Player Focus: sbrugby

Since crashing onto the poker scene in 2006, Brian Townsend aka “sbrugby” or “aba20” has become an online legend – not as a tournament player but as a cash game player.

On any given day, you can see him playing at the highest limits on Full Tilt. The normal game of $200/$400NL has a maximum buy-in of $40,000. Many nights sbrugby will end up having close to $200,000 at the end of his session.

* * * * * * * ADVERTISEMENT * * * * * * *

Poker Verdict Private Tournaments and Freerolls:
Over $5,000 Added prize money every month

 Poker Verdict Special Offers:
Claim over $1,500 in free poker chips

* * * * * * * ADVERTISEMENT * * * * * * *

Townsend is 25-years-old and has only been playing for a couple of years. He won a small $20 buy-in tournament for about $2,000 and the legend goes he has never had to reload his account and has become a multi-millionaire since.

He grew up in northern California and went to college at the University of California at Santa Barbara, graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering and beginning a PhD but dropping out to pursue a career in poker. Good career move, Bri!

Phil Ivey went through a period of battling him every night for a couple of weeks recently. But whereas most of Ivey’s opponents get crushed never to reappear after Ivey destroys them, sbrugby has proved a trickier customer.

His power play with Ivey attracted several hundred railbirds who loved to eyeball the high stakes action. You can see how one of the bigger hands between the two played out below.

Sbrugby plays a very aggressive style and is constantly applying pressure on his opponents. Anytime he notices weakness in his opponent he will put his opponent to the test. His amazing ability to read his opponent’s hand puts him among the best in the world.

He claims he isn’t affected by the huge swings that go with playing massive cash games and seems to have that total disregard for money that marks out many a great poker player.

He told an interview with Pocket Fives: “I don't really think about the stakes now - I just play as I did when I was playing 5/10 NL. The monetary swings bother me as much as they used to in 5/10. I think I have an edge in pretty much every game I play. I used to tilt very badly when playing, but I have overcome this with exercise and green tea, which have helped me relax. I still tilt at times, but I am much better than I used to be,” he says.

He adds: “As you move up levels you get adjusted to the limits and swings. When I first started losing $100 was a massive loss, and now I don't even lose sleep over a $250k loss. So you adjust as you move up.”

Townsend loves poker so much he has even bought a chunk of CardRunners.com, one of the best providers of online poker training videos. As well as owning a share he has also become one of the instructors on the website so if you want to pick up some of his skills why not buy one of his videos.

Picture: Courtesy of thepokerdb.com

A Hand Townsend Battled Phil Ivey In:

sbrugby ($61,499.50) vs. Phil Ivey ($73,040)

No limit Hold'em
Heads Up

sbrugby posts the small blind of $300
Phil Ivey posts the big blind of $600

*** HOLE CARDS ***

sbrugby raises to $1,800
Phil Ivey calls $1,200

*** FLOP ***

Ks-3c-7s

Phil Ivey checks
sbrugby bets $3,200
Phil Ivey calls $3,200

*** TURN ***

Jh

Phil Ivey checks
sbrugby bets $8,800
Phil Ivey raises to $23,400
sbrugby calls $14,600

*** RIVER ***

4s

Phil Ivey bets $44,640, and is all in
sbrugby calls $33,099.50, and is all in
Uncalled bet of $11,540.50 returned to Phil Ivey

*** SHOW DOWN ***

Phil Ivey shows Kd-Jd (two pair, Kings and Jacks)

sbrugby shows 8s-As (a flush, Ace high)

sbrugby wins the pot ($122,998.50) with a flush, Ace high

THE OTHER TOP ONLINE PLAYERS

Top US Players

Top Swedish Players

Top German Players

Top Italian Players

Top Norwegian Players

Top Canadian Players

Top UK Players

Top Female Players

Top French Players

Go to Poker Verdict's Player Profile Archive