Robert Schulz

Robert Schulz was born and raised in Cottbus, Germany, and now lives in Vienna, Austria. He recorded his first live tournament cash in April 2010 at the European Poker Tour (EPT) in Sanremo. In March 2011, he finished second in the Spring Poker Festival Main Event in Vienna for over €20,000. His first WSOP cash came in July 2012 when he cashed in the Main Event.

Schulz's biggest achievement came at the 2023 World Series of Poker, where he won Event #59: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em Freezeout. The tournament attracted 1,598 runners, exceeding the previous edition's numbers, and generated a prize pool of $4,266,660. Schulz defeated Julien Sitbon heads-up to claim the $675,275 first prize and his first WSOP bracelet. He remained composed throughout the seven-hour final table, which featured players from nine different countries, including Dario Sammartino, Jesse Lonis, and Kunal Patni.

Final Table Action

Shon Aroeti was the first to bust from the unofficial final table of ten when his ace-ten was outkicked by Schulz's ace-king, and the board ran out with two more kings. Jesse Lonis and Kunal Patni followed to the payout desk. Nazar Buhaiov fell in seventh place, his nines outflopped by Schulz's ace-king. Robert Burlacu went in sixth, another victim to the unstoppable German. Dario Sammartino was next to go when Barak Wisbrod rivered an ace to end his WSOP dream. Wisbrod succumbed in fourth place when he couldn't overcome Sitbon's pocket eights. James Mendoza departed in third place, with what proved to be the defining moment in Schulz's tournament, giving him a commanding lead over Sitbon, who only lasted a few more hands.

Winner's Reaction

Asked if he was always so composed, Schulz replied, "I would say so. I think I'm on the calmer side. Usually, it takes pretty extreme things to put me out of balance." Summing up his emotions, he said he felt, "Exhausted, relieved, and yeah, proud as well. I think I played fine." On the subject of what he will do next, Schulz commented, "I think I'm coming down with a cold; I've been sniffing and coughing, so I think I'm going to take it slow. Let's see how tomorrow is, and then maybe then I'll want to play again." Finally, reflecting on how he managed to remain unfazed through the vociferous railing, Schulz simply said, "I don't speak French, so I've no clue what they said."

Schulz has consistently performed well in high-profile events:

• 2024 WSOP Main Event: Finished 848th for $25,000
• 2017 WSOP Main Event: Finished 57th for over $120,000
• 2014 WSOP Main Event: Finished 149th for over $50,000
• 2014 EPT Barcelona Main Event: Finished 13th for nearly €70,000
• 2017 WSOP Europe Crazy Eights: Won for over €40,000
• 2018 WSOP Europe Event: Finished 2nd for around €50,000
• 2025 EPT Prague Main Event: Finished 66th for €8,780
• 2025 WSOP COLOSSUS: Finished 736th for $1,540

In total, Schulz has over 100 WSOP cashes and lifetime live earnings of $2,001,093 according to The Hendon Mob. His impressive victory in 2023 took his lifetime earnings from live poker tournaments past the $1.76 million mark and bumped him up to 37th in Germany's all-time money list.

Schulz is known for his calm and collected demeanor at the tables, rarely showing emotion even in high-pressure situations. He describes himself as generally calm, requiring "pretty extreme things" to put him off balance. His style is tight-aggressive, with strong positional awareness and the ability to adjust to opponents. He is particularly noted for his patience in deep-stacked play and effective short-stack survival strategies. At the 2023 WSOP final table, he remained the personification of calmness despite the boisterous rails supporting several participants, and nothing could distract him from fulfilling his ultimate goal.

Schulz started his poker career online before transitioning to live tournaments. He resides in Vienna and is known to travel extensively for major events. His WSOP bracelet win in 2023 elevated him to 37th on Germany's all-time money list at the time. Based on his performance, it is highly likely we shall see Schulz at another WSOP final table in the not-too-distant future.