Brian Rast has, in the past, been referred to as one of poker’s end bosses. And after his career year in 2023, that title has never been more apt.
The newly-minted member of the Poker Hall of Fame claimed his sixth WSOP gold bracelet this summer with a record-tying third victory in the prestigious $50,000 Poker Players Championship. With that recognition comes a new level of gravitas, one where when he walked into the Encore Ballroom to grab a spot in Day 1B of the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, players around the room took notice: “Rast is here.”
It was just over a year ago, after Rast won his fifth WSOP bracelet and was on the verge of turning 40 where he declared that he thought he had done enough to earn a spot in poker history. The poker world obliged and now, nearly half a year since his Hall of Fame induction, he reflects on reaching yet another poker pinnacle.
“It’s nice. I mean, my perspective on it evolved over the two years,” he said. “I felt like the second year I was just going to let whatever happen, happen and not put any expectations on it.”
Rast has accomplished nearly everything in his poker career, including more than $25 million in live tournament earnings and a Super High Roller Bowl victory to go along with his bracelets. It’s a Hall of Fame resume to be sure. But his inclusion in the Poker Hall of Fame isn’t a stopping point for him as if he finally “made it.” He’s invested in this game and he’s planning on continuing to do so.
“I’m always going to play poker,” he continued. “I’m always going to hopefully win stuff and do well. But I don’t know…I’ve won some bracelets and maybe this was the last big accomplishment. So it was something that was really nice and it’s cool.
“I mean, I’ve dedicated my adult life to this, so to receive acknowledgment from your peers is a special thing…and I like that.”
What’s left for Rast to accomplish? Sure, he doesn’t yet have a World Poker Tour title. (Which is something he’s playing for at this moment). And, as he’s decked out in his Triton Poker hoodie, he likely wouldn’t mind booking a win on that tour as well. But for Rast, it seems the titles and trophies are a product of just being good at something he loves to do.
“I just enjoy playing, the process of coming, trying to be in the moment, watch hands, get reads. Tournaments like this, for me, are the most fun. Here’s the thing…the top No Limit Hold’em tournament players in the world, almost all of them – there might be an exception – have studied GTO more than me. I’ve studied and I know some stuff, but I’m behind a lot of the guys. But coming into a tournament like this isn’t really about that.
“I’m playing with a lot of people…and I’m not saying it’s not good to know GTO…but right off the bat it’s like, oh, these guys are too tight or this, and I’m already making kind of exploits, like opening a little wider here, doing this, that, whatever it is. So that whole process to me is a lot of fun and I still get enjoyment out of it. It’s still fun to try to win money.
“I don’t think the poker world will be as serious to me as maybe in my thirties, but it will be something I always compete at and play for the rest of my life. So I’m happy to be here. This is a great event. I mean guaranteed 4,000 entries for a 10K. It’s like half of the [WSOP] Main Event or something.”
In some sense, it’s a new era for Rast – a post-Hall of Fame second half of his career. The Hall is an achievement unlocked, an event that can only occur once in a lifetime. And while it sounds like he’s grateful for the honor, the best players – the elite – continue to produce post-induction and that’s likely what the game of poker can expect from Rast. He’s proven he can do it time and time again.
In this short moment, he doesn’t sound like he’s going to spend too much time looking backward and he’s certainly already looking ahead to some of the challenges of next year.
“I mean, next year I think I’m supposed to go back and do commentary again for Triton, which I’m looking forward to because I enjoy it. And like I said about the studying thing, when I did it in ’22, it was the number one way I was studying and I really felt it helped my No Limit game so I’m kind of happy to go back and do it again. I’ll play the WSOP, but poker-wise, not necessarily anything. Just play, compete, and keep trying to win stuff.
“More than anything, I guess next year though, I would say I am really looking forward to what I believe will be a very nice year for Bitcoin.”