Brian Rast in Seventh Heaven w/ Miraculous Comeback in WSOP $10k Razz Championship

Six bracelets. Three PPC titles. Induction into the hallowed chambers of the Poker Corridor of Fame. Brian Rast had completed all of it all through his poker profession, cementing his standing as one of many recreation’s all-time greats. However not even he ever had fairly a day just like the one he simply needed to end off Occasion #50: $10,000 Razz Championship on the 2025 World Collection of Poker (WSOP).

Rast was heads-up for his seventh bracelet in opposition to Andrew Yeh in a battle that proved the hardest of all of them. Rast was left quick. Then he doubled. Then he was quick once more earlier than discovering a miracle. Rinse and repeat, as Rast needed to scratch and claw his manner by way of a heads-up duel the likes of which he had by no means skilled earlier than. It ended, lastly, with Rast not solely coming again however defeating Yeh to take the title and $306,644 high prize by prevailing over the 134-player area.

Remaining Desk Outcomes

“Immense Gratitude”

The feelings for Rast afterward have been palpable. After shaking Yeh’s hand following the final hand, he slunk again in his seat, his head buried in his fingers, as he tried to make sense of what he had simply completed. Tears streamed down his face. He fought the lengthy, onerous battle and received.

“Simply immense gratitude. I really feel like nobody ever deserves to win a event as a result of it’s so loopy what has to occur to win. I used to be very quick not less than twice, if not thrice,” Rast mentioned afterward. “I actually appreciated my mindset on this one. I used to be simply telling myself, even earlier than the ultimate desk, simply focus in your play. If you happen to bust at this level, it doesn’t matter what occurs, you have got a terrific life, you’re doing nicely, enjoying good poker. And that’s all I can management. I used to be very completely satisfied how I performed, and simply these ups and downs, emotionally. That was the longest heads-up battle that I’ve ever had. Andrew made it actually powerful.”

Rast was attempting to change into simply the 14th participant in WSOP historical past with seven bracelets, however after so a few years, he’s realized to not focus a lot on the top end result however slightly what it takes to get there. He was content material if he felt like he performed good, even when the playing cards fell in Yeh’s favor. It’s a lesson he took to coronary heart final yr when, regardless of two unimaginable outcomes, he nonetheless felt unhappy.

“I had sequence final yr, however I bought heads-up within the $25K PLO and I wasn’t that pleased with how I performed, significantly in a pair large spots. And even within the Important Occasion, I had my finest run ever (twenty fourth place) however I wasn’t pleased with my bustout hand,” he mentioned.

“Truthfully, that’s typically manner more durable than the end result, proper? As a result of I’ve performed a lot, once I’m in mindset, it’s like, okay, the result’s going to be regardless of the poker gods, no matter luck deems it. However I can play nicely. I used to be simply so pleased with this one as a result of I believed I performed actually, actually good your complete event, even heads-up. I don’t suppose I’ve ever cried that a lot after successful one thing, which is loopy as a result of that is No. 7.”

Day 4 Motion

Rast and Yeh returned for an additional Day 4 after being unable to resolve the champion late into the night time yesterday. Yeh led 6,095,000 to 1,940,000 at first and shortly made a 6-5-4-3-A to win a giant pot and drop Rast to only 260,000, simply over one large wager.

Rast doubled up twice to get again to 900,000, then made a 6-5-3-2-A to double up but once more. However Yeh saved the stress on, placing in bets by way of to seventh as Rast referred to as. Yeh then wager once more on seventh and Rast tanked for a number of minutes earlier than calling. Yeh confirmed a J-9-8-7-4 and Rast mucked to drop again down beneath 1,000,000.

Rast was on fumes with simply 500,000 simply because the gamers have been making ready to take the primary break within the day. Late registration within the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. Championship, the occasion that Yeh received his lone bracelet in 2022, was nearly to finish, and it regarded like he was going to make it as he had Rast all in and was displaying a 6-5-4-3-A. Rast was drawing extremely skinny going to seventh and the 2 gamers peeled his final card collectively. “He fricking bought it,” Yeh mentioned in disbelief as Rast pulled a 5 to make a wheel and miraculously keep alive but once more. “The dream is alive,” Rast declared.

Rast’s job wasn’t finished simply but, as he was on 500,000 once more earlier than making an 8-6-4-3-A to earn yet one more double up. He climbed above 3,000,000 when he confirmed a 7-5-4-2-A, then took over the chip lead for the primary time in the present day. Rast then wager on seventh and despatched Yeh deep into the tank. Yeh ended up taking practically 5 minutes earlier than calling, and Rast confirmed an 8-6-5-4-3 to win the massive pot and drop Yeh to a brief stack.

Yeh was down to only 600,000 when he raised all in with a king displaying, and Rast referred to as with a deuce. Rast ended up with a 10-9-3-2-A, and Yeh’s board solely improved to a queen as he was left drawing useless even earlier than his final card. The dream was not solely alive for Rast, nevertheless it was realized.

For all his accomplishments, bracelet No. 7 places Rast in one other class of the sport’s elite. “Let’s put him in once more,” WSOP VP Jack Effel joked with the Corridor of Famer after the event. He’s come a great distance, from somebody grinding money video games who didn’t take the WSOP severely at first, to among the many recreation’s finest champions. All through all of it, he’s regarded again at his profession through the years and brought inventory of simply the place he stands.

“I’ve considered the place I ought to be. For essentially the most half, I don’t suppose it’s applicable for somebody. That’s for you guys to find out. That’s for different gamers to say,” he mentioned.

“I’ve been ready to have a look at my profession at numerous occasions, particularly looking back, it turns into simpler to position the place I’ve been and every little thing. What I’ve finished in my profession has additionally modified fairly a bit. Mainly, earlier than COVID, I by no means took the World Collection tremendous severely. I used to grind my ass off far more than I do in the present day. I’d play the Bobby’s Room recreation, then I’d come play 10-12 tournaments, max late-regging, simply to combine it up and provides myself one thing to do. Publish-COVID, I principally simply come. I don’t play money. I don’t even play full year-round poker anymore. I come to the WSOP in an effort to deal with this as a recreation in itself, to grind my ass off and do nicely.”

Rast acknowledges that, someday, this may all finish. Whether or not he doesn’t have the identical motivation or the identical outcomes, he’ll cease grinding as he does now. However that day isn’t in the present day, and Rast, even in spite of everything these years, nonetheless exhibits that he’s very a lot bought it.

“Yearly I maintain telling myself, when am I going to lose it? And yearly, I simply maintain having good outcomes. And extra importantly than the outcomes, I really feel very happy with my play. I assume at 43, I’m nonetheless doing alright and that makes me completely satisfied.”

That concludes PokerNews’ protection of the $10,000 Razz Championship. Keep tuned for extra updates all through the 2025 WSOP.