Brian Hastings Eyes Second Bracelet
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Last year, Brian Hastings earned his first WSOP bracelet in the $10,000 Heads-Up No-Limit Hold'em event. Hastings also has two previous cashes in Omaha Hi-Low 8-or-Better events, finishing 16th in the $5,000 buy-in last year and 37th in the $1,500 buy-in just last week. With previous success in Omaha tournaments, it's no surprise that Hastings sits near the top of the leaderboard at the final table of this event. PokerNews' Pamela Maldonado spoke with Hastings during the break.
In May you cashed mostly in no-limit Hold’em events online but have had more success at the World Series of Poker with Omaha events. Which game do you prefer and do you prefer live or online?
I think these days I like playing mixed games more than I like playing hold’em. I’ve just played so much no-limit hold’em in my life that it’s become repetitive. I’ve probably played a couple million hands in just hold’em so right now I prefer mixed games. The other games are just newer and fresher and additionally I generally other players are worse at those games. You know, they are just games that people have spent as much time learning compared to no-limit hold’em. There is a lot of strategy content for no limit: training sites, books, and forums. There’s significantly less on mixed games. It’s the kind of thing where few people put in a lot of work off the tables, therefore not too many people know how to play at optimum level.
You have a pretty stacked table. How comfortable do you feel playing against some of the toughest competitors?
I feel very, very comfortable. I’ve played a lot of cash games with Rob Mizrachi back in Florida. He’s a very good player but there aren’t really any issues there. Otherwise, I feel pretty good about myself against the field.
Do you think an amateur winning the event is more or less impactful than a professional winning?
It depends what event. It’s a cooler story that gets more attention if Phil Ivey wins three bracelets than if three different amateurs win one bracelet. It depends on the situation, the event, and who it is. Either way, both can be good for the game.