Brandon Cantu was born and raised in Vancouver, Washington. For most of his young life, he struggled with what direction his life would take. During those formative years, it was poker that caught his eye on television, as it did with so many others. “I just thought that someone like Chris Moneymaker could do it, so it kinda made me do it.” And with the accompaniment of the poker boom and the World Poker Tour on television, he decided to give it a shot.

With online poker, it was simple for Brandon to deposit money in an online account and begin playing at the low limits. He took the time to learn the intricacies of the game, hone his skills, and seek an opportunity to display his skills in a live tournament circuit. With an ever-building bankroll, he took a trip to Las Vegas in the summer of 2006 and played the World Series of Poker. In the largest tournament ever outside of the main event, he competed in the $1500 no-limit hold’em tournament with 2,775 other players, and he won the bracelet. And with $757,839 added to his bankroll, he embarked on the tournament circuit.

Brandon competed in numerous tournaments around the world over the next year and a half, though he mostly stayed close to his new home in Las Vegas. Between cash games, local tournaments, and online poker, he bided his time and knew that he would add another victory to his resume when the time was right. That time was in March of 2008 at Bay 101 in San Jose, California. He not only felt positive during the WPT tournament and scored five bounties - $5000 bonuses for eliminating pro players – along the way, but he made it to the final table with a massive chip lead and won the Shooting Stars event. Joining a list of elite players who have won WSOP and WPT titles, Brandon and his renewed confidence in his game will surely be seen playing – and winning – more tournaments.