Born and raised in Mason, Michigan, Brett Faustman grew up knowing the true meaning of competition. He was a wrestler in school, rose to the top of his field in college, and even made it to the nationals with Central Michigan University where he ended up graduating with an MBA in marketing. And it was during a wrestling camp in just the sixth grade that he learned how to play poker with friends. To this day, he counts among his greatest accomplishments taking money from his college wresting teammates. Though he no longer wrestles – instead is a commercial insurance salesman – the sense of competition and yearning to win will always be a part of him.

Prior to Brett’s foray into the insurance business, he was a poker dealer for three years. It was during that time that he was able to watch players at all levels and incorporate new strategies into his game. Whether playing with friends or at in the games at various casinos, Brett continues to improve his poker skills. Between his confidence in his game and a longing to compete at the highest level of the game, he looked to do what numerous other players had done – win a World Poker Tour event.

Brett traveled to the Gold Strike in Tunica in January of 2008 to do just that. He entered a $1000 satellite and won his entry into his first $10,000 buy-in WPT event – the World Poker Open. He navigated the tough field, surpassing many of the great players in the game, and found himself at the final table under the lights and cameras of the WPT production set. Up against players like Men “The Master” Nguyen, Hoyt Corkins, and Freddy Deeb, he maneuvered around them and took down the event, winning the first place title and nearly $900,000 in the process.