Poker Stories: Mike Holtz

Poker Stories

Mike Holtz spent his teen years as one of the best gamers around. In fact, at one point he was considered the top-ranked World of Warcraft player and was recruited to join a traveling league called the World Series of Video Gaming. Unfortunately for the Maryland native, the league went bust and he was left looking for his next step in life.

There were numerous jobs and even a stint in jail, but after rediscovering his love for poker in a local home game, Holtz decided to move across the country to Las Vegas to be closer to the action. Although he started in cash games, he found himself to be better suited to tournaments, specifically online at WSOP.com under the name 'BrockLesnar.' It was there that he won a WSOP Circuit ring and was crowned 2021 Player of the Year. Then in 2022, the 32-year-old added his first WSOP bracelet.

Highlights from this interview include Mega Bomber Man with mom, midnight baseball, World Series of Gaming and Napster, the mushroom diet, working as an underage bouncer, going to weekend jail, snitches get pizza, the hotel home game, building a bankroll, trying to beat Skyler, winning Player of the Year, having a spew tournament, the flop overcorrection, Hellmuth vs. Negreanu, from Bill to Brock, the sad ending for wrestlers, a barf 15-20 years in the making, abandoning Jeff Madsen to win a bracelet, Power Ranger hand kissing, avoiding spiders, Rat Fink Magoo, dodging highway traffic, and advocating for bomb pot tournaments.