Shulman takes 5th in World Series of Poker!!!!

I've maintained for years that the only thing more boring than watching poker on television is watching it live. What I didn't realize though, was that in No-Limit Texas Hold'em, as time goes on, and the limits are raised, the stress level goes up, as well.

Phil Helmuth and Jeff Shulman at the WSOP (07 Nov 09)

Poker legend Doyle Brunson at WSOP (07 Nov 09)

This past weekend was the Final Table of the 39th Annual World Series of Poker, and I was there, front and center (well, actually second row and off to the far right) to cheer-on my brother, Jeff “Happy” Shulman, who had made it through the legion 6,499 player field to become one of the “November Nine” playing on-stage in the Penn & Teller Theater at The Rio.

Before the players got started, my father, Barry Shulman, was given a little pomp and circumstance of his own as he was officially rewarded with the bracelet he won as champion of the World Series of Poker Europe, last month in London.

Phil Helmuth points to Barry Shulman's WSOP bracelet at WSOP
(07 Nov 09)

Happy Shulman and Tim Resnik at WSOP (07 Nov 09)

Cheering Happy on were friends and family from Seattle, peeps from the Phish circuit, summer camp, and a whole bunch of guys from the University of Virginia (long story), as well as me, our mom, our dad and stepmother, Happy’s wife Christy, and her family from Mississippi. Then there was his poker-coach, WSOP champion Phil Helmuth, as well as his good buddies Adam Schoenfeld and Diego Cordovez from the web-series The Scoop with Adam & Diego.

Christy and Jeff Shulman at WSOP (07 Nov 09)

Jeff Shulman in play at WSOP
(07 Nov 09)
 

Since I don’t know Poker-speak, I defer to the following excerpt from CardPlayer.com: “CardPlayer President and COO Jeff Shulman held steady for quite some time at his original starting stack when he found himself in good shape to take out Cada. Instead, Cada's pocket treys cracked Shulman's pocket jacks to take the wind out of his sails. Shulman never rebounded from the loss and was eliminated an hour later in a race situation. He picked up $1,953,395 for his run, more than 13 times what he earned for his seventh-place finish in 2000.”

I’m incredibly proud of my little brother. And not just because he gave me the Corum watch he received as part of his winnings. I could never do what he did, and although he’s rather bummed not to have won the whole thing, he played great, and was surrounded by the people he loves. So, hooray for Happy, I say!