Koji Fujimoto defeated a legend on his way to winning the $10k Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Championship.

Japanese player Koji Fujimoto defeated Nick Schulman in the WSOP $10,000 Limit 2-7 Three Draws Championship to win his first gold bracelet and $392,478 in prize money.

Schulman. Baxter. These names echo throughout the history of World Series of Poker, representing some of the most celebrated low-stud players of all time. Nick Schulman and Billy Baxter returned to the tournament today in pursuit of another title, but someone who traveled all the way from Japan, accompanied by a group of supporters—whom he hoped would become Japan's next generation of stars—ruined their party.

Koji Fujimoto defeated Schulman in a whirlwind heads-up match, preventing Schulman from winning his ninth WSOP gold bracelet and emerging victorious from a field of 176 players to claim his first gold bracelet and a first-place prize of $392,478. Fujimoto became the 11th Japanese bracelet winner, and he stated that this victory will motivate him to pursue even greater achievements.

Event #67: $10,000 Limit 2-7 Three-Draw Tournament Final Table Results

"Winning this gold bracelet takes my poker career to the next level. My dream was to win a gold bracelet in the World Series, and I did it. So I can take the next step in my poker career," Fujimoto said, with fellow bracelet winner Naoya Kihara acting as translator.

Fujimoto was clearly the underdog entering heads-up play against Schulman. The Poker Hall of Famer has won three 2-7 bracelets in his illustrious career and is seeking to become the eighth player in WSOP history to win nine. Schulman entered heads-up play with a substantial chip lead and overwhelming dominance at the final table.

However, Fujimoto wasn't bothered by any of this. Even when facing the best players in the game, he tried to focus on his own style of play. "He's a good player. I tried not to make any mistakes and to focus on each hand," he said of his match against Schulman.

The poker teacher hopes to inspire the next generation in China.

Fujimoto's poker career began just three years ago, during which time he accumulated 17 WSOP winnings and reached the final table of last year's $1,500 TORSE event. Today's winnings exceed his total previous live tournament winnings. But he's no stranger to poker, as evidenced by the enthusiastic cheers from his family and friends who erupt in celebration every time he wins a pot.

Fujimoto is a poker coach in his hometown, and his students came to the final table to support him. "I wasn't playing alone; all my students were with me. That made me play better and led to the victory," he said.

"I've been teaching students to play poker for the past year. Three times a week. I won a gold bracelet. So this will make hybrid games thrive in Japan."

"I'm not fighting alone, but with all the students together."

Fujimoto hopes they will follow in his footsteps. He started primarily as a Texas Hold'em player before moving to mixed games. "I started with Texas Hold'em. Then PLO and draw games. After that, I moved to mixed games. I've gone down that path, and I hope other players will too," he said.

Final Day Results

The day began with 11 players returning to compete for the gold bracelet, with Fujimoto trailing Todd Brunson and Justin Smith in third place in chips. Brandon Shack-Harris, Nam Le, and Robert Wells were eliminated before the final table, while Baxter—a Poker Hall of Famer and six-time draw game bracelet winner—finished his journey in eighth place, securing the final table spot.

Schulman built a commanding lead of 3,800,000 chips when seven players remained at the final table, while Fujimoto was in the middle with 1,550,000. Kihara, seeking his third gold bracelet this summer, was the first to be eliminated after Brunson finished with 8-7. Brunson then went 10-9 against Schulman, but Schulman hit a straight flush to win the pot, eliminating the chip leader who started the day in sixth place.

Smith made his first WSOP final table appearance since 2011, going all-in with 8-7-6, but Tommy Hang won the pot with 8-7-5, eliminating Smith in fifth place. Fujimoto then went 10-7 without playing, leaving Andrew Kelsall with only a pair of eights, eliminating him in fourth place.

Fujimoto won a large pot with a straight flush, overtaking Hang to move into second place. A few hands later, he again made a straight flush against Schulman, increasing his chip stack to nearly 4,000,000. Hang's chip stack continued to dwindle until he went all-in with his last 100,000 in a three-way pot, but Schulman made a straight flush this time, eliminating Hang in third place.

Fujimoto vs. Hall of Famers

Schulman started heads-up with a chip lead of 6,500,000 against Fujimoto's 4,150,000. Although Fujimoto briefly gained the chip lead, Schulman's experience seemed to pay off, as he gradually wore Fujimoto down, climbing his chip stack to over 7,000,000. Then Kihara arrived with a gift for his entourage—which Fujimoto later admitted changed the tide: two energy drinks.

"He brought me two energy drinks. Something changed, and I started winning. I still remember Naoya calling me, 'Mr. Koji, Mr. Koji,' and then he gave me the energy drinks. I relaxed because of that. That was the turning point," Fujimoto said.

Fujimoto regained the lead and then pushed Schulman to 2,000,000 after forming an 8. Schulman beat Fujimoto's 2 in a hot hand with a straight and then doubled up several times, but most of the pots fell into the hands of the emerging Japanese superstar. With less than 1,000,000 chips, Schulman drew a card in the final hand to try to form 9-7, while Fujimoto already had 7-6. Fujimoto drew a pair of 3s on his last card, but Schulman also flopped a 4 to form a pair—a celebration erupted in the Paris Las Vegas ballroom and echoed back to his hometown across the Pacific.

Schulman's appointment with fate was rejected. Fujimoto now holds a place in the legends, but the poker teacher is not intimidated. He expects things to get even bigger from here.

Want to change Texas Holdem from "can understand" to "can win"?

If you want to learn more about Texas Hold'em, you can continue reading：

The Origins of Texas Hold'em: Why is it the World's Most Popular Poker Variant?
Texas Hold'em Hand Rankings and Showdown Rules (Beginner’s Essentials)
Texas Hold'em Betting teaching: Check / Bet / Call /Raise and Betting Strategy Analysis
The importance of Texas Hold'em position? Why is the back position more advantageous?
How to play Texas Hold'em? Novices learn Texas Hold'em rules, processes and betting teaching in 10 minutes
Texas Hold'em Starting Hands Strategy Guide: Which Hands to Play?
Texas Holdem Starting Hands Chart Tutorial: Complete Starting Hand Chart and Position Strategy
How to play Texas Hold'em? Complete rules and a hand's flow (Preflop / Flop / Turn / River)

Hunter Poker offers comprehensive tutorials, hand analysis, and strategy sharing to help players upgrade from simply "reading the cards" to understanding the range . This allows you to make better decisions in every hand.

In Facebook Follow Hunter Poker.
In Youtube Follow Hunter Poker.

Want to learn more about Texas Hold'em gameplay and strategies?

Online Texas Hold'em free tournaments typically have no entry fee, making them ideal for beginners to familiarize themselves with the rules and for advanced players to test strategies and gain experience. View full brand profiles to learn about each platform's free tournament schedule, features, and target audience.

Headed to