Poker history witnessed a defining moment on June 22, 2023, as Brian Rast won the World Series of Poker (WSOP) $50,000 Poker Players Championship event for the third time, matching Michael Mizrachi’s record. The 41-year-old professional poker player outclassed a competitive field of 99 entrants to seal his position as one of the titans of this game.
Rast, expressing his enthusiasm for the championship, admitted, “It means a lot. I mean, I love this tournament. It’s my favorite tournament to play”. In his post-win interview, he dedicated his victory to his wife Juliana, acknowledging her constant support throughout the tournament.
His journey in the prestigious mixed-game event began with a win in 2011, followed by another victory five years later. The third victory marks Rast’s sixth career WSOP bracelet win. His previous accolades include wins in the 2011 $1,500 pot-limit hold’em event, the 2018 $10,000 no-limit deuce-to-seven single draw lowball championship, and the 2021 $3,000 no-limit hold’em six-max event.
In addition to joining the elite club of 20 players with six or more WSOP bracelet wins, Rast’s latest title run also boosted his earnings by $1,324,747. His career earnings now stand over $24.8 million, landing him the 31st spot on poker’s all-time money list. Notably, his most significant win came from the first-ever Super High Roller Bowl in 2015, where he secured a massive $7,525,000.
The tournament, spread over five days, saw the top 15 contestants securing their earnings. The competitive field included multiple bracelet winners such as John Monnette, Phil Hellmuth, Marco Johnson, Daniel Alaei, Josh Arieh, Ray Dehkharghani, and Phil Ivey.
Rast’s performance on the final day was particularly remarkable, as he single-handedly eliminated the last four contestants to clinch the title. Despite acknowledging his success was partially due to good luck, Rast was also quick to recognize his competitors’ skills, referring to them as “some of the best players in the world”.
He concluded the game with a substantial 5.5:1 chip lead over Shakerchi, his final opponent. Shakerchi, the second-place finisher, took home $818,756.
Final Table Results
| Result | Player | Prize |
| 1 | Brian Rast | $1,324,747 |
| 2 | Talal Shakerchi | $818,756 |
| 3 | Matthew Ashton | $573,679 |
| 4 | James Obst | $411,824 |
| 5 | Kristopher Tong | $303,071 |
| 6 | Phil Ivey | $228,793 |
| 7 | Ray Dehkharghani | $177,294 |
The post Brian Rast Joins Mizrachi in Elite Three-time PPC Champions appeared first on iGaming.org.