The seventh event of this year’s Poker Masters produced a new winner, as PokerGO’s own legendary commentator Nick Schulman starred at the felt. Instead of commenting on glory, he was achieving it, as Schulman bagged a top prize of $374,000 and beat five other Americans to the title of Poker Masters Event #7 winner.

Seven Make the Money

Only seven players would make the money in Event #7, as 44 entries – each worth $25,000 – created a prizepool of $1,100,000. It was the unfortunate Chance Kornuth who bubbled the money places, as he was busted by Brian Rast in eighth place. That put everyone in the money, and just before the first day of action concluded, there was time for Ren Lin to bust in seventh place for $44,000.

Lin was all-in with on a board of and had called off his stack, but he was wrong to do so, as Nick Petrangelo had shoved the river with for a turned straight. At the end of the first day, Petrangelo’s winning of that last pot gave him a slim lead, as he bagged up 1,890,000 chips. His closest rival was Chris Brewer, who ended Day 1 with 1,465,000.

Elsewhere in the final six, Brian Rast (1,020,000) was the only other player above a million chips, with Nick Schulman (955,000), Justin Saliba (945,000) and Victoria Livschitz (325,000) all chasing a double-up or instant improvement. Both Saliba and Livschitz making the money ensured that anyone who invested in them on the official PokerStake Poker Masters staking page would be celebrating along with them.

PokerStakers Win Six Figures

It was Just in Saliba who lost his tournament life first when the final day began. After losing a huge pot to Nick Petrangelo when the latter made top two pair with hitting both pairs on the flop, Saliba was short stacked, and soon after, his was unable to hold against Rast’s . The flop of put Saliba directly behind, and both the turn and river were no help to him, leaving a collection of $66,000 his only action left.

Five left, and another quick elimination saw another big exit for a PokerStake player. All-in with , Victoria Livschitz was well behind Nick Schulman’s with all the chips committed pre-flop, and the board of saw Livschitz leave the party for a score of $88,000.

With four players left, Schulman’s elimination of Livschitz meant he was up to 1.29 million chips, within range of the leaders. A better kicker for him in a pot where both he and Chris Brewer paired a king on the flop meant he was up above 2 million chips. Suddenly, one of the outsiders with five remaining was coming into form at just the right time.

Brewer Busts, Schulman Slays Final Opponents

The final four players were racing to a conclusion and Brewer was soon on the outside looking in. All-in with , he was short enough in chips that Schulman was priced in to call with . The board favored that call, as after a safe flop of , the on the turn set Schulman in the lead. Brewer needed a high card to survive, but no ace or queen came, as the river of a ended his hopes of lifting the trophy and sent him home in fourth place for $121,000.

Three-handed play lasted some time before Brian Rast left in third place for $165,000. All-in with , Petrangelo called with and stayed ahead on the board. Rast may have flopped a wheel straight draw, but he saw no luck on 4^th and 5^th street and Petrangelo took a lead of 3,625,000 chips to Schulman’s 2,975,000 as heads-up began.

Two smallball pots, one which went to showdown and one which didn’t, flipped the script and put Schulman into a 5:1 chip lead. Raising all-in with , he got a call from Petrangelo with and the flop of immediately made it extremely unlikely Petrangelo would double up. Schulman was the champion after a turn was followed by a river, claiming $374,000 for the win as Petrangelo won $242,000 in second place.