accomplished poker player won his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet by taking down Event #21: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold'em (6-Handed) for $1,405,641.
The second-ever $25,000 six-handed event drew 272 runners, a nearly 30% increase from the 207 players who played last year's inaugural event, for a prize pool of $6,392,000. The field included many of poker's biggest names like Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu and Erik Seidel.
But the last player standing inside Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas was Schutten, who has plenty of experience battling with poker's most accomplished in between hospital shifts. Schutten won a World Poker Tour (WPT) title in 2021 and finished runner-up in the WSOP $50,000 High Roller a year later.
This time around, Schutten defeated heads-up opponent Tyler Stafman, who had just $203,810 in live earnings before picking up the career-best score of $938,775.
The victory was redemption for Schutten, who told PokerNews he was ��feeling vindicated.��
��I got second to Jake Schindler and just had those regrets ever since," he said in a winner's interview. "Certain hands go through your mind all the time and you never know if you��re going to get back to a high roller final table, let alone heads-up, let alone win the thing.��
Place | Player | Country | Prize |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Brek Schutten | United States | $1,405,641 |
2 | Tyler Stafman | United States | $938,775 |
3 | Michael Rocco | United States | $639,620 |
4 | Taylor von Kriegenbergh | United States | $444,766 |
5 | Brandon Wilson | United States | $315,771 |
6 | Masashi Oya | Japan | $229,002 |
The final table also included Michael Rocco (3rd - $639,620), Taylor von Kriegenbergh (4th - $444,766), Brandon Wilson (5th - $315,771) and Masashi Oya (6th - $229,002), all of whom were looking for their maiden bracelet.
After spending most of Day 2 as one of the chip leaders but entering the final table on Day 3 as a short stack, Schutten's focus was solely on winning the tournament.
��I was more concerned about winning the bracelet than the ICM for pay jumps and stuff, so I think that helped to be able to put my chips in when I felt like I had the best hand and hope for the best."
Schutten said he's ��focusing more on poker than nursing right now but still working a few shifts here and there.��
��I love these fields. I love playing against the best in the world. It��s just a great experience and it��s good to know that I can win a tournament with this field.��
Now that he has a bracelet and WSOP title, is Schutten thinking about going for the Triple Crown?
��I have not played an EPT before, I��ve actually never been to Europe. But maybe. Haven��t thought about it yet, but it might be possible.��
Much of the action took place yesterday on Day 2, including Dylan Destefano bubbling in painful fashion, Alex Foxen six-bet jamming with a non-premium holding and Paul Jager being three-outed by the same card in nearly back-to-back hands.
There were 12 players who advanced to Day 3 and Justin Saliba was quickly out the door as his king-queen couldn't hit against the pocket fives of Kevin Rabichow. It took several hours, but Rabichow was next out after running ace-jack into the pocket queens of Stafman.
The eighth-place elimination of Chongxian Yang, whose pocket tens were pipped by the fishhooks of von Kriegenbergh, set up an unofficial final table of seven inside the Horseshoe Event Center.
After a break to set up the stream, the seven players returned and battled for several hours before losing Ognyan Dimov as his king-nine couldn't hold up against the queen-jack of Schutten.
Next out was Oya, whose king-jack never pulled ahead of von Kriegenbergh's pocket nines as he fell in sixth place for $229,002.
Wilson, who maintained a chip lead throughout both Day 1 and Day 2, couldn't continue his domination and went out in fifth before the fourth-place elimination of von Kriegenbergh as he ran queen-ten into the ace-queen of Rocco.
Rocco was next to go as he jammed seven-three into the ace-seven of Stafman. The high-stakes pro was clearly disappointed after his close call of winning a bracelet and gave some emotional words to PokerGO's Jeff Platt after his elimination.
Schutten had the heads-up chip lead but Stafman managed to double multiple times to stay in contention. In the final blow, Stafman's ace-nine was dominated by Schutten's ace-queen and couldn't improve.
Schutten's wife supported him on the rail and posed for a winner's photo with the newly minted bracelet winner.
That does it for PokerNews' coverage of the $25,000 High Roller. Be sure to check out the 2024 WSOP Hub for coverage of other events and news.
Tyler Stafman completed on the button and Brek Schutten raised to 1,800,000. Stafman three-bet jammed a stack of 10,050,000 and Schutten called.
Tyler Stafman: A?9?
Brek Schutten: A?Q?
Stafman was dominated and couldn't pull ahead as the board ran out J?6?5?3?2? to mark his elimination in second place.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Brek Schutten |
40,800,000
10,775,000
|
10,775,000 |
|
||
Tyler Stafman | Busted |
Tyler Stafman jammed for 5,150,000 and Brek Schutten called from the big blind.
Tyler Stafman: 6?3?
Brek Schutten: A?7?
Schutten had one hand on the bracelet after the K?Q?2? flop but Stafman paired up on the 6? turn and held out to double once again after the 8? river.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Brek Schutten |
30,025,000
-5,150,000
|
-5,150,000 |
|
||
Tyler Stafman |
10,800,000
5,150,000
|
5,150,000 |
Brek Schutten jammed from the button and Tyler Stafman called off the 3,075,000 he had from the big blind.
Tyler Stafman: 6?5?
Brek Schutten: K?Q?
Stafman paired up on the J?9?6? flop and made two pair on the 5? turn. Schutten missed his straight draw on the J? river and Stafman stayed alive.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Brek Schutten |
35,175,000
-75,000
|
-75,000 |
|
||
Tyler Stafman |
5,650,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
Brek Schutten looked down at Q?J? on the button and made it 1,000,000. Tyler Stafman defended with 9?8?. Stafman check-folded to a bet of 700,000 on the A?5?3? flop.
Stafman opened to 1,000,000 with 10?6? and folded out Schutten's J?4?.
Schutten limped in with 6?4? and folded when Stafman raised to 1,000,000 with K?J?.
Stafman then decided to limp in with on the button. Schutten made it 1,800,000 with and was called.
On the A?8?5? flop, Schutten check-raised to 3,500,000 over a bet of 1,500,000 and was called. The 4? turn saw Schutten check, and he snap-called for his last 12,075,000 when Stafman moved all-in.
Brek Schutten: K?6?
Tyler Stafman: A?7?
Stafman was drawing dead and was left with 11 big blinds after the 3? completed the board.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Brek Schutten |
35,250,000
17,875,000
|
17,875,000 |
|
||
Tyler Stafman |
5,600,000
-17,850,000
|
-17,850,000 |
Brek Schutten opened to 1,000,000 from the button with 7?4? and Tyler Stafman defended with 6?5?.
Both players picked up something on the K?4?2? flop. Schutten was ahead with his pair, while Stafman had a flush draw and a gutshot straight draw.
Stafman check-raised to 2,500,000 over a bet of 700,000 and was called.
The 4? turn improved Schutten to trips. Stafman checked and folded to Schutten's bet of 7,000,000.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Tyler Stafman |
23,450,000
-7,100,000
|
-7,100,000 |
Brek Schutten |
17,375,000
7,100,000
|
7,100,000 |
|
Level: 27
Blinds: 250,000/500,000
Ante: 500,000
Brek Schutten opened to 800,000 from the button with A?8? and called when Tyler Stafman three-bet to 2,400,000 with 10?9?.
Stafman check-called for 1,300,000 on the Q?9?7? flop, and made two pair on the 10? turn. Stafman checked again, prompting Schutten to fire out 2,900,000. Stafman jammed, and Schutten folded.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Tyler Stafman |
30,550,000
6,400,000
|
6,400,000 |
Brek Schutten |
10,275,000
-6,725,000
|
-6,725,000 |
|
Tyler Stafman raised to 800,000 and called off his 11,875,000 stack after Brek Schutten jammed from the big blind.
Tyler Stafman: J?J?
Brek Schutten: A?10?
The 6?5?3? flop was no good for Schutten, neither was the 2? turn. The 7? river gave Stafman the checkmark and he took the chip lead for the first time in heads-up.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Tyler Stafman |
24,150,000
12,475,000
|
12,475,000 |
Brek Schutten |
17,000,000
-12,150,000
|
-12,150,000 |
|