Saturday, October 22, 2016 12:01 AM Local Time
Joe Brandenburg Scores Long-Awaited Circuit Victory
Retired computer scientist finds success in all games, a ring in Omaha Hi-Lo
Hammond, Indiana (October 21, 2016) — Joe Brandenburg is the champion of Event #8 at Horseshoe Hammond, defeating a field of 163 players to win the $365 Omaha Hi-Lo event. The victory is Brandenburg’s first on the WSOP Circuit, earning him the top prize of $13,203 and his first gold ring. He also collected 50 points in the race for seats in the season-ending Global Casino Championship.
Brandenburg is a 67-year-old retired computer scientist from Portland, Oregon, and he plays all the games at a high level. “My favorite game is eight-game [mix],” he said when asked where this discipline ranks on his list of favorites. “I’d probably say, out of that mix, that Stud/8 is the most… subtle of the games. I feel like Omaha/8 comes right after that.”
The champ started playing poker when he was a teenager, but he’s taken his one-time hobby to a semi-professional level over the last 15 years. This performance is one better than his previous best Circuit result, which was a runner-up finish in a H.O.R.S.E. event in 2013. He also has some significant scores during the Las Vegas summers, including two WSOP final tables and one runner-up finish there. This win moves Brandenburg past $900,000 in career tournament earnings, with just one six-figure cash on the list.
Brandenburg’s background is in mathematics and physics, but he moved on to computer science during the latter half of his secular career. When asked if he drew on any of those old skills at the final table, he shrugged it off a bit. “Sure, it helps,” he said. “But I also spent time as a manager, so you have to have some people skills in those positions, too.”
There almost wasn’t a Day 2 at all for the eventual champion. Before the second break of Day 1, Brandenburg’s 10,000-chip starting stack had been whittled down to just 2,000. He ran it back up quickly, though, ending the day in fourth place with just 10 players remaining. By the time he got heads up with Ricky Goldman, he held a 3:1 chip lead, and the final battle did not last long.
On the last hand, Goldman took his stand with , and Brandenburg put him at risk with . The board ran out , and Brandenburg flopped a ten-high straight to win the pot and the tournament.
As he admired his new ring, Brandenburg found just a few words to explain his mood. “It feels really good,” he said succinctly. “It’s the most fun there is — playing final tables.”