It isn’t every day you hear the words, “It isn’t really about the money” from someone who just won their first WSOP bracelet. Things are a little different for Brian Rast, though, who won the $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em event for $227,232 a few days ago.
Rast is well known as a high stake cash game player. “I’ve played cash games where I’ve won more in a pot than in this tournament,” he said of his win in Event 15. That doesn’t mean that this win is meaningless to him, however. Quite the opposite, actually. “For this tournament the bracelet really does mean a lot…everyone wants respect from people within their profession and a bracelet kind of gives you that recognition.”
The funny thing is that Rast wasn’t even planning on playing this event because he “just didn’t feel like playing,” according Antonio Esfandiari, a close friend. Rast had just gotten back from a vacation to Brazil and was in need of a long nap. Esfandiari reportedly offered to back him for the event, however, and it was a deal he couldn’t refuse.
This cash takes Rast’s live tournament cashes up to $943,658 in his career. Previously his largest cash was $128,664 in a WSOP event in 2009.
Already stated, however, is that he is primarily a cash game player. If he has won single pots in the 6-figure range, it is safe to say that he plays nosebleed stakes. In fact, his favorite poker memory is winning $1.2 million in a cash game in China.
Rast’s favorite game is actually Pot Limit Omaha, however. He plays the highest stakes he can find and is known as “tsarrast” online.
765 players paid $1,500 to take part in Event 15, creating a $1,032,750 prize pool and $227,232 for first place. Several well-known pros made the money, including Joe Sebok who came 60th and November Niners John Dolan and John Racener.
Ten players made Day 3. The third place finisher of the WSOP Europe Main Event, Robert Lee, placed 9th for $17,298. Ali Eslami, who already had two WSOP cashes this year including a final table, busted in 6th place for $37,654. Three WSOP cashes already? Not bad at all.
Rast was the chip leader almost the entire final table. He ended up heads-up with Allen Kessler with a $1.9 million chip stack against Kessler’s $1.5 million. The two of them traded the chip lead back and forth a few times, and it was shaping up to be a great heads-up battle.
A cooler quickly put an end to it all, however: Kessler flopped two pair on a monotone board, but Rast flopped the nut flush. Kessler was unable to find one of his outs and was eliminated in 2nd place for $140,309.
Please see below for the final table payouts. Congratulations to everyone that cashed in Event 15!
1 – Brian Rast – $227,232
2 – Allen Kessler – $140,309
3 – Dajuan Whorley – $91,212
4 – Daisuke Endo – $66,994
5 – Mika Paasonen – $49,902
6 – Ali Eslami – $37,654
7 – John Gordon – $28,741
8 – Ted Lawson – $22,183
9 – Ronald Lee – $17,298