It was around the time Chris Moneymaker won his world title that Brian Schaedlich was playing his first hand of poker. "I remember when I was 17 and hanging out at a friend's house one night," said Schaedlich. "There were a bunch of people over playing $0.25/$0.50 hold 'em. I didn't really want to play in that game. I didn't want to lose $10. I remember winning a $17 pot and being thrilled. I thought I was rich! It just grew from there."
There's an element of Moneymaker's charm in Schaedlich. The wide-eyed amateur, living out a dream by making his way to the World Series of Poker, the youthful everyman quality that makes both men easy to root for, and the qualification via satellite (Schaedlich won a 300-person, $130 tournament to earn his way). Of course, even though Schaedlich's barely scratched the surface, both can remember the success they've each enjoyed on the biggest stage in the world.
Stephen Beyer/IMPDI
Brian Schaedlich enters Day 3 action with $801,000, nearly double his nearest competitors.
Schaedlich, now 22 years old, is on the ride of his life. The Cleveland native finished Day 2A with a monstrous stack. His $801,000 stack is more than twice the size of any Day 2 finisher's aside from Peter Biebel ($531,000), 2B end-of-day leader Alex Outhred ($486,800) and Raja Kattamuri ($411,100).
Schaedlich's monster run on Day 2 has launched him into celebrity -- the good kind where everyone suddenly wants to know everything about him.
"It's interesting," Schaedlich said, remarking on his celebrity transformation. "That's what the Web sites were asking yesterday, 'Who is Brian Schaedlich?' I'm a teacher from Cleveland, Ohio, just out here living the dream like everyone else."
That's "teacher," as in "I have a real job. I'm a teacher." One thing that's very obvious when you talk to Schaedlich about leading the WSOP main event is that he's not out to make a quick buck. This is a man who has a calling, and it's not to be a full-time poker player.
"Both of my parents are teachers," Schaedlich says from the comfort of the Rio. "My mom taught for 33 years in the same district I'm in now. She's retired and lives in Florida. My dad is a middle school teacher for 20 years and lives in Cleveland. He's always been there for me. He's one of the greatest fathers I could have asked for.
"Knowing that putting a patch on my shirt will pay a year's salary teaching is very tempting," Schaedlich admits. "It makes it hard to go back to the teaching world and not fall into the lures of the poker world. I mean, I'm in the Champions Lounge at the WSOP giving an interview. I mean, Joe Hachem just walked by and told me not to talk to you! People just take a genuine interest in you out here, but it would be hard for me to give up the kids."
The kids in question are his students. Schaedlich teaches special education back home in Cleveland and shares a special connection with his students.
"I'm totally elated he's doing so well and living his dream," said Brian's mother, Debbie Haynam. "He's magical with children, so I want him to keep doing what he's doing. I think his talent with children is much more important than his talent with cards. He's a good teacher, an excellent teacher. I'd hate to see that wasted, that's my only fear."
It's a fear that Schaedlich has assured both his mother and one ESPN feature columnist is unfounded.
"Going to school, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I love hanging out with little kids, teaching them sports, talking with them. I have my summers off, so I can have the best of both worlds; my students and faculty in the school year, then in the summers come out here and have a great time with these people and play some great tournaments."
Of course, Moneymaker said the same thing.
"I wasn't crazy about it," said Bruce Schaedlich, Brian's father, of his son's interest in poker. "I didn't know where it would lead. I'd heard bad stories, but I'm turning around now. He was out there, thinking about asking for the fee back and I told him, 'You know what, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Stay out there.' I know he's having fun and has his head on straight. I think it's unbelievable."
"I went behind their back and played poker," Brian says, smiling at the memory. "I think they always knew I was playing though. Now that I'm out here, they realize this is something I love to do and they couldn't be happier for me. I don't think they realized the payout structure until the $9.1 million for first place was posted on the Web site yesterday. That probably changed their minds a bit."
Schaedlich's WSOP career began on the Fourth of July, when he played in Day 1B of the main event. "I didn't want to consider myself dead money when I came here," Schaedlich says, seemingly still the same man he was a week ago. "I just came in with the mind-set that it's more than likely to bust on Day 1, so don't get ahead of yourself -- just make it to Day 2 with a healthy stack. I still have the mind-set that I could lose on Day 3. I'm not thinking about the final table or the money."
"I sat down just as nervous as anyone else," he said of his Day 1 butterflies. "I was just hoping not to have any pros at my table." He doubled up in the first level of play and was on cruise control from there, finishing the day with $160,725, second on the day.
Day 2A didn't quite go according to plan.
"I just figured if [I doubled up, I'd] be good," Schaedlich said. "I didn't have to be aggressive. Just try to make it to Day 3 or 4."
Despite a tougher Day 2 table that included professional Toto Leonidas and 2008 bracelet winner Martin Klaser, Schaedlich went on a massive run, hitting a hot run of cards at the right time. He managed to take advantage despite a few obstacles.
"I had interviews throughout the day," Schaedlich recalled. "Having the cameras in my face was something I wasn't used to. I tried to act like I'd been there before. The cameras kept me honest. I didn't want to get up and celebrate after a big pot. I don't like showing people up, getting up and dancing after a big pot. I'm sure being knocked out of the main event is not fun, and having someone rub it in your face wouldn't be fair. So I tried to shake their hands, tried to smile and just talked to whoever was interested in talking to me.
"The whole 'acting like you've been there before' thing is important," he continued. "You're out here to make as many friends as you can, meet as many people as you can. If you're mean to everybody, no one's going want to talk to you or respect you. I'm out here for respect and to gain friends."
It's a refreshing attitude in an industry that's become as much about showmanship as the game being played. After a few games of Wii bowling, a game of foosball, a few games of pool and an interview, Schaedlich spotted Moneymaker dominating at the foosball table. Offered an introduction to the Champions Lounge's host, Schaedlich hesitated.
"I don't want to go up and drool over everybody because I don't want them thinking it's just some amateur and he doesn't know what he's doing," said Schaedlich.
After a little coercing though, he finally agreed to the introduction. Two good men -- men who love the game -- shook hands and immediately started talking about the tournament. Schaedlich could well be on the other side of the conversation five years from now.
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