Humberto Brenes
If you look at the long list of poker players, most of them come from the United States or Europe. Many are only in their twenties and have been playing professionally for a few years. One of the true icons of poker hails from the sunny country of Costa Rica. Humberto Brenes has poker career that others can only dream of – over two decades.
Brenes worked as an industrial engineer who ventured out to different businesses. His vast empire includes hotels, construction firms and real estate just to name a few. His gift for manging his business made him a busy man, but this did not stop him from establishing his poker career which brought him big bucks. He learned playing cards from his father. Later on, he made it big playing Baccarat all over the Bahamas. The growing popularity of poker drove him to learn the game and eventually transition to it. He first landed at the top spot in 1993 at the World Series of Poker $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha and the $2,500 Limit Hold’em and walked away with $128,000 and $149,000 respectively. He got his two bracelets from the two events and has a total of 55 cashes from the World Series of Poker. He also did well in the World Poker Tournament bagging more than $1,735,780.
Humberto is easy to spot in a crowded venue. He is famous for his bright tracksuits, visor and the toy shark he uses as a card protector. Fellow player have high respect for him because of his impressive record. He spends his time managing his empire and gives back to the community by supporting shark conservation efforts. This family man takes time off to teach others the tricks in poker. Truly, this Costa Rican poker star is an inspiration to a lot of people.