No matter what stakes you play, if you invest yourself in the game of poker, the emotional swings of the game can sometimes be intense. No one knows that better, especially at the high stakes, than Chris Brewer. Brewer, on the verge of cracking the top 40 on poker’s All-Time Money List, has been known for suffering from some of the toughest beats in critical spots in some of the biggest buy-in tournaments one could find.
It’s probably safe to say, that any lingering reputation of a perennial bubble boy may be behind the 30-year-old after this year. Of his $20.7 million in career earnings, just over $14 million has been earned this year. He’s done it through consistency, being on the positive end of variance, and his resume-topping victory in this summer’s $250,000 WSOP Super High Roller for $5.2 million was a big help as well.
But those swings still exist and even with as much experience, and breakthrough success that Brewer has had – especially this year – he acknowledges that getting those intense feelings under control is a skill unto itself.
“I think it’s the toughest part of playing high stakes,” he said. “I think the more you play, the more you get used to it. And I feel like I’ve had a lot of experience now on both sides. You try to be as even keel as you can about it, but I also think it’s unrealistic to not feel something. And I think mostly, as long as you don’t play bad because of it and you still show up the next day and click reg again, you’re doing fine.”
More on this year for Brewer: aside from his WSOP Super High Roller win, he also grabbed his second career bracelet in the $10K 2-7 Draw Lowball for $367,599. Add to that two more seven-figure scores, more than 20 six-figure scores, and multiple Triton Super High Roller Series final tables (including a victory) and it means that in a few short years, Brewer has gone from trying to break through into the high stakes to an everyday threat on that circuit.
He says he’s used to playing against the best, and so battling at the table with the likes of Nick Petrangelo and Michael Rocca, as he was, doesn’t much phase him. “I just try to get dealt good cards and hope they match the board,” he joked. But when asked what it takes him to get fired up, he notes that his recent experience has helped him stay centered.
“I mean, I’m pretty even keel to most of it. Some of the big spots I can feel a little bit. I try not, I mean, I do get excited and I do get nervous and stuff, but I mean not too much in something like this [the $10K WPT World Championship]. I think it would probably take the final two or three tables. I would start to feel it, but until then I’m going to be pretty emotionless.”
That said, Brewer’s name has been announced as a confirmed participant to the $1,000,000 buy-in WPT Big One for One Drop. He says he plans to be in there if he’s not running deep in another event, like the $25K. Should he play it will, as it is for most, be the biggest buy-in of his career.
“Yeah, that’ll be a lot. The full few hands might just be, take a moment to soak in.”
It’s not only been a big year for Brewer in terms of poker, but this past July he got engaged to be married. But the former University of Oregon cross-country runner was adamant that he has no plans of slowing down anytime soon.
“I’m going to be playing for a while. She can travel with me with her job most of the time and I have some pretty big goals I want to accomplish in poker and I intend to be out here grinding for a while.”
When pressed a little on his goals it’s clear that his competitive side is driving not just his success this year, or his past career, but what he hopes and sees for himself in the future.
“I mean a lot of it’s more very long-term stuff, but I would like to, when I’m done with poker, have been one of the best ever play. I think to do that I’m going to have to just be out there and play a lot and work hard and, yeah, that’s just what I’m going for.”