Brekstyn Schutten is now the answer to a trivia question – and is also a newly minted millionaire – after taking down the largest event in the 19 year history of the World Poker Tuesday night in Las Vegas.
Schutten defeated Steven Snyder heads up to win the WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Showdown and take home the $1,261,095 first place prize at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. The event, which initially ran in late April, drew 2,482 entries to smash the previous record for largest WPT live event (1,795) and largest WPT event ever, besting the 2,130 entries that the WPT Online Championship on partypoker drew in 2020.
Schutten started the final table with the second largest stack, but built his stack up by eliminating the first two players at the final table and quickly found himself wielding his stack like a weapon.
“My expectations were that I would be able to well in position against Sonny [Franco]. It didn’t really happen like I expected because I didn’t get many hands against him,” Schutten said. “But then, people were doubling up and I got some cards to knock some people out. [Heads up], I tried to get a bunch of chips in the pot and steamroll at that point. It seemed to work out.”
Schutten raised to 1,100,000 from UTG with 
before Ken Aldridge moved all in for 2,500,000 with 
. Schutten called and then made bottom set on the 
flop. The 
turn was a complete brick for Aldridge and when the 
completed the board it made his sixth place finish official.
Three hands Schutten ended another player’s tournament. Albert Calderon moved all in from UTG with 
for 6,400,000 and Schutten all for 31,600,000 from the button with 
forcing the blinds to fold. The 
flop gave Schutten top pair and put Calderon’s tournament on life support. The turn meant no sudden resuscitation. The river gave Schutten and unneeded second pair and eliminated Calderon in fifth place.
Schutten put his newly acquired chip stack to good use three hands later when he took down a pot worth nearly 30,000,000 which gave him nearly 57% of the chips in play with four players remaining.
Despite having control of the chip counts, Schutten was relegated to spectator for the next elimination just 11 hands later. Snyder opened from UTG to 1,000,000 with 
and Sonny Franco, who started the day with the chip lead, shoved from the small blind for 5,600,000 with 
. Snyder called and then hit the flop hard as the dealer fanned out 
. Just like those who were eliminated before him, Franco was left drawing dead after the 
turn. The river completed the board and Franco was out in fourth.
Schutten was back in control of other player’s fates just 15 hands later in a blind versus blind battle. Viet Vo moved all in from the small blind for 4,500,000 with 
and Schutten called with . The board ran out 
to end Vo’s run in third place.
Schutten started the heads up duel against Snyder holding 61,800,000 of the 99,300,000 chips in play. Over the 90 minutes of play that followed, Schutten was never once in danger of surrendering his lead and eventually found a spot to end the night. Schutten raised to 2,500,000 with and Snyder called with . Snyder checked after the 
flop and Schutten bet 2,000,000. Snyder check-raised to 4,800,000 and Schutten called. The turn was the and Snyder fired out a bet of 5,200,000. Schutten responded by moving all in, putting Snyder to a decision for his tournament life. After using one of his time bank chips, Snyder called all in. The 
river missed Snyder’s flush draw and he was eliminated in second place, making Schutten the last player standing and $1,261,095 richer.
Final Table Payouts
- Brek Schutten – $1,261,095
- Steven Snyder – $899,295
- Viet Vo – $593,140
- Sonny Franco – $438,500
- Albert Calderon – $326,750
- Ken Aldridge – $261,700
