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WSOP Poker Hall Of Fame 2022 Nominee: Brian Rast

The Poker Hall of Fame (PHOF) nominees for 2022 were recently announced by the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Every year one nominee is chosen to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. Up until 2021, there are a total of 60 players who have been inducted into poker’s most exclusive club. This year, the WSOP has released a list of 10 nominees.

One of the 10 nominees is five-time WSOP bracelet winner Brian Rast. In this article, we’ll be diving into why Rast has been nominated for the prestigious award. To do this, we’ll be looking at the player’s poker journey, wins, cashes, and accomplishments in the game. So, let’s get started.

Who is Brian Rast?

Born in Denver, Colorado on 8th November 1981, Rast was always interested in strategic games. He moved to Poway, California in 1990 where he attended the Poway High School and became the Class of 2000 valedictorian. He continued his studies at Stanford University and started playing poker in 2003 at the Stanford Poker Club. Once Rast got a taste for the game, he began to buy and study as many poker books as he could get his hands on. By 2004, he dropped out of his studies to pursue a full-fledged career in poker. He played both live and online and in 2005 made his first trip to Las Vegas to grind at WSOP.

Why is Brian Rast nominated for WSOP 2022 Poker Hall Of Fame?

While his first trip to Vegas did not yield any significant results, Rast’s determination to have a successful poker career pushed him to work harder. His hard work finally paid off at the WSOP 2011 where he clinched not one but two WSOP bracelets. His first one came when he shipped the $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em for $227,232. He won his second bracelet when he shipped the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship for a whopping $1,720,328. Rast has 56 in the money (ITM) finishes in WSOP and has accumulated a total of $6,800,669 in live WSOP cashes (as per WSOP.com).

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ALSO READ: List Of All Brian Rast’s WSOP Bracelets

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For his second WSOP bracelet win, Rast defeated poker legend, Phil Hellmuth, in the heads-up clash. He once again shipped the $50,000 Poker Player’s Championship in 2016 to capture his third WSOP bracelet for $1,296,097, this time he beat Justin Bonomo in heads up. He also played against 10-time WSOP bracelet winner Doyle Brunson aka Texas Dolly in the WSOP 2018 $10,000 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw Championship where he won his fourth bracelet. His latest one was won in 2021 when he clinched the $3,000 No-Limit Hold’em 6-Handed title for $474,102.

Apart from WSOP, Rast has shipped various other prestigious tournament titles. In December 2013, he took home the World Poker Tour (WPT) Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic $100,000 High Roller title after he defeated Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel in heads up. He also won the first Super High Roller Bowl played at the Aria Casino in Las Vegas. He has also cashed for over $1 million for seven years in a row, between 2011 and 2017, and is the only player to achieve this incredible feat.

Even before his profitable runs in poker tournaments, Rast was an avid cash game player. In fact, he was primarily a cash game player at the start of his poker career. While he’s aced his tournament game, he still enjoys playing cash games and frequently visits the tables at Bobby’s Room at the Bellagio, Ivey’s Room at the Aria, or plays in another high-stakes cash game he can find.

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ALSO READ: WSOP Poker Hall Of Fame 2022 Nominee: Josh Arieh

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Last year in November, Rast turned 40, finally making him eligible for a nomination at the Poker Hall of Fame. His success also bleeds over to the online felts as well. Playing under the nickname ‘tsarrast’ on Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars, he managed to finish 3rd in Full Tilt Poker’s FTOPS III Main Event in 2007 and cashed $114,203. He also finished in third place at PokerStars Sunday Million in 2008 for $73,490 and third in a $2,100 NLHE SCOOP in 2016 for $155,600. According to Hendon Mob, Rast has total live earnings worth $22,746,255 and ranks 28th on the All-Time Money List. His largest cash came in 2015 when he shipped the $500,000 Super High Roller Bowl for $7,525,000.

Back in 2021, Rast told PokerNews that he passionately wants to be inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame and referred to the honour as a “lifetime achievement award.” He commented, “If people vote fairly next year, I think I’ll make it in.”

Now that Brian Rast is among those nominated for the award in 2022, it will be interesting to see if the other Hall of Famers will cast their votes for him. What do you think? Does Brian Rast deserve a spot at the Poker Hall of Fame? Comment your thoughts below!

ABOUT WSOP 2022 POKER HALL OF FAME:

The Poker Hall of Fame is considered one of the world’s most exclusive poker clubs. Each year, a list of nominees is released from which one person is voted in. Currently, there are 32 living members that are a part of the Poker Hall of Fame. From being founded in 1979 to 2021, PHOF has a total of 60 members. The winner for the 2022 PHOF will be announced on 10th July 2022, alongside the final table of the WSOP 2022 Main Event at Bally’s and Paris Las Vegas.

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