In another special WSOP edition of 888Ride, Tuck picks up the 2023 Poker Hall of Fame member Brian Rast. With over $27,000,000 in live tournament earnings, it's safe to say Rast has cemented his legend in poker's history books.
Listen in as Brian discusses modern poker, the evolution of the WSOP and who he rates the best No-Limit Hold’em tournament player in the world!
Check out the full-length Brian Rast podcast HERE.
Getting the Recognition He Deserves!
2023 was the Chinese Year of the Rabbit. However, 6-time WSOP Champ Brian Rast wasn't running scared.
He won the $50K Poker Player’s Championship in June of 2023 for the third time! And then he received his induction into the Poker Hall of Fame!
"Feels good. I mean, it was kind of, maybe, the last big thing I would have liked to have really happened. And, you know, I think it's something now that they've decided to go to one person per year.
"It's going to be pretty tough to get in, and it will only get tougher going forward as this huge swath of young guys turns 40. I think you're gonna see this list get super competitive. You know, it already is pretty competitive, but, man, wait until you see the list in, like, four years.
“I think if they keep it at one per year, there's gonna be like. It'll be more like, who's getting snubbed?
"Isaac Haxton, Jason Mercier. I mean, there's a Jason Kuhn. Kuhn. Yeah, there's a plethora of guys. So, yeah, I'm grateful I got in when I did."
Looking to the Future of Modern Poker!
Looking forward to the future, it's fascinating to see what Brian says about modern poker and its direction. With the advent of poker solvers and GTO strategy, poker has changed. As Brian touted cheekily in his 2023 888ride, "he didn't into poker so that he could play chess!"
"And modern poker has changed a bit with the advent of solvers. And so, becoming truly great at poker is not the same. But, like, it is starting to converge more with other games, like chess, where studying is very important, interestingly enough.
And despite or in spite of the chess comment, Brian has opened up and become more accepting when it comes to modern-day poker tools.
He has embraced his strategy game by using poker tools. He’s “talked with certain people” and worked on his game. But he doesn’t love that process the way he used to.
Like, I used to love just going and playing and really thinking deeply about all the hands, occasionally talking to people, doing a very light amount of studying, very light.
“And I feel like that's no longer the 100% most efficient process to staying great.”
Staying on Top of Your Game!
Like many old-school players, Brian wants to show the newer contenders that he’s still got it. So, he keeps working on his game to prove to himself and others that he can be competitive – especially in No-Limit Hold’em.
But the number one person I always need to show when I go out there is me because I'm the one who really knows the hands I'm playing. After I'm done, I'm able to sit there and think, how did I play today? What do I think about this? That and the other hand, you know, am I okay with that?
"So, the number one person by far is me. But, yeah, there's an element of other people, too. Listen, clearly, there are a lot of other great players out there."
Who's the Most-Talented of Them All!
David Tuchman decides to put Brian on the spot, challenging him to answer the question about the best current No-Limit Hold’em player.
“I say the person at No-Limit Hold’em - specifically, if you had to give me a piece. You probably take (Stephen) Chidwick.”
“Recently, Adrian Mateos – I like watching him. He's an interesting cat. But, yeah, Chidwick - but Mateus is up there.”
Nature vs Nurture
There are many naturally talented poker players, including Brian Rast.
With the advent of this onslaught of technical poker knowledge, they have been able to walk a tightrope between the two.
“There is a level of guys who are very good players, and maybe they don't understand the rules as well, but they're still good at exploiting. Right.
“But, if you want to talk about the absolute best guys, like, they also have the technical knowledge but then also know how to break the rules. And in the right times to do it.”
As Brian elaborates on this topic, he squarely puts Phil Ivey into this select category. These super-talented pros have consistently improved by selectively incorporating GTO into their game but always maintaining that edge.
What’s Next for Brian Rast
Brian has made it into the WSOP Hall of Fame and racked up a plethora of bracelets.
So, what's next in the poker world for this super-talented player?
"The thing that I would most want to do would be win the main event. But it's very unrealistic to have that as a goal. It's just very unlikely. But that would be it.
“If I had to pick a more realistic thing, I would just, yeah, win the 50k [Poker Players Championship for the fourth time]. It's my favourite tournament."
Check out the full-length Brian Rast podcast HERE.
