Jaffrey-Shulman Wins Biggest Ever Seniors Event

Jaffrey-Shulman outlasted 4,128 players to take down a massive first-place prize of $603,713 in the $1,000 buy-in event.

“I am so excited,” she said after winning. “This is a great day in my life.”

Attorney and Card Player columnist Jaffrey-Shulman become the first female player to win a non-Ladies event bracelet since Vanessa Selbst won a $1,500 PLO tournament in the 2008 WSOP. Technically it was not a true “open” event as registration was restricted to players at least 50 years old.

Owners of the Card Player publishing empire, the Shulmans have had an incredible run at the 2012 WSOP with father Barry and son Jeff also making final tables.

“There is a new first family in poker and it is the Shulmans,”said WSOP executive director Ty Stewart.

Stewart said the Jaffrey-Shulman family’s feat of making three final tables at one WSOP was one that might never be duplicated. Father Barry finished eighth a $1.5k NLHE event while Barry’s son Jeff finished third in the $5k Limit Hold’em.

Allyn Jaffrey-Shulman heads-up against Dennis Phillips.

 

“There is something really exciting about being a poker playing family,” said Jaffrey-Shulman. “We all talk about hands and strategy together. I could never have been a great poker player without my husband.”

It was a swingy heads-up battle and at one point Phillips was on the cusp of victory when Jaffrey-Shulman moved all-in with king-six and Phillips called with pocket queens. Shulman would river a straight to double up and that kick-started the comeback.

“Dennis was a better player,” admitted Jaffrey-Shulman. “I knew I had to get lucky.”

Phillips famously finished third in the 2008 WSOP Main Event for $4.5 million. He picked up $372k for coming in second in this tournament. He is still seeking his first WSOP bracelet.

Surprisingly there were a few well-known poker players at the final table of the Seniors event with the aforementioned Phillips and Hoyt Corkins. Corkins finished fourth for $199k.

Jaffrey-Shulman’s haul of $603k is the most a female poker player has won at a WSOP event – outside of Annette Obrestad’s $2 million-winning victory in the inaugural WSOPE Main Event in 2007.

For all the action from the WSOP in Las Vegas click through to our 2012 World Series of Poker Live Coverage section, brought to you by 888poker.com.