Benny Glaser Finds Faults in his Three Bracelet Summer
While in contention for Player of the Year, Glaser feels like he's making up time.
Poker fans have been subjected to countless takes on how the World Series of Poker Player of the Year race should be scored ad nauseam. But for 2025, the formula is what it is, and Benny Glaser sits second in a race during a year when he won three bracelets.
Shaun Deeb and Martin Kabrhel box Glaser in the standings and while each has had an impressive year, in different fashions, they both won a single bracelet. Most would expect a strong opinion from a player in his spot, but most players aren’t half the gentleman Glaser is.
“Honestly, I don't necessarily feel that strongly about it,” Glaser said. “I've had countless people come up to me and say something about it. Potentially, a multiplier for winning multiple bracelets could be a cool thing.”
“But the formula already has a big jump between second and first (place), so I think it's reasonable overall,” Glaser said. “Obviously, I might be a bit biased in wanting to win POY but it's hard to have an all-around balanced formula.”
Mixed Game to High Rollers
It’s no surprise that Glaser’s three bracelets this year came from Mixed Game events, but we caught up with him in the $50,000 NL Hold’em High Roller. Those two player pools aren’t known for a lot of crossover.
“I’d like to think that I'm a well-rounded player and try to be reasonably well-studied across the board,” said Glaser. “I have a relatively good poker mind that makes me able to make those kinds of adjustments.”
The Growing Legend
Those adjustments are what makes the difference between a pro and a legend. A feat just eight players achieved in history. We asked Glaser what it’s like to have his name included with Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey and Puggy Pearson.
The normally reserved Brit couldn’t help letting a sly smile slip. “I’m not sure my younger self would have dreamed of winning one bracelet,” he said. “But three in one year – it felt surreal.”
A player has to do a lot of things right in order to win three tournaments in short order, but does Glaser think he’s made any wrong decisions this Series?
“The first month of the Series I was definitely not optimized for Player of the Year,” Glaser said. “I skipped a bunch of events that would have been better suited for me to play. So, my plan changed over the last few weeks and I’ve been playing almost everything.”
“The main mistake I made was that I wasn’t gambling hard enough in certain events,” he said. “I wasn’t playing the big field, No Limit events, so in hindsight I regret that.”
Photos courtesy of PokerOrg.