Poker Player - Rusty Mandap
Rusty Mandap hails from Hawaii, and takes the easy charm of the islands with him to the tables. His poker preferences are for Omaha Hi-Lo and Omaha Limit Hold'em, and it is well known that his dream is to win a World Series of Poker Omaha main event. Thus far, his dream has eluded him, but remains arguably in easy reach considering his skill at the game.
Rusty works at the Hawaiian Gardens Casino in California as a Tournament Director as well as playing in professional tournaments. It could be said that his life is one that is fully immersed in all sides of the poker world, from organising to playing! Despite working full time at the casino however, Rusty has still found the time to play in over 33 high profile tournaments in the last 5 years. In 2003, he came second in the Legends of Poker tournament taking a prize of $15,410, third in the Grand Slam of Poker event and Fifth at the California State Poker Championship. In 2005, he managed to have two top ten finishes. To date, his total winnings are in the region of $83,000.
So who does he admire? Rusty has said that when playing Omaha, the player that he most likes to watch and learn from is Steve Badger, for his aggressive play and challenging style. With his easy going nature and willingness to rise to a challenge, the World Series of Poker for Omaha could still be in reach for Rusty Mandap!
Tournament Earnings:
2005 (until August) - $6275.
2004 - $34,764.
2003 - $28,100.
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