Brian Hastings (poker player)
Encyclopedia
Brian Hastings of Hanover Township
, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
is an American competitive poker player best known for his profitable sessions against the Swede, Isildur1
.
through the College of Engineering, and now majors in economics. He held a minority interest in Cardrunners.com. His style of play has been described on ESPN.com as one that places the game of poker in "a balanced place in a balanced life." The Hastings approach to the game is to draw on the strength of the collective; accent the importance of off-table work, and impart life balance to one's daily routine.
The first, but not the second, of these sessions was controversial as Hastings is alleged to have shared hand histories with professional poker players Cole South
and Brian Townsend
, which would be a form of collusion and a direct violation of Full Tilt Poker's rules. Allegations of impropriety by Hastings' were cleared by Full Tilt Poker on December 21, 2009. Brian Hastings and Cole South
were found to have not breached Full Tilt Poker's rules. The finding from the company was that “[i]t is fully acceptable for players to discuss strategy, and in this instance these players did discuss hands, an opponent and a strategy to play against this opponent. However, when the games are played there was only one player making decisions regarding the hand. Based on our findings, the sole breach of our site rules was by Brian Townsend who was found in violation of our rules regarding datamining. While he did violate our rules, he is receiving a punishment that is harsher than our standard response in these situations. We now consider this matter closed and all parties involved in the situation have been made aware of our decision.”
went head to head with noted Finnish player Ilari Sahamies
in a $500/$1000 Pot Limit Omaha game. Hastings had a longer run against Sahamies, playing 662 hands, losing $195,000 during the session. Cole South left the table at 300 hands, losing $621,000.
fraternity at Cornell University, and through that organization, the Irving Literary Society.
Hanover Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Hanover Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 11,488 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of , of which of it is land and is water. The Susquehanna River drains it and...
, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
is an American competitive poker player best known for his profitable sessions against the Swede, Isildur1
Isildur1
Viktor Blom is a Swedish high stakes online poker player, best known as Isildur1. His rise to fame drew considerable audience around the poker world in late 2009, taking part in all ten of the largest pots in online poker history. In December 2010, it was announced that then-anonymous Isildur1...
.
Poker career
Hastings began playing on-line in 2006, inspired by his secondary school mathematics teacher. He entered Cornell UniversityCornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
through the College of Engineering, and now majors in economics. He held a minority interest in Cardrunners.com. His style of play has been described on ESPN.com as one that places the game of poker in "a balanced place in a balanced life." The Hastings approach to the game is to draw on the strength of the collective; accent the importance of off-table work, and impart life balance to one's daily routine.
vs. Isildur1
In December 2009, Hastings played online Poker against Isildur1, winning $4.18 million in a single session, plus a further $1.5 million in a later session.The first, but not the second, of these sessions was controversial as Hastings is alleged to have shared hand histories with professional poker players Cole South
Cole South
Cole South is a 24 year-old professional poker player, author, and entrepreneur from Washington, DC. South is best known for his play online, though he has also made television appearances on Poker After Dark in season 5 of the show....
and Brian Townsend
Brian Townsend
Brian Townsend is an American professional poker player currently residing in Santa Barbara, California.-Biography:Townsend is largely known for his success playing no limit hold 'em and pot-limit omaha at Full Tilt Poker, playing under the nickname 'sbrugby.' He is the former co-owner and lead...
, which would be a form of collusion and a direct violation of Full Tilt Poker's rules. Allegations of impropriety by Hastings' were cleared by Full Tilt Poker on December 21, 2009. Brian Hastings and Cole South
Cole South
Cole South is a 24 year-old professional poker player, author, and entrepreneur from Washington, DC. South is best known for his play online, though he has also made television appearances on Poker After Dark in season 5 of the show....
were found to have not breached Full Tilt Poker's rules. The finding from the company was that “[i]t is fully acceptable for players to discuss strategy, and in this instance these players did discuss hands, an opponent and a strategy to play against this opponent. However, when the games are played there was only one player making decisions regarding the hand. Based on our findings, the sole breach of our site rules was by Brian Townsend who was found in violation of our rules regarding datamining. While he did violate our rules, he is receiving a punishment that is harsher than our standard response in these situations. We now consider this matter closed and all parties involved in the situation have been made aware of our decision.”
vs. Ziigmund
On September 18, 2010, Hastings and Cole SouthCole South
Cole South is a 24 year-old professional poker player, author, and entrepreneur from Washington, DC. South is best known for his play online, though he has also made television appearances on Poker After Dark in season 5 of the show....
went head to head with noted Finnish player Ilari Sahamies
Ilari Sahamies
Ilari Sahamies , also known as Ziigmund, is a Finnish professional poker player. He specializes in high stakes pot-limit Omaha cash games. Sahamies is known for his trashtalk at the poker table, usually aimed towards his fellow pros, which has led to an online following...
in a $500/$1000 Pot Limit Omaha game. Hastings had a longer run against Sahamies, playing 662 hands, losing $195,000 during the session. Cole South left the table at 300 hands, losing $621,000.
Poker After Dark
Hastings appears in Season 7, Week 5 of Poker After Dark. It is the first Pot Limit Omaha Cash session in the show's history. The group also includes Phil Ivey, Tom Dwan, Phil Galfond, and Patrik Antonius, who Hastings regularly plays against online.Live Play
With restrictions placed against on-line play in the United States, Hastings moved to live poker. In August 2011, Brian Hastings completed a transition to live tournament play by winning the $2,200 buy-in WPT Regional Summer Splash Event #12, earning $213,877 for his win. Nearly 400 card men played in the tournament. Hastings outlasted Griffin Malatino in the Heads Up Play, Malantino taking home taking home $117,300 as the second place player. HendonMob.com reported that Hastings was approaching $300,000 in live tournament earnings, and was considering removal to Canada to return to on-line play.Associations
Hastings joined the Phi Kappa PsiPhi Kappa Psi
Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been...
fraternity at Cornell University, and through that organization, the Irving Literary Society.
Irving Literary Society (Cornell University)
The Irving Literary Society was a literary society at Cornell University active from 1868 to 1887. The U.S...
External links
- Full Tilt Poker Bio.