WSOP November Nine Profile -- Kevin SchaffelFlorida Man’s Luck Has Turned Aroundby Stephen A. Murphy | Published: Nov 01, 2009 | |
 
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No one really knew what to think about Kevin Schaffel when he secured himself a spot in the November Nine.
Phil Ivey was already, of course, a known commodity. Jeff Shulman, Eric Buchman, and James Akenhead had previously established themselves in the poker world with some recognizable success. Joe Cada and Antoine Saout seemed like your stereotypical, solid Internet-age players, while Darvin Moon had his common-man mystique and Steven Begleiter carried with him his Bear Stearns past.
But Schaffel was initially a mystery to most poker fans. In his early 50s, he is the oldest player at this year’s final table. But while he was the elder statesman in the November Nine, he was really just starting his new career when the 2009 main event began.
After 30 years working for, and then running, his family’s direct-mailing and printing business, Schaffel needed to move on.
With a dwindling customer base and no more energy left to give, Schaffel decided to close his company’s doors in February 2008.
As for what he would move on to, he had no idea.
“When I closed my business down, I had no idea what I wanted to do,” said Schaffel, who has lived in Florida all of his life. But always enjoying his time at the poker tables — and always being fairly successful there, as well — Schaffel decided to try to make a living on the felt.
“For the last year and a half, I’ve been playing poker,” said Schaffel. “I had been successful over the years playing cash games, typically $10-$20 no-limit.”
But his past success didn’t immediately translate over to his new career.
“I found out that (playing for a living) wasn’t so easy,” said Schaffel. “I started running really bad at the beginning of the year, and I had never experienced running bad for such a long period of time. I needed to show so much patience just to limit the losses when I was running bad.”
With poker no longer being as profitable as it once was, Schaffel was at a loss as to the direction he wanted to take his life. Should he give up his dreams of playing poker for a living? Was it time to find another job?
“I was really at a crossroads,” said Schaffel. “I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
Still, even with all of the luck in the world seemingly against him, he decided to enter the 2009 WSOP main event. Schaffel was no stranger to big buy-in events, having played in approximately 14 $10,000 buy-in poker tournaments in his life and, impressively, cashing in just about half of them.
He had run pretty well in the WSOP main event, specifically, finishing in 42nd in his first try in 2004 out of a field of 2,576, and coming in 324th last year out of 6,844 competitors — two cashes in his four attempts in the world championship.
This year, with a newfound patience, his magical ride has landed him in the final nine.
“The patience I’ve had to learn over the last four months — of throwing cards away every hand for hours upon hours because there was just nothing there to play — it really helped me in the main event,” said Schaffel, in July. “I just never felt pressured to push with a bad hand. I just stayed calm and waited, and there were enough cards to get me through.”
Those cards and that discipline landed him a spot at poker’s most hyped final table. But just as the poker community began wondering which of these final nine players were legitimate contenders to become the new world champion and which were simply there due to an insane amount of “run good,” Schaffel navigated his way through another tournament field — this time at the stacked WPT Legends main event.
Although Schaffel eventually finished runner-up to Prahlad Friedman at WPT Legends, the second straight stellar performance gave him confidence and respect from his fellow competitors.
At that tournament, he told Card Player how he was preparing for the final table and answered some readers’ questions, as well.
Watch Kevin Schaffel on CardPlayer TV’s ‘All Inbox’:
Entering the main event final table sixth in chips, Schaffel has a chance to win $8.5 million to cap off an amazing few months of poker. No matter what, the $1.26 million Schaffel has already secured for at least ninth place has gone a long way in solidifying his decision to pursue poker as a career.
“Obviously, this is life-changing right now, and I just can’t believe it,” Schaffel said, soon after he made the final nine.
Not much of a spender, Scaffel said in July that he was only looking to get his own place and perhaps “upgrade” his car with his winnings.
“I’m renting a house from a guy who lives most of the year in Costa Rica, but his kids come back and forth, and sometimes they come when he’s not there. It’s just a little uncomfortable being there … You never know when someone’s going to walk in,” Schaffel said at the time. “I think one of the first things I’m going to do is to get a nice small townhouse at some point.”
Of course, Schaffel admits, if he does a little bit better than ninth place, that townhouse may see an “upgrade,” as well.
Watch Kevin Schaffel on Card Player TV:
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published earlier this year, but updated and edited in preparation for next week’s final table.
9 Comments
Tex97239
3 months ago
.....and for every guy like Kevin Schaffel there are tens of thousands if not MILLIONS who have NEVER won a dime playing in tournaments.......just remember that when you see those "November Nine" sitting there at the table come fall there were over SIX THOUSAND PLAYERS who walked out the door leaving over $10,000 behind and they didn't take one dime with them when they left. And if that wasn't enough of an insult every single one of those well known"pros" that you were trying to beat didn't put up their own money in the first place. They were sitting there trying to beat your sorry ass using corporate financing to gain entry into the tournament that you poor bastards paid ten grand to enter!
josetavares2000
3 months ago
Kevin,
Good job this year at the Main Event. All of us that know you from the Commerce Casino are rooting for you to win. We're all hoping you move up to the 20/40 N/L game and loosen up some. You're a tight ass and we wish 8 million will do the trick.
JJ COMMERCE "Best player in the entire west coast"
sunnyboy8644
3 months ago
LOL josetavares2000,from the way you talk you're obviously a loose player and you think youre the "Best player in the entire west coast" ???
LMAO frog, please,there are alots of great players in the west coast that you neverd heard of and you think your the best player in the intire west coast? LMFAO donk, you're not even close.
sunnyboy8644
3 months ago
wish you can describe yourself more so the next time i go to Commerce so i can own you.
you play at the 20/40 NL ? give me some details so the next time i go there i can win your money and give a laugh.
josetavares2000
3 months ago
follow me on twitter sunnygirl.
My love handle is jjcommerce
BTW bring lots of money to the Commerce.
I like it when I get no respect, it makes me play super wild.
sunnyboy8644
3 months ago
you're just a pathetic donk josetarvares2000, by the way you should bring lots of money to Commerce, cuz you'll rebuy many times cuz of your reckless donk style. you must be one of those old guys at the commerce,super wild and usually end up a loser. ofcourse im disrespecting you, cuz u dont know how big the world is by calling yourself "Best player in the entire west coast" which sounds ridiculous to me. LOL
josetavares2000
3 months ago
show some respect sunnygirl. If you want to donate to me, you know where to find me. Follow me on twitter you piece of CACA.
sunnyboy8644
3 months ago
as i said, you're just a frog that need to get out of your own box. by saying you're "Best player in the entire west coast" was just pathetic.
so dont even try to talk smack to me, cuz i know you're just a horrible donk.
nothing else has to say.
chrisbest
2 months ago
This exchange between Jose and sunnyboy is fu-neee. Sunnyboy, you're getting offended by Jose's proclamation waaay too easily. This isn't the first time anyone has proclaimed their greatness, and it won't be the last. In fact, Jose saying he's the best of the west is no more outrageous than sunnyboy claiming 'cuz I know you're a horrible donk.' How do you KNOW that sunny without knowing Jose?? -- unless you two are really buddies and are just having fun talking trash here...
By the way, years ago I remember playing 9-18 limit holdem with Jose, and I remember telling him that he should try to play some tournaments, which he hadn't. Well, within a year or two of that advice, dude goes out a nails a six-figure win a CC. Not bad for what sunny calls a donk.
Lastly, I'm not Jose's buddy, nor have I spoken to him since making that recommendation years ago. I just jumped in here because I saw a couple of egos having a pathetic and immature battle of words...