Humberto Brenes

{{Short description|Costa Rican poker player (born 1951)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}

{{Infobox poker player

|name=Humberto Brenes

|nickname=The Shark

|image=Humberto Brenes.jpg

|caption=Humberto Brenes at the World Series of Poker

|hometown=San José, Costa Rica

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1951|5|8}}

|wsop bracelet count=2

|wsop money finishes=82

|wsop main event best finish rank=4th

|wsop main event best finish year=1988

|multi-year wsop winner=

|wpt titles=None

|wpt final tables=3

|wpt money finishes=8

|updated=2014-7-16

}}

Humberto Brenes ({{IPA|es|umˈbeɾto ˈβɾenes}}; born May 8, 1951) is a Costa Rican professional poker player.

In 1988, Brenes made the final table of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event, finishing in fourth place and winning $83,050.{{Cite web |title=19th World Series of Poker - WSOP 1988, No Limit Hold'em World Championship |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=8023 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}} He has collected two WSOP bracelets, cashed 72 times at the WSOP and made three World Poker Tour final tables.

Brenes's two bracelets came at the 1993 World Series of Poker in limit Texas hold 'em and pot limit Omaha.{{Cite web |title=24th World Series of Poker - WSOP 1993, Omaha Pot Limit |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=7930 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=24th World Series of Poker - WSOP 1993, Limit Hold'em |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=7939 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}} He tied with Phil Hellmuth, Jr. for highest number of money finishes (eight) in the 2006 WSOP. He also finished first, winning $502,460 at the Jack Binion 2002 World Poker Open, beating Erik Seidel heads up.{{Cite web |title=The Third Annual Jack Binion World Poker Open, No Limit Texas Hold'em Championship |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=12944 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}}

Brenes's unique dress makes him easy to spot at tournaments, as he tends to wear bright tracksuits, two pairs of glasses, one on top of the other, and a visor. He uses a toy shark as a card protector, the origin of his nickname. A relentless self-promoter, the bright tracksuit and toy shark are consistent with Brenes' ostentatious personality; he will often use the shark to belittle his opponents, thus gaining himself more time in front of the cameras. He is also known for singing during hands.

He also is a member of Team PokerStars. Brenes plays under the screen name "HumbertoB".{{cite web |url=http://www.humbertobrenes.net/biography/ |title=Team PokerStars Pro - Humberto Brenes |access-date=September 14, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120802091835/http://www.humbertobrenes.net/biography/ |archive-date=August 2, 2012 }}

Two of his brothers, Alex Brenes and Eric Brenes, have won World Poker Tour titles.{{Cite web |last=Clark |first=Matt |date=December 3, 2019 |title=Paradise Poker: Jeff Blenkarn’s Costa Rica Cardplaying Life Includes a Hammock |url=https://www.worldpokertour.com/news/paradise-poker-jeff-blenkarns-costa-rica-cardplaying-life-includes-a-hammock/ |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=WSOP.com |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Alex Brenes |url=https://www.worldpokertour.com/player/alex-brenes/ |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=World Poker Tour |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Laurrell |first=Nick |date=2008-06-27 |title=Humberto Brenes - Poker Player Profile |url=https://www.pokernewsdaily.com/humberto-brenes-78/ |access-date=2024-04-11 |website=Poker News Daily |language=en-US}}

In 2006, Brenes finished 36th in the WSOP Main Event in a field of 8,773 and in 2007, Brenes cashed in the money again in the $10,000 No Limit Hold'em Main Event Championship, placing 83rd out of a field of 6,358 players, winning $82,476.{{Cite web |title=37th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2006, No Limit Texas Hold'em - World Championship Event |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=15849 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=38th World Series of Poker - WSOP 2007, World Championship No Limit Hold'em |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/event.php?a=r&n=26201 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}} Brenes was eliminated by Hevad Khan. In the hand Brenes with approximately 1,500,000 in chips had raised to 85,000, Khan then re-raised to 205,000, Brenes in dramatic fashion then went all-in holding {{Red|A♥ K♥}} and was instantly called by Khan who held pocket Aces, one of which was a spade. The board came 3♠ 5♠ K♠ {{Red|4♦}} 10♠ giving Khan the ace high flush.{{Cite web |date=2007-07-15 |title=Event 55 - $10,000 World Championship No Limit Holdem Day 5 |url=https://www.pokernews.com/tours/wsop/2007-wsop/event-55-world-championship-no-limit-holdem/day5/ |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=PokerNews |language=en}} However, with the 83rd-place finish, Brenes made WSOP history with the largest number of Main Event players outlasted in a two-year span with 15,012.

As of 2023, his total live tournament winnings exceed $6,100,000.{{Cite web |title=Humberto Brenes' profile on The Hendon Mob |url=https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=31 |access-date=2023-12-24 |website=The Hendon Mob Poker Database |language=en}} His 72 cashes in the WSOP account for $2,264,333 of those winnings, which he takes credit personally but also attributes greatly to his mentor and coach, Andrés "El Pemorado" Calderón.{{Cite web |title=Humberto Brenes |url=https://www.wsop.com/players/profile/?playerid=246 |access-date=2024-03-31 |website=WSOP.com}}