Nick Schulman failed to win his ninth WSOP bracelet

Nick Schulman fails to win his ninth WSOP bracelet

Eight-time World Series of Poker champion Nick Schulman was defeated in the heads-up of the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Championship. The Hall of Famer lost to Koji Fujimoto, who claimed his first bracelet. The Japanese player outlasted a field of 176 entrants, which also included fellow Hall of Famers Todd Brunson, Billy Baxter, and John Juanda.

Schulman led early in the heads-up and built his advantage to a 2-1 chip lead. The situation changed when Naoya Kihara came to Fujimoto's aid, bringing him energy drinks.

"He [Kihara] brought me two energy drinks. Something changed, and I started winning. I remember Naoya calling out to me: 'Mr. Koji, Mr. Koji,' and giving me the drinks. They helped me relax. That was the turning point," Fujimoto said in an interview with PokerNews.

Fujimoto won a series of hands, but Schulman doubled up several times while on the brink of elimination. In the decisive hand, the eight-time champion put in his last 50,000 chips with 9-7-6-4. Fujimoto drew a three to make 7-6-5-3, while Schulman drew another four. The American finished in second place, earning $256,181.

Fujimoto received $392,478, which surpassed his previous total live tournament earnings. Before this, the Japanese player had 17 WSOP cashes and a third-place finish in the $3,000 Limit T.O.R.S.E in 2025.

$10,000 Limit 2-7 Championship final table results:
1️⃣ Koji Fujimoto 🇯🇵 — $392,478
2️⃣ Nick Schulman 🇺🇸 — $256,181
3️⃣ Tommy Hang 🇺🇸 — $172,064
4️⃣ Andrew Kelsall 🇺🇸 — $191,011
5️⃣ Justin Smith 🇺🇸 — $84,845
6️⃣ Todd Brunson 🇺🇸 — $62,404
7️⃣ Naoya Kihara 🇯🇵 — $47,401