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Barry Shulman is an American poker player and businessman who has been a major figure in the industry for decades. While many know him as the CEO of Card Player Magazine, he is also a highly decorated player with two World Series of Poker bracelets to his name. After a successful first career in real estate, Shulman moved to Las Vegas to retire but instead helped lead the poker boom by turning his magazine into a global authority on the game.
Career Earnings & Biggest Results
With total live tournament earnings of over $6.5 million (according to The Hendon Mob), Shulman has proven he can compete with the best in the world. His most legendary victory came in 2009 when he won the WSOPE Main Event in London. In a dramatic heads-up battle, he defeated poker superstar Daniel Negreanu to take home $1,321,534 and his second career bracelet.
His other massive scores include a 3rd-place finish in the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) Main Event for $1,350,000. Shulman won his first WSOP bracelet back in 2001 in a Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo event, and he nearly added a third in 2019 when he finished 2nd in the $1,000 Super Seniors event for $222,295.
Biography & Poker Background
Born in Seattle in 1946, Shulman first learned to play cards while studying accounting in college. He spent 25 years building a successful real estate empire before moving to Las Vegas in the early 1990s. Though he originally planned to relax, his passion for the game led him to buy Card Player Magazine in 1999.
Under his leadership, the magazine grew from a small publication into a massive media company. Poker is truly a family affair for the Shulmans; his wife Allyn is a talented player and bracelet winner, and his son Jeff is also a professional who famously made the WSOP Main Event final table the same year Barry won in Europe.
Play Style & Strategy
Shulman is a student of the game who literally wrote the book on strategy, authoring titles like 52 Tips for Texas Hold ’em Poker. He advocates for a tight-aggressive style, which means being very selective about which hands to play but betting and raising strongly once he enters a pot.
He often describes himself as a “businessman who plays poker” rather than a full-time pro, but his results suggest otherwise. His background in accounting gives him a “knack for numbers” and a deep understanding of risk versus reward. Whether he is playing No Limit Hold’em or older formats like Seven Card Stud, Shulman relies on discipline and logic to outlast his opponents.
Social Media & Online Presence
Want to follow Barry Shulman as he continues to play in major events across the globe? You can find his latest stats and industry news here:
