Todd Brunson: Winner of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament Season 3

After an unsuccessful stint in the second season of one of the most illustrious poker tournaments worldwide, Todd Brunson returned on the third season of the poker superstars invitational tournament to redeem himself from that disappointing loss by capturing the title. Unlike in the second season, he immediately made some impressive victories right from the beginning, making him an early favorite to win the contest. Although there were 23 other outstanding poker competitors to contend with all throughout the season, Brunson did not back out from the challenge and instead made sure that no opportunity is ever wasted in this splendid title run.

Brunson's first ever match in the third season came in the second elimination match, where he finished a decent third over the likes of Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson, and Eli Elezra. After that excellent start, he took part in the seventh elimination match wherein he solidified his championship campaign for the season by making it first overall. Aside from the praise and respect that he earned from that precious victory, Brunson also won $10,000 in cash prize for winning that particular event.

Eagerly awaiting his next stint in this highly reputable poker tournament, Brunson soon find himself competing in the tenth elimination match, which he played quite low by finishing only fifth overall. Despite that relatively low performance, he still got his way into the next rounds of the tournament because of his strong performances in the previous two elimination matches. Moving on to the ensuing rounds, Brunson got another decent finish in the sixteenth elimination match, grabbing the fourth overall spot over Kassem Deeb and Joe Hachem.

To make up for his lackadaisical performances in some of the elimination matches in the third season of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament, he finished his final regular match for the season by winning the nineteenth elimination match. Among those he defeated in that particular event were Hachem, Mimi Tran, Barry Greenstein, Cyndy Violette, and Daniel Negreanu. Aside from an excellent way of finishing the elimination round, he was also able to take home an extra $10,000 for that particular victory.

At the Super 16 round, Brunson was placed in Group D, where he joined outstanding poker players like Ivey, Negreanu, and Carlos Mortensen. Right in the first match of that particular round, he won right away to buy himself some time to prepare for the ensuing crucial rounds of the tournament. That first place finish not only earned him a guaranteed seat at the semifinal round, but it also brought him $15,000.

The quarterfinal round of the Poker Superstars Invitational Tournament was just as exciting, with Brunson placed in Group B together with Mike Matusow, Gus Hansen, and Jeff Shulman. Copying his tremendously outstanding performance in the previous round, he once again dominated the first match of that particular round, ensuring his seat to the final match. As Antonio Esfandiari won the Group A, he and Brunson would have to compete in one final match to determine the winner of this prestigious event. In the end, the consistent plays and effective strategies of Brunson got the best of Esfandiari.