2018 WSOP Event 76: Brian Hastings Wins the $3,000 H.O.R.S.E and 4th Bracelet

Brandyn Trenholm Live Reporter

Jul 15, 2018 4 min read Last updated Jul 16, 2018

A total of 354 runners showed up for Event #76: $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. at the Rio All-Suites and Casino for the final mixed game tournament of the series. When the final curtain came down, it was Brian Hastings taking home the prestigious World Series of Poker bracelet and a $233,202 first-place cash prize. Hastings bested Andrew Brown heads-up, who took home a respectable $144,128 for his efforts.

"It feels amazing, this was my last event of the summer and I had a couple of runs before this, but to end it this way just feels great."

Hastings came into the final day of the tournament as the chipleader with 19 players remaining. He was the shortest stack at one point during four-handed play, but rallied back to win it all.

When asked how he was feeling after winning his fourth WSOP gold bracelet, Hastings was very delighted. "It feels amazing, this was my last event of the summer and I had a couple of runs before this, but to end it this way just feels great."

Hastings had an uphill battle in front of him when heads-up play began, but that didn't stop him from pulling through. "I came into heads-up with a four- or five-to-one chip disadvantage, but the cards ran my way and I made a few hands. Andrew is a good player and things just went my way."

This being the fourth gold bracelet of his career, Hastings said it had a little more meaning than the previous ones. "I'm at a different stage in my life right now. I'm getting married this year (to his fiance Sonya), I'm looking at buying a house, so this will go a long way to that." Sonya was Hastings' biggest supporter on his path to victory, standing on the rail throughout the entire 12-hour day, cheering him on.

Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize (USD)
1	Brian Hastings	United States	$233,202
2	Andrew Brown	United States	$144,128
3	Tim Marsters	Australia	$97,340
4	Jeff Madsen	United States	$67,121
5	Lee Markholt	United States	$47,275
6	Hye Park	United States	$34,027
7	Dutch Boyd	United States	$25,040
8	Bruno Fitoussi	France	$18,849

Final Day Action

The official final table bubble, who took ninth place, was Jesse Hampton after he moved all in with tens during the hold'em round and could not hold against Dutch Boyd. Bruno Fitoussi would be the next person to hit the rail when his aces failed to hold up in Omaha hi-lo against Lee Markholt.

"I came into heads-up with a four- or five-to-one chip disadvantage, but the cards ran my way and I made a few hands.

Boyd had a roller coaster of a final table but could not survive a runout in razz against Tim Marsters, who would take down the hand with his eight low. One of the leaders coming into the final table was Hye Park who would end his day on the hold'em round when he ran into Madsen's two pair, being eliminated in sixth.

It was Markholt making his way to the payout desk in fifth when he ran a bluff into Hastings who made a very bold call. Four-time bracelet winner Jeff Madsen would be yet another player to hit the rail during the hold'em round, running into Hastings' big slick, and getting eliminated in fourth.

Marsters found himself taking an exit during the Omaha hi-lo round when he shoved his stack in on the turn and was called by Hastings who had him drawing to just a quarter of the pot. Marsters did not get there on the river and Hastings sent him home in third.

The heads-up play started with Brown having a four-to-one chip lead on Hastings and all the momentum. Hastings slowly battled for chips at the first of heads-up, but after two big hands he quickly took over the lead. Once in the lead, Hastings never looked back as he whittled away at his opponent's stack. Brown would head out the door during the Omaha hi-lo round when he moved all in before the flop. Hastings made the call and would make a stronger two pair on the river to capture the pot and eliminate Brown in second place.