The 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #18: $1,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em attracted exactly 2,663 entrants, which created a $2,370,070 prize pool. 35-year-old Illinois native Schultz defeated Young Sik Eum in heads-up play to win a $1,000 no-limit hold’em freezeout event, earning the hardware and a career-best $330,057 payday.

This blew away his previous largest score of $111,812, which he earned as the champion of the 2011 WSOP Circuit Harveys Lake Tahoe main event. He now has more than $630,000 in recorded tournament earnings to his name.

This two-day event saw 203 players survive day 1. The top 400 finishers cashed in this tournament, with $2,370,070 in prize money split amongst them. Big names to make deep runs included Lexy Gavin (41st – $8,307), two-time World Poker Tour champion Daniel Weinman (35th – $10,084), bracelet winner Yaser Al-Keliddar (20th – $12,351), and bracelet winner Seth Fischer (10th – $23,939).

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Young Sik Eum came into the final table with the lead. He extended it further by knocking out Kevin Legerski (9th – $30,375) to narrow the field to eight. Mike Holtz, the 2021 WSOP.com POY award winner, ran A-9 suited into the pocket hacks of Schultz to hit the rail in eighth place ($38,874). Shultz scored another knockout with pocket jacks, this time besting the A-7 of Tony Dam (7th – $50,180). He continued hi surge by winning a preflop race, with A-Q outrunning the pocket nines of Robert Hofer (6th – $65,326).

Nicholas Palma got the last of his stack in with top two pair on a Q-J-5 board. He was up against the A-K of Eum. A ten on the turn gave Eum an ace-high straight, leaving Palma in need of a queen or jack on the river. No help came and Palma settled for $85,761 for his fifth-place showing.

Schultz picked up another big pocket pair in acrucuial spot. His KSpade SuitKHeart Suit held up against the ASpade Suit8Club Suit of Henry Rubin after the chips went in on a 10Diamond Suit8Diamond Suit3Spade Suit3Club Suit board. The 5Spade Suit on the end sent Rubin to the rail with $113,532.

Angela Jordison’s run in this event came to an end when her KSpade SuitJDiamond Suit clashed with the ADiamond Suit7Heart Suit of Eum. Jordison took the lead on a JSpade Suit9Spade Suit8Diamond Suit flop, and remained ahead after the QDiamond Suit hit the turn. The AHeart Suit on the river gave Eum a winning pair of aces, though, and Jordison was eliminated in third place. The $151,544 she earned was the largest score of her career. She now has more than $500,000 in lifetime cashes.

With that Eum took the lead into heads-up play with Schultz. The tables were soon turned, though. Schultz held roughly a 4:1 lead when the final hand was dealt. He limped in from the button for 600,000 total with AClub SuitQSpade Suit and Eum shoved for around 10 million with JDiamond Suit2Diamond Suit. Schultz called and the board ran out QClub Suit7Heart Suit3Heart Suit5Heart Suit7Diamond Suit to lock up the pot and the title for Schultz. Eum was awarded $203,949 as the runner-up.

The 2022 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Event #18: $1,000 Freezeout No-Limit Hold’em Final Table Results