ShareBrian Rast has been inducted into the prestigious Poker Hall of Fame after being voted the most deserving candidate by the current members. The six-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner has an incredible record of success over the past two decades which hasn’t gone unnoticed by his peers.
Impressive Poker Record
Rast's impressive poker career includes over $25 million in lifetime live tournament cashes and three victories in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship. But what’s really impressive is that he isn’t really a tournament player at all.You see, the 41-year old made his reputation as a cash game player online and only flitted in and out of MTTs as and when the mood took him. In the online poker world, he only played tournaments during 2007 and 2016 with barely any other volume in between.
Brian Rast’s induction marks a new era for the Poker Hall of Fame, as he represents a generation of post-poker boom players. Born in Denver, Colorado, Rast began his poker career after watching the movie Rounders in 2003. He quickly made a name for himself in the high-stakes cash game community and earned several six-figure cashes on the side in high roller tournaments.
His versatility across various poker formats has contributed to his success and recognition in the poker world. This makes him stand out from other players. In fact, One of the reasons why many think Phil Ivey is the greatest of them all is because he is so good at every single format he plays. Brian Rast is applauded for the same reason.
Brian Rast Has the Respect of His Peers
Rast's induction into the Poker Hall of Fame was announced during a special ceremony at the WSOP, where he was selected among nine other strong candidates. The 31 living members of the Poker Hall of Fame, including many of the biggest names in poker, voted for Rast's inclusion.After a third victory in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship that earned Rast his sixth bracelet there wasn’t much of a decision to be made.
The prerequisites were:
- A player must have played poker against acknowledged top competition
- Be a minimum of 40 years old at the time of their nomination
- Played for high stakes
- Played consistently well, gaining the respect of their peers
- Stood the test of time
- Non-players must have contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker, with indelible positive and lasting results
In a statement, WSOP Vice President Jack Effel praised Rast: “With a nearly 20-year-long career riddled with record-breaking wins and historic runs, Brian Rast is one of the best poker players we’ve ever seen. With the 2023 WSOP breaking records left and right, it only makes sense to put a record-setter himself amongst some of the greatest of all time. We are honored to induct Brian Rast into the Poker Hall of Fame and look forward to his successes to come.”
Rast expressed his gratitude to the Poker Hall of Fame members for selecting him and acknowledged the numerous qualified nominees this year.
“I am very pleased to receive this recognition for the work I have put into my craft during my entire adult life. Now that I’m in, I have votes. I’m going to do my duty to make sure the Hall gets the incoming generation right. There are a lot of amazing players in the poker world who deserve recognition for their careers.”
