ICU nurse Brek Schutten took top prize and the bracelet in Event #21: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em (6-Handed) at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) held at the Horseshoe and Paris Las Vegas. The event saw a 30% increase in participation from last year, drawing 272 entries and creating a prize pool of $6,392,000. Schutten bested this competitive field, which included poker legends like Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, and Erik Seidel, to win his first WSOP bracelet and $1,405,641.
Schutten, who balances his poker career with his demanding job as a nurse, is no stranger to high-stakes poker. In 2021, he won a World Poker Tour (WPT) title, and in 2022, he finished runner-up in the WSOP $50,000 High Roller. Reflecting on his past near-miss, Schutten said, “I got second to Jake Schindler and just had those regrets ever since. Certain hands go through your mind all the time and you never know if you’re going to get back to a high roller final table, let alone heads-up, let alone win the thing.”
This win marks Schutten’s second seven-figure score, adding to his $1,261,095 victory at the 2021 WPT Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open. His career earnings now exceed $5.3 million, a remarkable feat for someone who is not a full-time poker professional.
The heads-up play for the championship saw Schutten starting with a 5:3 chip lead against Tyler Stafman. Despite losing an all-in preflop with A-10 against Stafman’s pocket jacks, Schutten quickly closed the gap. He secured a crucial pot with a flopped flush, leaving Stafman drawing dead. Though Stafman managed a few double-ups, he ultimately went all-in with A
9
against Schutten’s AQ. The final board ran J65
32
, giving Schutten the superior hand and the title. Stafman took home $938,775 as the runner-up, marking the largest live tournament score of his career.
Final Table Results 2024 WSOP Event #21: $25,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em (6-Handed)
| Result | Player | Prize |
| 1 | Brek Schutten | $1,405,641 |
| 2 | Tyler Stafman | $938,775 |
| 3 | Michael Rocco | $639,620 |
| 4 | Taylor von Kriegenbergh | $444,766 |
| 5 | Brandon Wilson | $315,771 |
| 6 | Masashi Oya | $229,002 |
The post ICU Nurse Brek Schutten Wins first WSOP bracelet and $1,405,641 in $25K High Roller appeared first on iGaming.org.