Nick Schulman Wins Eighth World Series Of Poker Bracelet

Nick Schulman took down the 2026 World Series of Poker $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. event for his eighth career gold bracelet, becoming just the 10th player in WSOP history with as many wins.

“‘I’m going to keep playing as long as I’m happy out here and feeling like I’m growing and like I’m not burnt out. There’s no target number, but it’s certainly not surpassing [all-time bracelet leader Phil] Hellmuth… That’s just not on my mind,” said Schulman when asked if he’s looking to hit a certain bracelet total. “But you know, if we get close, I might have to get his ass. But, I don’t really see that.”

This was the 41-year-old poker pro’s fourth straight year with at least one bracelet won, and his first since being inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2025.

“They’re always all so special, but I guess it’s cool to show that, ya know, they made a good decision,” said Schulman about this latest bracelet. “I feel like I’m just getting into my prime. As we age and stuff, like I don’t want to be the delusional sort of games player, hanging on. But I can feel it that I’m finally starting to kind of come into my own a little bit. A lot of the kind of emotional hangups and stuff that I had along the way… I’m doing a lot better with. I feel like I just want to keep it going and make the people who believed in me proud.”

Schulman, who is also a World Poker Tour champion, first broke through at the WSOP in 2009. That year he won the first of his three $10,000 deuce-to-seven lowball championship titles, with the second coming in 2012 and the third in 2025. He also took down the $10,000 pot-limit Omaha eight-or-better championship in 2019 and a $1,500 stud title in 2023. Schulman added two bracelets in 2024, taking down a $25,000 no-limit hold’em event inside Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas in the summer and the $5,000 turbo bounty event at the WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas.

Schulman In The Mix In POY Races

This latest victory came with $183,366 in prize money. The score pushed the highly regarded poker commentator’s lifetime earnings past the $26.5 million mark. This was the second title of the year for Schulman, who hails from New York but is now based in Las Vegas. The 912 Card Player Player of the Year points he earned as the winner in this H.O.R.S.E. event moved him into 13th place in the 2026 POY standings presented by CoinPoker.

Schulman’s earlier title in 2026 saw him take down an eight-game event at the PGT Mixed Games series. He now sits in 24th place in the PokerGO Tour season-long standings, with eight qualified cashes so far in 2026.

While he is a top contender in those two races, one POY award Schulman is admittedly not chasing is the WSOP’s, which often requires a relentless, non-stop grind throughout the summer.

“Player of the Year has never motivated me because I just don’t have that endurance to just go,” said Schulman. “Like it’s never been something that I thought I could really win. However, if it kind of accidentally happens, don’t get me wrong… I’ll be here playing. But, I’m not really chasing that.”

From The Middle Of The Pack To The Shorthanded Chip Leader

This event drew 780 entries to create a $1,035,450 prize pool, with the top 117 finishers making the money. Plenty of big names ran deep, including John Monnette (52nd), Ryutaro Suzuki (38th), Philip Hui (37th), Eric Baldwin (33rd), Scott Clements (27th), Michael Gagliano (25th), Brian Hasting (22nd), and Carol Fuchs (16th).

Clayton Mozdzen

The final day began with Clayton Mozdzen leading a field of 14 remaining contenders. Schulman was seventh in chips when play resumed. Matthew Grapenthien (12th), Bart Hanson (11th), and Philip Stenheimer (10th) all fell on the march to the final table. Schulman had moved to the top of the leaderboard by the time the last nine converged onto the unofficial final table.

Mozdzen, who finished fifth in the $1,500 dealers choice event a week earlier, scored the next two knockouts, busting Ryan Caskey (9th – $13,418) and William Klevitz (8th – $17,390) to thin the field to seven. Kent Gugelman (7th – $22,978) was eliminated by Raymond Smego-Barranco during a round of razz, with a 10-8 beaten by a smooth 6-5.

Smego-Barranco (6th – $30,944) was ultimately the next to fall, with his top pair, top kicker running into top two for Mozdzen on the flop in limit hold’em.

Schulman then knocked out two-time bracelet winner Mike Wattel in fifth place ($42,455) with K♣7♣ overcoming A♠10♥ on a J♦6♣2♣2♦K♦ runout.

Closing Out No. 8

After plenty of back-and-forth during four-handed play, Schulman finally scored the next elimination in a round of razz. The UK’s Joe Brindle was sent packing in fourth place, earning $59,324 for his efforts. Neither player made a very strong hand after the chips went in on fourth street, but Schulman’s king low was good enough to win the pot and narrow the field to three.

France’s Jonathan Nebbout was left on fumes after a big razz clash with Mozdzen. He got the last of his stack in after seventh street in stud with aces up, but had been outdrawn by Schulman, who hit trip eights on fifth street. Nebbout earned a career-best score of $84,397 for his podium finish.

With that, Schulman took roughly a 2:1 chip lead into heads-up play with Mozdzen. That gap widened in the early going, but the Canadian soon found a double-up in Omaha eight-or-better to extend the battle. Soon after that he scooped another pot with a turned wheel to give himself even more breathing room.

Schulman returned the favor in stud eight-or-better, making the wheel on fifth street to win a hefty pot. Not long after that, Mozdzen got the last of his stack in after the deal in the same game.

Schulman: (9♣7♠)9♠A♠4♥Q♠(3♠)

Mozdzen: (2♥2♣)2♦6♠K♥8♦(A♣)

Mozdzen had rolled-up deuces against a pair of nines, but Schulman picked up four spades on sixth street to give him outs to a winning flush. Seventh street brought the 3♠ for Schulman, earning him the pot and the title. Mozdzen earned $122,206 as the runner-up, the second-largest score of his career.

Final Table Results

Photo credit: WSOP / Miguel Cortes, Lennart Hennig, Monique Marestein.