The Triple Draw bracelet came down to a high noon shootout between a pair of American exiles: Nick 'TheTakeover' Schulman and Marco 'NoraFlum' Johnson. NoraFlum already won a SCOOP over the weekend and sought a second bracelet, but one of the toughest lowball players in the galaxy stood in his way. During a lengthy heads-up battle, NoraFlum had TheTakeover on the ropes but could not connect on a knockout. TheTakeover absorbed the blows and took advantage of a second chance by launching his own offensive that culminated in a successful come-from-behind victory to win his first-ever SCOOP bracelet.
Nick 'TheTakeover' Schulman is a legend unto himself with nearly $8 million in live earnings. The former NYC pool hustler hopped aboard the tidal wave fueled by the glorious online poker boom at the turn of the century. Schulman won a major televised event and the rest is history. When most of his 20-something counterparts were diving deep into the virtual fish-filled NL and PLO waters, TheTakeover was grinding it out in high-roller sections of brick and mortar casinos like Bobby's Room at the Bellagio, where he cut his teeth playing various lowball games against old-school Vegas legends like Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese. He was the kid hanging with the old-timers...and he more than held his own. A decade later, Nick 'TheTakeover' Schulman is considered one of the premier Triple Draw Deuce to Seven players. He won two WSOP bracelets (in 2009 and 2012) and nearly won a third last summer at the WSOP, but Phil Galfond edged him out to spoil the hat trick.
Although TheTakeover not what you consider a "high volume" online player, it was not a surprise to see Nick Schulman playing in a SCOOP Triple Draw event. It also wasn't a surprise to see him at the final table for Event #28-H. So, it's not a shocker that he won it even though he began the final table last in chips. And it's even funnier that the New York City native won the bracelet under the banner of the tropical paradise nation of Turks and Caicos.
The high version of SCOOP Event #28-H $2,100 Triple Draw 2-7 attracted 126 total entries, or 76 original entries and 50 additional entries. The total prize pool was $252,000. Only the top 18 places paid out with $65,520.00 set aside to the champion.
SCOOP-28-H - Final Table Chip Counts:
Seat 1: krakukra (248,880)
Seat 2: TheTakeover (92,825)
Seat 3: NoraFlum (380,205)
Seat 4: theNERDguy (221,535)
Seat 5: Ronny '1-ronnyr3' Kaiser (151,745)
Seat 6: paulgees81 (164,810)
The final table commenced during Level 21 with stakes at 4K/8K. NoraFlum held the lead with 380K, while TheTakeover was last with 92.8K. Could NoraFlum win a second SCOOP in less than a week?
Difficult final table. Seems like everyone had some sort of pedigree... Marco 'NoraFlum' Johnson won a bracelet over the weekend and has a pair of WCOOP wins in 2012 and 2014... Paul 'paulgees81' Volpe won a WCOOP in 2014, SCOOP in 2013, and Sunday Million in 2011. He needs a TCOOP for a Triple COOP and Stars Slam... Ronny '1-ronnyr3' Kaiser won a SCOOP in 2015 and also shipped a Super Tuesday... Yuri 'theNERDguy' Martins won a WCOOP last year. He also took second in the 2014 WCOOP Main Event (losing to Fedor Holz heads-up)... Russia's krakukra won an 8-Game WCOOP in 2015.
Nick 'TheTakeover' Schulman had not won any SCOOPs coming into today, but he won millions playing in live events as a regular on the high roller circuit. He won two WSOP bracelets in lowball events and nearly won a third last summer if OMGClayAiken didn't spoil his bid for three. One thing was for certain... despite the chip deficit, TheTakeover was the favorite to win the bracelet.
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TRIBULATIONS: paulgees81 eliminated in 6th place
The final six slugged it out for almost an hour before someone bowed out and it wasn't TheTakeover. Nope, he managed to survive the first liquidation. Instead, Paul 'paulgees81' Volpe met his fate in sixth place. paulgees81 slid to under 20K as the shorty when the hand began. paulgees81 capped the betting pre-draw and was all-in for 19,310 against the theNERDguy. On the opening draw, both players discarded two. On the second draw, both players discarded two. On the final draw, theNERDguy tossed away two, but paulgees81 only drew one. At showdown...
theNERDguy: [Ad][5c][4d][3s][2h]
paulgees81: [3h][3d][6c][5d][2s]
paulgees81 lost with a pair of treys to theNERDguy's A-5-4-3-2 low. Canada's Paul 'paulgees81' Volpe was the first player to exit the final table. Sixth place paid out $11,340.00.
With five remaining, TheTakeover was the shorty with 88K and NoraFlum led with 535K.
NEVER AS TIRED AS I'M WAKING UP: krakukra eliminated in 5th place
Russia's krakukra stack kept sliding and he tried to stop the mass erosion with a timely double up. Meanwhile, TheTakeover was rising and needed more chips to mount a massive comeback if he wanted to win a SCOOP title.
Betting got capped pre-draw by krakukra against TheTakeover. On the opening draw, krakukra and TheTakeover both discarded a single card. krakukra check-called a 6,000 bet from TheTakeover. On the second draw, both players drew a single card. krakukra checked, TheTakeover fired out 12,000 and krakukra called all-in for 8,300. On the third and final draw, krakukra drew one and TheTakeover stood pat. At showdown....
krakukra: [Jh][7h][5h][3c][2s]
TheTakeover: [8s][7s][4d][3s][2c]
TheTakeover won with a lower low with 8-7-4-3-2 against krakukra's J-7-5-3-2. Russia's krakukra took home $16,380.00 for fifth place.
With four to go, TheTakeover climbed out of the basement. NoraFlum led with 529K, followed by 1-ronnyr3 (300K), TheTakeover (238K), and theNERDguy (192K).
DISCO INFILTRATOR: 1-ronnyr3 eliminated in 4th place
Two shorties threw down and cannibalized each other. Moving day for shorty 1-ronnyr3. With only 52,555 left, it was time for the Swiss cardslinger to double up or go home. Betting was capped pre-draw against theNERDguy. On the first draw, both players discarded one. During betting... theNERDguy fired out 8,000, 1-ronnyr3 raised to 16,000, theNERDguy three-bet to 24,000, and 1-ronnyr3 called all-in for 4,555. On the second draw, theNERDguy stood pat and 1-ronnyr3 drew one. On the third and final draw, theNERDguy stood pat and 1-ronnyr3 discarded one again. At showdown...
theNERDguy: [8h][6s][5h][3c][2d]
1-ronnyr3: [9c][7d][4s][3h][2c]
1-ronnyr3 lost with 9-7-4-3-2 against theNERDguy's better low of 8-6-5-3-2. For a fourth-place finish, Switzerland's 1-ronnyr3 took home $21,420.00.
With three to go, NoraFlum held the majority of chips in play with 732K, followed by TheTakeover's 391K and theNERDguy's 137K.
LOSING MY EDGE: theNERDguy eliminated in 3rd place
The theNERDguy's short stack got even shorter when he slipped to under 100K. Like a wounded gazelle in the Serengeti, he was being hunted down by a pair of stalking lions. theNERDguy made a final stand in a shootout with TheTakeover. Betting, as per usual, was capped preflop. On the first draw, TheTakeover discarded one and theNERDguy stood pat. TheTakeover checked, theNERDguy bet 10,000, TheTakeover check-raised to 20,000, theNERDguy called. On the second draw, both players stood pat. TheTakeover fired out 20,000, theNERDguy raised all-in for 32,870, and TheTakeover called.
TheTakeover: [7c][6s][4h][3c][2d]
theNERDguy: [8h][7h][6c][5d][3d]
theNERDguy lost with a 8-7-6-5-3 low against TheTakeover's 7-6-4-3-2 low. TheTakeover won the pot and advanced to the final two. Yuri 'theNERDguy' Martins busted in third place, which paid out $32,760.00.
HEADS-UP: Nick' TheTakeover' Schulman (Turks and Caicos) vs. Marco 'NoraFlum' Johnson (Mexico)
Seat 2: TheTakeover (423,075)
Seat 3: NoraFlum (836,925)
Could NoraFlum won a second SCOOP within a few days (and a fourth overall COOP)? Or will TheTakeover muscle him out and slap a bracelet on his wrist for the first time?
The heads-up bout lasted over an hour and the lead changed hands too many times to count. During the first half of their match, each player took advantage of a string of mini-rushes. TheTakeover won 7 out of 8 to seize the lead 773K to 487K. But, NoraFlum launched a counter-offensive and won 9 out of 12 hands including 7 in a row to chip up to 911K to 348K. That would be as high as NoraFlum would get because TheTakeover was not about to roll over an die so easily. In the second half of their match, TheTakeover methodically chipped away at the lead and eventually evened it up when heads-up ht the 60-minute mark. At that juncture, TheTakeover shifted into into Elvis TCB mode (i.e. "taking care of business" like only the King could). He rattled off six wins in seven hands to chip up to 888K. TheTakeover won a trio of 224K pots and NoraFlum was on the ropes. In three hands, it would all be over.
DAFT PUNK IS PLAYING AT MY HOUSE: NoraFlum eliminated in 2nd place; TheTakeover wins the SCOOP bracelet!
Going into the final hand, NoraFlum's stack had dwindled down to under 44K and TheTakeover chipped up to 1.2M. Betting got capped pre-draw, with NoraFlum all-in for 43,850. On the first and second draws, both players discarded a single card. On the third and final draw, TheTakeover stood pat, but NoraFlum was still trying to make a decent low and drew one last card. At showdown...
TheTakeover: [9h][7c][6s][5h][4s]
NoraFlum: [Qd][8h][7s][6h][3c]
NoraFlum lost with Q-8-7-6-3 low against TheTakeover's 9-7-6-5-4 low. For a runner-up finish Marco Johnson a.k.a. NoraFlum won $44,100.00. He missed winning a second bracelet by a narrow margin.
Congrats to the TheTakeover for winning Event #28-H and his first-ever SCOOP bracelet. First place paid out $65,520.00 in addition to a swanky champion's watch courtesy of Movado.
SCOOP-28-H ($2,100 FL Triple Draw 2-7) results
Entrants: 126 (76 entries, 50 re-entries)
Total prize pool: $252,000
Places paid: 18
1. Nick 'TheTakeover' Schulman (Turks and Caicos Islands) $65,520.00
2. Marco 'NoraFlum' Johnson (Mexico) $44,100.00
3. Yuri 'theNERDguy' Martins (Australia) $32,760.00
4. Ronny '1-ronnyr3' Kaiser (Switzerland) $21,420.00
5. krakukra (Russia) $16,380.00
6. Paul 'paulgees81' Volpe (Canada) $11,340.00
Visit the SCOOP homepage for a complete schedule of remaining events. Plus, find out who is in contention for Player of the Series.
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Pauly McGuire is the author of "Lost Vegas" and a freelance contributor to PokerStars Blog.
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