Checkmate! Chess master beats Schulman and Seiver for first WSOP bracelet

“I was planning on this last night,” he told us. “I thought it would be four-way with me, Seiver, Nick, and Yuri (Dzivielevski), and that I would beat them all. So it kind of came true.”

Michael Casella, Nick Schulman, and Scott Seiver in the final three of $1,500 Badugi

Taking out an 'animal' and 'The Takeover'

While Brazilian superstar Dzivielevski was the first to fall on a Day 3 that returned ten players, Casella still got part of his wish, with the two seven-time bracelet winners joining him in the final three.

Casella still had the lead that he had begun the day with, holding roughly half of the chips in play at that point, with Seiver sitting second. But a string of second-best hands, starting with a six Badugi versus Casella’s even stronger five Badugi in a huge cooler, began the future Hall of Famer’s descent. 

Not long after, Casella made seven and eight Badugis against Seiver, and in under an hour of three-handed play, Seiver was eliminated, leaving Casella and Schulman to begin their lengthy heads-up battle.

Casella eliminated Seiver far quicker than Schulman

Casella said he was relieved more than anything after the three-plus-hour heads-up match, which saw Schulman survive multiple all-ins to claw back within striking distance repeatedly. 

Casella eventually regained control one final time midway through Level 33 to put away the man known online as 'The Takeover' for good, ending the best heads-up match of the WSOP thus far.

Schulman fought valiantly but was denied bracelet number eight

“Yeah, it was crazy. I was really impressed by him and Scott Seiver, the way they played. Especially Seiver, he’s like an animal, just constantly bluffing and snowing. It was very interesting.”

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First a Remington, and now a bracelet

The bracelet is the first for a player well-known in both the LA mixed game scene and chess circles. He says his experience in the first game that he became a master in helped him claim the most coveted prize in this game tonight.

“I’ve just been competing my whole life, playing chess. It’s very demanding physically and emotionally, so I can handle the poker, heads-up, better.”

Michael Casella proudly poses with his first WSOP bracelet

Asked what the bracelet means alongside his chess accomplishments and poker successes around Los Angeles, Casella offered a characteristically simple response: "It's very nice."

$1,500 Badugi final table results

1. Michael Casella - $141,963
2. Nick Schulman - $94,607
3. Scott Seiver - $62,920
4. Gary Benson - $42,815
5. Brant Hale - $29,824
6. Stephan Nussrallah - $21,279
7. Walter Chambers - $15,560

^{Images courtesy of the WSOP.}