Student Wins PartyPoker Cruise During Spring Break
Youngest-ever winner triumphs aboard PartyPoker.com Million V
Wednesday 22nd March 2006
Who wants to be a millionaire? Journalism student, Mike Schneider certainly did, proving once again that the youth movement is on the march in poker.
Schneider, a 22-year-old college student from Minneapolis, became the youngest winner in the five-year history of the prestigious PartyPoker.com Million whilst on a spring break cruise.
528 players came to the M. S. Westerdam to vie for the over $5 million purse offered by PartyPoker in the largest Limit Hold'em tournament in the world.
Schneider could only say that he was “shellshocked” at his victory, but he certainly didn’t show his anxiety under the spotlight. Asked what he was thinking behind his stoic poker face, he admitted thinking, “Oh God, oh God, oh God!”
The Minnesotan began playing in home games four years ago, and graduated to his hometown card room, Canterbury Park at 18. In 2003, he began playing online with PartyPoker.com and the PartyPoker.com Million is only his second high stakes tournament.
Joining Schneider at the final table were California poker professional Kenna James, who has had excellent early success in the 2006 season, James Scott Buller, Los Angeles poker pro Devon Miller and two online qualifiers, Drew Chitiea and Richard Joel.
Buller, who has been aboard all five PartyPoker.com Million cruises, said, 'The young players have changed the whole picture. My first year there were maybe 20 guys under 30. Now we have a boatload of them and at 49, I’m considered an old guy.'
