Brian Hastings Wins WPT Event In Florida For $213,877

Brian Hastings has just won the WPT Regional Summer Splash Event, after overcoming a field of 391 players over four days to capture the title, and the $213,877 first place prize.
In the past, Brian Hastings under the screen name ‘Stinger885’ has notched up $170,268 in profits from online tournaments, with most of those winnings coming at PokerStars. Now with his latest win at the $2,200 buy-in event at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida, Hastings has also taken his live tournament earnings to a respectable $282,841.
Hastings results are all the more impressive considering he is known first and foremost as an online cash game specialist, in particular at Pot Limit Omaha, having earned $3,890,941 at Full Tilt Poker playing stakes sometimes as high as $500/$1000. Not bad for a player who only started playing on-line in 2006.
However, the US pro has had to change his approach recently after the plug was pulled on online poker in the States back in April. Consequently, Hastings has been weighing up hs options with a possible move to Canada seeming more likely on the horizon. As Brian Hastings wrote on his blog recently:
“Now, the question I’m asking myself is what my next move is. Despite my newfound liking of live poker, I really don’t like Vegas and just can’t imagine spending any more time there than the WSOP and a few shorter trips during tourneys or whatnot.”
“I think my earn potential is still highest online unless I can get into some really good and big live games regularly, and as that seems somewhat unlikely, I’m leaning toward a short term move to Canada (at least until it gets too cold).”
A few more wins like the one he just had in Florida, though, and Hastings might yet decide its worth his while sticking around in the USA for a little longer still.