Matt Bretzfield Fuels His Passion for Poker With 3 Wins at WPT RRPO

Matt Bretzfield had never played in an 8-game mix tournament before he sat down and won the $600 affair at the 2023 World Poker Tour (WPT) Seminole Hard Rock n Roll Poker Open.
The win was his third victory in the 2023 RRPO series, equal to the all-time record, and the first time a player had done such a thing since Julio Fernandez and Atanael Thomas both pulled it off in different Seminole series in 2012.
Ive been very busy with a lot of other stuff, but with this series, I said lets go. I worked on Wednesday and on Thursday I won (the $1,100 5-Card PLO). Worked on Friday, came back, ran deep, and just missed the money. I came back again and won my second (the $500 5-Card PLO Bounty.)
Bretzfield has played PLO for over 20 years, but he had never seen a single hand of stud poker in that time.
Ive never played any stud variants in my life. Never. No razz, no stud, nothing. I played TD once just messing with some friends, but other than that I havent played any of those games.
The day started with an entry into the $3,500 Main Event, but that went south fast. The idea of playing in the 8-game mix wasnt on his mind until Bretzfield stepped outside and talked to Yuval Bronshtein.
I told him I really dont play that, but he said talk to me for a few minutes and he gave me a few pointers. So I jumped in and I won it. It was pretty cool.
Matt Bretzfields Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood Tournament Wins
Series | Event | Entries | Prize Pool | Prize |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 LHPO | $1,100 PLO | 84 | $82,480 | $15,323 |
2022 SHRPS | $400 Mixed PLO | 126 | $42,210 | $11,475 |
2022 SHRPO | $1,100 Mixed PLO | 78 | $75,660 | $20,165 |
2022 RRPO | $600 NLH | 37 | $19,610 | $5,828 |
2023 LHPO | $600 PLO | 134 | $70,350 | $14,963 |
2023 RRPO | $1,100 5 Card PLO | 86 | $83,420 | $21,583 |
2023 RRPO | $500 5 Card PLO Bounty | 164 | $35,540 | $8,073 |
2023 RRPO | $600 8-Game Mix | 67 | $35,175 | $8,481 |
Bretzfield cut his teeth in underground games around New York, whee he dealt and played Holdem and PLO. His early tournament cashes were relatively modest until he moved to Florida in 2016.
I played maybe three tournaments my whole life before I moved to Florida. I started on Full Tilt and PokerStars when I was in college at UCONN. When I left college, I went back to New York and it was all underground. I started dealing and playing and never stopped really.
He moved down to Florida with his girlfriend, but poker wasnt really on his mind. Bretzfield played some cash games and some PLO nothing too serious. It was a life-changing birthday that sent him down the road to playing more tournament poker.
Im trying to enjoy myself while I play, but Im a very competitive person. Everyone who knows me knows that. I want to win. I have to win. My mentality is to be a winner.
We split up and it was my birthday and I had nothing to do, so I fired a tournament and I won it. That tournament was a $150 Triple Stack in the early summer of 2018 at Seminole in Hollywood. It got me a seat in the Main Event of the SHRPO later that summer and I hadnt played in any series at that point. I took 10th in the Main and thought I could do this.
The 10th-place run earned him $62,415, but he wasnt done. A week later, he would finish second in the $360 opener at the Card Player Poker Tour stop in Pompano Beach. Another week after that, he won the $1,100 Main Event for $35,443.
Bretzfield has since won eight tournaments in various series at Seminole Hard Rock Hollywood. He says it could be 10 if it werent for taking more money to give up the trophy in a couple of chop deals along the way.
Outside of poker, hes a caring friend and hard-working business partner.
Ive always been that guy with other endeavors. I grew up very poor and I promised myself I wasnt going to be like that when I got older. So I have a lot of business interests I do also. But Im not successful enough yet to play poker every day like some of these guys do.
When hes not playing poker, Bretzfield deals private games in California, Texas, and here in Florida. He plays basketball twice a week and enjoys hanging out with his friends just as much as he enjoys winning poker tournaments. But dont make the mistake of thinking that Bretzfield is out there just tossing chips around for fun.
Im trying to enjoy myself while I play, but Im a very competitive person. Everyone who knows me knows that. I want to win. I have to win. My mentality is to be a winner.
Going forward, Bretzfield plans to spend six or seven weeks in Vegas every summer. The win in the 8-game mix has ignited a passion for triple draw and other mixed games, not to mention Bretzfields desire to pursue his passion at a high level.
My father passed away recently, and he raised me by himself. He would always say to me, pursue, pursue, pursue, and he would follow me on all of the coverage. When he passed a part of me left, but the rest of me is just trying to make him proud.
Shortly after the death of his father, he won his first WSOP Circuit ring in October 2002 in Pompano Beach.
I walked outside and got emotional because I knew he was with me. Im not a big spiritual believer, but when I won my second trophy here, I could feel him with me. I cant explain it. It was always me and him, and I grew up very poor.
In the end, Bretzfield is one of the most competitive people you will ever meet in a poker room, but his friends come first.
Poker isnt everything to me. Its important, but its not the most important thing. Id rather be a loyal friend than play poker.
Join WPT Global Today
With WPT Global, poker players around the world now have the chance to qualify for WPT events, win prizes and enjoy exciting games on one of the world’s largest cash game poker networks. WPT Global is available in over 50 countries and territories around the world.
WPT Global offers a large deposit match bonus: 100% on deposits up to $1,200 (using any payment method). New players depositing a minimum of $20 automatically receive this match bonus which is unlocked in $5 increments (credited straight to the cashier) for every $20 of rake contribution.
Both tournaments and cash games count towards bonus unlocking; new players have 90 days from the date of first deposit to unlock and claim their full bonus amount.
Find out how to win a $12,400 WPT Passport to December’s WPT World Championship
Tags
Related Tournaments
Related Players
FAQ
How many decks are used in poker?
how many decks are used in poker? In most popular poker variants, such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha, a standard deck of 52 playing cards is used. Each deck contains four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) and consists of 13 ranks (Ace, 2 through 10, and the face cards: Jack, Queen, and King). However, it’s important to note that the number of decks used in poker can vary depending on the specific game or variation being played.
When and why was the double zero added to the American roulette wheel?
When and why was the double zero added to the American roulette wheel? The double zero was added to the American roulette wheel in the mid-19th century. The exact year is not clear, but it is believed to have been added around the 1860s. The reason for its addition was to increase the house edge, making the game more profitable for the casino. At the time, gambling was not regulated in the United States, and casinos were free to set their own rules and payouts.
Can I use a VPN for WPT global?
Can I use a VPN for WPT global? Wptglobal is one of the world’s largest online poker sites, but it is also one of the most restrictive in terms of IP address restrictions. As a general rule, traditional VPNs cannot be used to access the platform because they can either warn or block your accounts.
Are there deposit or withdrawal fees?
Are there deposit or withdrawal fees? No, WPT Global does not charge fees for depositing or withdrawing.
When and where was the game of roulette first played?
When and where was the game of roulette first played? The game as we know it today first appeared in Paris in 1796, and quickly gained popularity throughout Europe, especially in the casinos of Monte Carlo. The addition of the zero by Francois and Louis Blanc in the mid-19th century helped to increase the house edge and make the game more profitable for casinos.