Schulman. Baxter. They are names that reverberate across World Series of Poker history as the most decorated lowball players ever. Nick Schulman and Billy Baxter were back at it today to chase another title, but it was someone who came all the way from Japan, surrounded by a group of supporters he’s hoping will be the next generation of Japanese stars, who spoiled their party.
Koji Fujimoto denied Schulman his ninth WSOP bracelet by emerging from a whirlwind heads-up battle to win his first bracelet and $392,478 top prize for prevailing over the 176-entry field. Fujimoto became the 11th bracelet winner from his native country and says this title will make him want to pursue more.
“Winning this bracelet makes my poker life get bigger. My dream was winning a bracelet in the World Series, and I did it. So I can go to the next step for my poker life,” Fujimoto said, with fellow bracelet winner Naoya Kihara serving as translator.
Fujimoto was a decided underdog after reaching heads-up with Schulman. The Poker Hall of Famer has won three 2-7 bracelets in his decorated career, and was looking to become just the eighth player in WSOP history to win nine bracelets. Schulman entered with a sizeable chip lead and all the momentum after dominating the final table.
Fujimoto, though, wasn’t bothered by any of that. Competing against even the best of the game, he tried to just concentrate on his own play. “He’s a good player. I tried not to make any mistakes and just try to focus on every single hand,” he said about battling Schulman.
Poker Teacher Hopes to Inspire the Next Generation Back Home
Fujimoto’s poker resume dates back only three years, during which he had compiled 17 WSOP cashes and a final table in the $1,500 T.O.R.S.E. event last year. His prize today more than exceeded his previous live earnings combined. But he’s no stranger to poker, and the passionate rail that cheered after every pot he took down can attest to that.
Fujimoto is a poker coach back home, and his students all came out in support of him today at the final table. “I was playing, not alone, but all the students. So that makes me play better and lead to winning,” he said.
“I teach poker to the students for the last year. Three times a week. And I won the bracelet. So that makes the mixed games going up in Japan.”
“I was playing, not alone, but all the students."
Fujimoto hopes they can follow in his career path. He started out as primarily a Hold’em player before making the switch to mixed games. “I started from Hold’em. Then PLO and draw games. After that, I moved to the mixed games. I went through that path, and I want other players to come through this way,” he said.
Final Day Action
The day began with 11 players returning to battle for the bracelet, with Fujimoto sitting in third place behind Todd Brunson and Justin Smith. Brandon Shack-Harris, Nam Le, and Robert Wells fell before the final table, while Baxter, the Poker Hall of Famer and six-time draw game bracelet winner, saw his run end in eighth place to set the final table.
Billy Baxter
Schulman had built a substantial lead with 3,800,000 as the remaining seven players took their seats at the final table, while Fujimoto was in the middle of the pack with 1,550,000. Kihara, seeking his third bracelet of the summer, was the first to fall after Brunson made an 8-7. Brunson then patted a 10-9 against Schulman, who caught a wheel to win the pot and send the start-of-day chip leader to the rail in sixth place.
Todd Brunson
Smith, making his first WSOP final table appearance since 2011, got in his last chips with an 8-7-6, but Tommy Hang had 8-7-5 to win the pot and eliminate Smith in fifth place. Fujimoto then patted a 10-7 and Andrew Kelsall could only catch a pair of eights as he fell in fourth.
Fujimoto surpassed Hang for second after winning a big pot with a wheel. He then made another wheel a few hands later against Schulman to climb up near 4,000,000. Hang continued to get shorter until he got in his last 100,000 in a three-way pot, but Schulman ended up with a wheel this time and Hang was eliminated in third place.
Nick Schulman
Fujimoto Battles the Hall of Famer
Schulman led Fujimoto 6,500,000 to 4,150,000 at the start of heads-up, and while Fujimoto briefly took the chip lead, Schulman’s experience seemed to be paying off as he grinded Fujimoto down and climbed up past 7,000,000. Kihara then arrived on his rail with a gift that, Fujimoto later admitted, changed all the momentum: two energy drinks.
“He brought me two chargers, energy drinks. Something changed and I started winning. I still remember that Naoya called me, Mr. Koji, Mr. Koji, and he gave me the chargers. I got to relax with it. That’s the turning point,” Fujimoto said.
Fujimoto climbed back into the lead, then left Schulman with 2,000,000 after making an eight. Schulman was on the right side of a massive cooler with a wheel against Fujimoto’s No. 2, and doubled up a few more times after that, but most pots went the way of the burgeoning Japanese superstar. Schulman had less than 1,000,000 when, on the last hand, he was drawing one to a 9-7 while Fujimoto had 7-6. Fujimoto caught a pair of threes on his last card, but Schulman also peeled another four to make a pair as a celebration erupted across the Paris Las Vegas ballroom and reverberated back home across the Pacific.
Schulman’s date with destiny was denied. Fujimoto took his seat among legends today, and the poker teacher wasn’t intimidated. He only expects things to get bigger from here.
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