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Nick Schulman is an American professional poker player and commentator from New York City, born on September 18, 1984, who was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2025. He won the World Poker Tour World Poker Finals at 21, became known in high-stakes cash games and mixed games, and has won eight World Series of Poker bracelets. In September 2026 he won the $100,000 Triton Jeju II Main Event for $3,854,888, the largest cash of his career. [3][4][2][11]
Nick Schulman: key facts
| Full name | Nicholas Schulman [2] |
|---|---|
| Nickname | “The Takeover” [1] |
| Country | United States [1] |
| Born | September 18, 1984, New York City [3] |
| Known for | High-stakes cash games, mixed games, PokerGO commentary |
| Poker Hall of Fame | Inducted 2025 [4] |
| WSOP bracelets | 8 (plus 1 ring; 46 final tables, 154 cashes) [2] |
| Major titles | WPT World Poker Finals 2005; Poker Masters Event #1 2017; Triton Jeju II $100,000 Main Event 2026 [1][6][11] |
| Live tournament earnings | $31,472,564 as of October 5, 2026 [1] |
Early life: Manhattan and the pool halls
Schulman was born in New York City and grew up in Manhattan. He left high school during his freshman year and later obtained a G.E.D. Pool halls became his refuge, and as a teenager he was hustling pool for $20 a game. At 16 he moved out of his parents’ apartment to live with a fellow pool player. [3]
As the poker boom grew, his friends from the pool halls started playing poker more often. Schulman decided he had more potential in poker than in pool and committed to the game, playing in New York’s underground cardrooms, usually in $5/$10 no-limit hold’em games, and online under the screen name “The Takeover”. [3] In 2026 he recalled: “I’ve been playing since I was 15.” [11]
Beginning in poker: the youngest WPT champion
Schulman turned 21 in the fall of 2005. Two months after his World Poker Tour debut at the Borgata, he entered the $10,200 WPT World Poker Finals at Foxwoods and won it, beating a final table that included Allen Cunningham, Lyle Berman and Bill Gazes. [3] The first prize was $2,167,500, and at 21 he became the youngest champion in WPT history. [1][5] Looking back in 2009, he admitted that he let the win go to his head, spending too much money too soon and growing overconfident in his abilities. [3] Two years later he returned to the same event and finished second for $864,652. [1]
Playing style
Schulman built his career as much in cash games as in tournaments. Card Player describes him as a regular of Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio and of high-stakes cash games around the world. [5] His bracelets reflect a wide range of games: three come from the $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Championship, which PokerNews noted is more than any other player has won in the modern era, and others came in Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo, Seven Card Stud and H.O.R.S.E. [9][1] His 2024 High Roller win was, according to PokerNews, his first bracelet outside mixed games. [7]
He has said that commentating feeds his own game: “It’s an intimate experience commentating… You’re actively engaged with every hand.” [7]
Greatest achievements
World Series of Poker bracelets
| Year | Event | Prize | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em (318 entries) | $1,667,842 | [7] |
| 2025 | $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship | $497,356 | [9] |
| 2019 | $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship | $463,670 | [1] |
| 2012 | $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Championship | $294,321 | [1] |
| 2009 | $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw World Championship | $279,751 | [1] |
| 2026 | $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. (780 entries) | $183,366 | [10] |
| 2024 | WSOP Paradise $5,000 The Closer No-Limit Hold’em Bounty Turbo (238 entries) | $145,000 | [8] |
| 2023 | $1,500 Seven Card Stud | $110,800 | [1] |
The 2024 High Roller drew a record 318 entries and a prize pool of $7,473,000; Schulman beat Noel Rodriguez heads-up for his largest WSOP cash. [7] Six months later he won The Closer at Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas, with his wife and daughter arriving on the rail as heads-up play began. [8] His 2025 win over Darren Elias in the 2-7 Championship was his seventh bracelet, and the H.O.R.S.E. title in June 2026 made him the 10th player in WSOP history with eight. [9][10] Later in the 2026 series he finished second in the $10,000 Limit 2-7 Lowball Triple Draw Championship (176 entries) for $256,181. [2]
His WSOP.com profile lists 8 bracelets, 1 ring, 46 final tables, 154 cashes and $11,317,295 in WSOP earnings. [2]
Other tournament results
| Year | Event | Result | Prize | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Triton Jeju II $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event (196 entries) | 1st | $3,854,888 | [11] |
| 2005 | WPT World Poker Finals, Foxwoods ($10,200) | 1st | $2,167,500 | [1] |
| 2019 | WSOP $100,000 High Roller | 3rd | $1,187,802 | [1] |
| 2017 | Poker Masters Event #1, $50,000 No-Limit Hold’em (51 entries) | 1st | $918,000 | [6] |
| 2007 | WPT World Poker Finals, Foxwoods ($10,200) | 2nd | $864,652 | [1] |
| 2025 | PokerGO Tour Event #1, $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em (111 entries) | 1st | $283,050 | [12] |
| 2026 | PGT Mixed Games Series Event #4, $10,200 8-Game (84 entries) | 1st | $235,500 | [13] |
In the Triton Main Event at Les A Casino in Jeju, Schulman and Austrian player Bernhard Binder made a deal at heads-up, with Binder taking $3,080,112 for second place. [11]
Poker Hall of Fame, 2025
Schulman was announced as the 2025 Poker Hall of Fame inductee on July 11, 2025, in his first year of eligibility, at 40. [4] The ceremony took place on Day 6 of the 2025 WSOP Main Event. The other finalists included Scott Seiver, Phil Galfond, Mike Matusow, Ted Forrest and Kathy Liebert. [5] After the ceremony he told Card Player: “It meant a lot to me… To see my parents there, and talk to people I haven’t spoken to in a while who were there for me early, it was really emotional for me.” [5]
Commentary and TV
Schulman is one of PokerGO’s best-known commentators, often paired with Ali Nejad in the livestream booth. In Season 10 of High Stakes Poker, in 2023, he replaced Gabe Kaplan in the commentary booth. [4] He has also called the WSOP Main Event late-night coverage, Poker Masters, the Super High Roller Bowl and High Stakes Duel. [5]
In his own words
- “I felt like a cash game player away from all of this. And to have come full circle with the commentating, and then to be recognized for something [like this], is pretty surreal.” On his Hall of Fame induction, 2025. [5]
- “This poker life is no joke. I wouldn’t want to do anything else, and I’m very grateful for it. But it takes a piece of you that you don’t get back.” 2025. [5]
- “But to get into the Hall of Fame in anything, it means a lot. It’s profound, and I’m very grateful.” After his seventh bracelet, June 2025. [9]
- “I accepted the bad days. I was thankful for the good days. And this is a really sweet way to close it out.” After his WSOP Paradise win, December 2024. [8]
- “I feel like I’m just getting into my prime… I’m finally starting to kind of come into my own a little bit.” After his eighth bracelet, June 2026. [10]
Iconic hands and moments
Schulman on bracelet #8 and his legacy (PokerGO)
Nick Schulman on Poker After Dark
A $211,000 pot with Matt Berkey and “Crazy Jimmy D”
FAQ about Nick Schulman
How old is Nick Schulman?
Nick Schulman was born on September 18, 1984, so he is 42 as of October 5, 2026. [3]
Where is Nick Schulman from?
He is American, born in New York City and raised in Manhattan. [3]
What is Nick Schulman’s net worth?
There is no reliable public figure for his net worth. What can be verified is his live tournament record: $31,472,564 in earnings as of October 5, 2026, according to PokerNews. A large part of his career was spent in cash games, whose results are not published. [1]
How many WSOP bracelets does Nick Schulman have?
Eight, won between 2009 and 2026, three of them in the $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Championship. [2][1]
When was Nick Schulman inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame?
He was announced as the 2025 inductee on July 11, 2025, in his first year of eligibility. [4]
What is Nick Schulman’s biggest tournament win?
The $100,000 Triton Jeju II Main Event in September 2026, worth $3,854,888 after a heads-up deal. [11]
Why is Nick Schulman called “The Takeover”?
“The Takeover” was the screen name he used when playing online as a young player in New York, and it remains his poker nickname. [3][1]
Is Nick Schulman married?
Yes. PokerNews reported that his wife and daughter were on the rail when he won his sixth bracelet in the Bahamas in December 2024. [8]
Is Nick Schulman a poker commentator?
Yes. He commentates for PokerGO, often alongside Ali Nejad, and took over from Gabe Kaplan in the High Stakes Poker booth in 2023. [4]
Related Poker Legends
Read more about fellow Poker Hall of Fame members Phil Ivey, Erik Seidel and Daniel Negreanu.
Sources
- PokerNews, Nick Schulman player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- WSOP.com, Nicholas Schulman player profile, accessed October 5, 2026.
- PokerNews, The PokerNews Profile: Nick Schulman, July 10, 2009.
- PokerNews, Nick Schulman Selected as the 2025 Poker Hall of Fame Inductee, July 11, 2025.
- Card Player, High Stakes Crusher: Nick Schulman Voted Into Poker Hall Of Fame, August 20, 2025.
- PokerNews, Nick Schulman Wins Poker Masters Event #1: $50,000 NLHE for $918,000, September 14, 2017.
- PokerNews, Nick Schulman Joins Five-Time WSOP Bracelet Club with 25K High Roller Victory, June 2024.
- PokerNews, Family Man Nick Schulman Ships Sixth Bracelet in Event #15: $5,000 The Closer, December 2024.
- PokerNews, WSOP Performance of the Week: Schulman Strengthens Hall of Fame Case w/ Bracelet #7, June 15, 2025.
- Card Player, Nick Schulman Seizes Eighth WSOP Bracelet With H.O.R.S.E. Victory, June 13, 2026.
- PokerNews, Nick Schulman Wins Triton Jeju II Main Event For $3,854,888, September 16, 2026.
- PokerNews, Failed Bluff Doesn’t Stop Nick Schulman from Winning PokerGO Tour High Roller, January 2025.
- PokerNews, Poker Hall of Famer Nick Schulman Adds Another Tournament Title to His Resume, February 2026.
Last verified: October 5, 2026. Figures that change over time, such as career earnings, are given with the date they were checked.
