Nick Schulman Wins Triton Jeju Main Event for $3.85M

Nick Schulman lands the biggest score of his career

Nick Schulman added another elite chapter to an already Hall of Fame-worthy resume in Jeju. The American pro first finished runner-up in a $50,000 event at the 2026 Triton Super High Roller Series Jeju II for $810,279, then followed it up two days later by winning the $100,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event for $3,854,888.

That single result is the largest payday of his career, and when combined with the earlier runner-up finish, Schulman added nearly $4.7 million to his lifetime earnings inside Les A Casino. His recorded total now sits above $31.7 million, a number that reflects both longevity and the ability to keep winning in the toughest fields on the planet.

For players studying the high-stakes landscape through our poker school, this is exactly the kind of run that separates great all-around pros from specialists. Triton events punish mistakes, reward discipline, and demand the kind of adjustment skills that only a small group of players consistently demonstrate.

A huge field and a massive prize pool in Jeju

The Main Event drew 196 entries at $100,000 each, creating a $19,600,000 prize pool. The top 31 players made the money, but the bubble ended in unusual fashion when two players busted simultaneously, splitting the first payout of $173,000 into $86,500 apiece for Samuel Mullur and Hannes Jeschka.

That bubble detail matters because it highlights how thin the margins are in super high roller poker. One hand can swing a seven-figure swing, and even the bubble itself can become a strategic minefield when pay jumps are this large.

Triton’s structure also makes it a fascinating case study for players who want to improve in premium fields. Whether you are grinding online or entering live events through poker rooms and poker clubs, the underlying lesson is the same: in high buy-in poker, survival and pressure management are as important as raw card-reading ability.

Star names fell before the final table

The road to the final table was stacked with world-class talent, and several of the game’s biggest names fell short. Recent Ossi Ketola heads-up opponents Wiktor Malinowski (29th) and Patrik Antonius (28th) were among the early notable exits. They were later joined by David Coleman (27th), Alex Foxen (17th), Jessica Teusl (15th), Christoph Vogelsang (14th), Jesse Lonis (13th), and Danny Tang (10th).

Tang’s elimination set the final table. His pocket kings were cracked by 10-7 suited for Gytis Lazauninkas, who made trip sevens to send the six-time Triton champion out in 10th place for $359,000.

That hand is a reminder that even the strongest starting hands can be vulnerable in shallow or dynamic high roller spots. In modern tournament poker, especially in fields full of aggressive regulars, premium holdings still need board texture, stack depth, and player tendencies to line up in your favor.

For players who want to understand how pros prepare for these events, studying promotions & bonuses and field selection can be part of a broader bankroll strategy. High roller poker is not just about solving hands; it is about choosing the right spots to play them.

Final table drama: Schulman stays patient and strikes late

Xu Yang entered the final table as the chip leader, while Schulman began in the middle of the pack. That positioning mattered, because it meant Schulman did not need to force the action early. In a field this deep, patience often becomes a weapon.

Bernhard Binder had started Day 3 in the lead but drifted down the counts before a timely recovery. He got a boost when his pocket fours outran A-10 for Roberto Perez, who finished ninth for $424,000.

Wesley Fei, known to many poker fans from high-stakes cash game streams such as Hustler Casino Live, scored the biggest tournament payday of his career with an eighth-place finish worth $512,000. He was left nearly drawing dead when his king-high flush ran into Xu’s ace-high flush.

Fei’s final stand came soon after. He moved all-in with pocket fours but was behind Xu’s pocket kings, and the board held to narrow the field to seven.

Then came Danilo Velasevic, whose last hand pitted K♠2♠ against Binder’s A♠2♦. The Serbian, who had finished fifth in the $50,000 seven-max event just two days earlier, bowed out in seventh place for $700,000.

Isaac Haxton nearly collected his 15th seven-figure score, but instead finished sixth for $958,000. His last chips went in with A♦2♦ against Binder’s K♥3♣, and the runout 4♠4♥3♥9♠Q♣ kept Haxton from doubling. He now has nearly $69.3 million in lifetime live earnings, which keeps him near the top of poker’s all-time money list.

The POY race tightens after Schulman’s win

The victory earned Schulman 1,680 Card Player Player of the Year points and pushed him into the outright lead in the 2026 POY standings, presented by CoinPoker. He now owns 7,556 points, 13 final-table finishes, and three titles this year.

That level of consistency is the real headline. Schulman has not simply caught one heater; he has built a season around repeated deep runs across multiple formats. Earlier in 2026, he won a $10,000 eight-game event at the PGT Mixed Games festival, and this summer he also captured a $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. bracelet at the WSOP.

His year-to-date final-table earnings have already exceeded $6.2 million, which is an extraordinary total even by super high roller standards. The chase is far from over, though. Punnat Punsri remains close behind with 7,498 points and a massive 24 final tables, making the POY race one of the most compelling storylines of the season.

For players who follow tournament tracking closely, this is a reminder that volume and results can pull in different directions. One player may have more final tables, while another converts fewer but bigger spots. The POY system rewards both consistency and peak finishes, and Schulman is currently getting the best of both worlds.

Expert take: why this result matters beyond one trophy

Schulman’s win matters because it reflects the current shape of elite tournament poker. The biggest buy-in events are no longer won just by the most famous names or the most aggressive players. They are won by pros who combine technical depth, emotional control, and the ability to adapt hand by hand.

There are a few strategic lessons here:

• Versatility wins. Schulman’s success in NLH, mixed games, and tough live fields shows why broad skill sets matter.
• Pressure management is a core skill. Bubble play, final-table ICM, and stack preservation are all amplified in a $100K Main Event.
• Deep runs create momentum. One huge score is valuable, but repeated final tables are what build POY leads and long-term legacies.

For ambitious players, the takeaway is practical. If you want to compete in premium fields, you need more than hand charts. You need study, review, mental game work, and consistent volume in environments where the decision quality is high. That is true whether you are entering live events, playing in poker clubs, or building experience through online poker rooms.

This is also why Triton continues to matter so much to the poker ecosystem. It is the place where strategies get stress-tested at the highest level and where a player’s season can change in a matter of hours.

Final thoughts: Schulman strengthens a legacy already built on wins

Nick Schulman’s Jeju victory does more than add another trophy to his shelf. It strengthens a legacy that already includes a World Poker Tour main event title, eight WSOP bracelets, and now a second Triton title.

At 41, Schulman is still proving that elite poker success is not only about peak talent but also about staying sharp across formats, structures, and years. His $3.85 million Main Event score is the kind of result that reshapes a season, boosts a Player of the Year campaign, and reminds everyone why the very best remain dangerous in every major series.

For the rest of the field, the message is clear: in super high roller poker, the standard is relentless, and Nick Schulman is still meeting it.

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