WSOP: Main Event Q and A -- Brandon Cantu

Brandon Cantu won the $10,000 World Poker Tour Bay 101 Shooting Star championship event in March, and during the 2006 World Series of Poker he survived a field of 2,776 to win a bracelet ($1,500 no-limit hold'em). So, perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise to see Cantu still around in the main event of the 2008 WSOP, which, of course, has a big buy-in and an enormous field. Cantu entered today with a slightly above-average chip stack, but he has surged to the top.

CardPlayer caught up with Cantu during the dinner break and asked him about the day so far, as well as what he expects at his new table, which has two big stacks and one big personality in Gert Andersen, David Rheem, and Mike Matusow, respectively.

Sharad Mattu: You've gone from 3 million in chips to 11 million in chips in three levels today. What has happened for you to be able to do that?

Brandon Cantu: It's just been a really good day. I feel like I'm playing really well. I feel I have everything under control and that it can continue to be that way.

SM: At your new table, you have two of the bigger stacks to your left. What effect will that have on how you play?

BC: Yeah, I just got moved to Mike's table. I'm not sure as of yet [how it will change things], but I think this is going to be a pretty tough table. I need some more time to see what I'm up against. I only got to play a few hands, and now we're on a long break. I don't know what's going on over here, yet.

SM: You have experience with tournaments with big buy-ins and big fields. Do you think that helps a lot?

BC: I know that it's an edge that I have that only a few of the others have. To have been in this type of situation and to know what it's like helps. There's a long way to go, but I'm really focused and ready to go. I just feel like I'm on top of my game right now. I feel like I'm absolutely playing the best poker I can.

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