Poker Stories: Brandon Shack-Harris

Brandon Shack-Harris was the breakout player of the 2014 World Series of Poker and finished runner-up in the Player of the Year standings only to three-time bracelet winner George Danzer. Shack-Harris won the $1,000 PLO event for $205,000, finished second in the $10,000 razz event for $182,000, took third in the $1,500 limit hold'em for another $78,000, and then he topped it all off by finishing runner-up to John Hennigan in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship for $938,000. In the following years, Shack-Harris proved he wasn't a one-summer wonder with six more final tables, including a win in the 2016 $10,000 PLO event for $895,000 and his second career WSOP bracelet. In total, the 37-year-old mixed-games phenom has cashed for more than $2.8 million in live tournaments, the majority of which came in just the last four years. A jack-of-all-trades musician himself, Shack-Harris was actually introduced to poker by the lead singer of the rock band Muse. Highlights from this interview include birthday interviews, a lack of slurpies, fleeing Silverchair drama in New Jersey, a sensory overload project, bonding with Muse over Chopin tattoos and poker, needing some disco rock band closure, a Super Massive Black Hole of disappointment, being a respectable short-stacker, why the polar bear comes out for stud 8, a dream connection with Phil Laak, selling his grandmother's house with Eric Rodawig, giving rebates to Dan Kelly, and trolling razz players in Russian.