Humberto Brenes (; born May 8, 1951) is a

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

n professional

poker Poker is a family of Card game#Comparing games, comparing card games in which Card player, players betting (poker), wager over which poker hand, hand is best according to that specific game's rules. It is played worldwide, with varying rules i ...

player. In 1988, Brenes made the final table of the

World Series of Poker The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada, and since 2004, sponsored by Eldorado Resorts, Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best ...

(WSOP) main event, finishing in fourth place and winning $83,050. He has collected two WSOP bracelets, cashed 72 times at the WSOP and made three

World Poker Tour The World Poker Tour (WPT) is an internationally televised gaming and entertainment brand. Since 2002, the World Poker Tour has operated a series of international poker tournaments and associated television series broadcasting playdown and the ...

final tables. Brenes's two bracelets came at the

1993 World Series of Poker The 1993 World Series of Poker (WSOP) was a series of poker tournaments held at Binion's Horseshoe. Events There were 20 preliminary events at the 1993 World Series of Poker. Phil Hellmuth and Ted Forrest both won three bracelets during the 1993 ...

in limit Texas hold 'em and

pot limit Omaha Omaha hold 'em (also known as Omaha holdem or simply Omaha) is a community card poker game similar to Texas hold 'em, where each player is dealt four cards and must make their best hand using exactly two of them, plus exactly three of the five ...

. He tied with Phil Hellmuth, Jr. for highest number of money finishes (eight) in the 2006 WSOP. He also finished first, winning $502,460 at the

Jack Binion Jack Binion (born 1937) is an American businessman and was chairman of Wynn Resorts (2006–2018). He is the son of casino magnate Benny Binion. Jack worked for his father at Binion's Horseshoe, a casino and hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Las Vegas ...

2002 World Poker Open, beating

Erik Seidel Erik Seidel (born November 6, 1959) is an American professional poker player from Las Vegas, Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, who has won ten World Series of Poker bracelets and a World Poker Tour title. In 2010, he was inducted into the Poker Hall o ...

heads up. Brenes's unique dress makes him easy to spot at tournaments, as he tends to wear bright tracksuits, two pairs of glasses, one on top of the other, and a visor. He uses a toy shark as a card protector, the origin of his nickname. A relentless self-promoter, the bright tracksuit and toy shark are consistent with Brenes' ostentatious personality; he will often use the shark to belittle his opponents, thus gaining himself more time in front of the cameras. He is also known for singing during hands. He also is a member of Team PokerStars. Brenes plays under the screen name "HumbertoB". Two of his brothers, Alex Brenes and Eric Brenes, have won World Poker Tour titles. In 2006, Brenes finished 36th in the

WSOP Main Event The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is a series of poker tournaments held annually in Paradise, Nevada, and since 2004, sponsored by Caesars Entertainment. It dates its origins to 1970, when Benny Binion invited seven of the best-known poker play ...

in a field of 8,773 and in 2007, Brenes cashed

in the money ''In the Money'' is a 1958 American comedy film directed by William Beaudine and starring The Bowery Boys. The film was released on February 16, 1958, by Monogram Pictures, Allied Artists Pictures and is the 48th and final film in the series. It ...

again in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event Championship, placing 83rd out of a field of 6,358 players, winning $82,476. Brenes was eliminated by

Hevad Khan Hevad Khan (born January 25, 1985) is an American professional poker player, best known for making the final table at the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event, where he finished in sixth place. Competitive Gaming Khan began on the competitive ...

. In the hand Brenes with approximately 1,500,000 in chips had raised to 85,000, Khan then re-raised to 205,000, Brenes in dramatic fashion then went all-in holding and was instantly called by Khan who held pocket Aces, one of which was a spade. The board came 3♠ 5♠ K♠ 10♠ giving Khan the ace high

flush Flush may refer to: Places * Flush, Kansas, a community in the United States Architecture, construction and manufacturing * Flush cut, a type of cut made with a French flush-cut saw or diagonal pliers * Flush deck, in naval architecture * F ...

. However, with the 83rd-place finish, Brenes made WSOP history with the largest number of Main Event players outlasted in a two-year span with 15,012. As of 2023, his total live tournament winnings exceed $6,100,000. His 72 cashes in the WSOP account for $2,264,333 of those winnings, which he takes credit personally but also attributes greatly to his mentor and coach, Andrés ''"El Pemorado"'' Calderón.

World Series of Poker bracelets

References

External links

Official site

Card Player profileHendon Mob profileWPT profileWSOP profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brenes, Humberto 1951 births Living people Costa Rican poker players World Series of Poker bracelet winners People from San José, Costa Rica People from Miami Lakes, Florida