No one won more World Series of Poker bracelets than Phil Hellmuth, and the Poker Brat extended his overall lead after he won his 17th bracelet during the 2023 WSOP. Hellmuth now has a seven-bracelet lead over a trio of legends tied for second most with ten bracelets: Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan, and Doyle Brunson.
Ivey last won a bracelet in 2014, and he’s been on a mission to win his eleventh bracelet for nearly a decade. Ivey and Hellmuth were among the final table combatants at 2023 WSOP Event No. 72 $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty NL. The single-day affair attracted 642 entrants, which generated a prize pool that fell just short of $6 million.
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Hellmuth and Ivey at Same Super Turbo Final Table
Hellmuth knocked out Ivey in dramatic fashion late into the tournament. It was well after 3 a.m. local time when Ivey made a final stand with King-Ten of diamonds, but got ambushed by Hellmuth’s pocket Aces. Hellmuth won the pot with two pair, and Ivey hit the rail in sixth place, which paid out $133,461.
Hellmuth denied Ivey a chance to win bracelet No. 11 and move into second place overall on the all-time bracelet list. If Ivey prevailed and won the tournament, then he’d have 11 bracelets and only trail Hellmuth by five.
Helmuth, Zaki Heads Up
Justin Zaki and Hellmuth squared off in a single hand, heads-up battle to determine the Super Turbo Bounty champion. Both players limped into the pot. Zaki flopped a huge draw with the 7-6 of spades, but Hellmuth flopped two pair with 8-4 offsuit. Hellmuth led out on the flop, Zaki shoved with a straight-flush draw, and Hellmuth called. The four of diamonds fell on the turn and Hellmuth improved to a full house. Zaki could only win the pot with a straight flush, and would double up if the five of spades spiked on the river. Alas, the King of spades was the river card. Zaki improved to King-high flush, but Hellmuth won the pot and tournament with a full house — eights over fours.
First place paid out $803,818 to Hellmuth, who won bracelet No. 17. He has cashed ten times during the 2023 WSOP, but this marked his first and only final table appearance this summer.
For his career, Hellmuth has cashed 199 times. That’s the most in WSOP history. He won just shy of $17 million in various WSOP events. He has 17 first-place finishes at the WSOP, but also has a staggering 14 runner-up finishes, and four third-place finishes.
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Birth of the Poker Brat
Hellmuth was only 24-years-old when he defeated Johnny Chan heads up to win the 1989 World Series of Poker Main Event championship and secure his first bracelet. The victory put Hellmuth on the map as an up-and-coming force in the poker world. Veterans were quick to bestow him with the “Poker Brat” moniker due to his whiney nature at the tables.
In 1992, Hellmuth added a second bracelet with a win in $5,000 Limit Hold’em. He’d strike gold three times the next summer with a hat trick at the 1993 WSOP. He won three consecutive events and successfully defended his title in the $5,000 Limit Hold ’em event. He also won a pair of no-limit bracelets in $1,500 NL and $2,500 NL.
At the 1997 WSOP, Hellmuth defeated Tom McEvoy heads up to win $3,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em and a sixth bracelet. It would mark Hellmuth’s last bracelet in the 1990s, but all six were in hold’em events.
At the start of the 21st Century, Hellmuth was no longer a kid. He was still known as the Poker Brat but he was in his mid-30s and about to fend off a generation of new pros that cut their teeth on the internet. Hellmuth ended a four-year drought and won a seventh bracelet at the 2001 WSOP. He edged out TJ Cloutier in a heads-up battle to win $2,000 NL.
One of Hellmuth’s best overall performances occurred in 2003, during one of the final years that the WSOP was hosted at Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in downtown Las Vegas. Hellmuth won two bracelets at the 2003 WSOP, which was overshadowed by Chris Moneymaker’s Main Event victory. Hellmuth won his eighth bracelet in $2,500 Limit Hold’em, and defeated Daniel Negreanu in a heads-up battle to win $3,000 NL and snag a ninth bracelet.
Hellmuth Ties, Then Passes Brunson and Chan
Hellmuth reached a historic milestone with a tenth bracelet at the 2006 WSOP. That tied him with Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson, who had both won their tenth bracelet the previous summer.
Hellmuth didn’t waste any time before he pulled away from Chan and Brunson and won bracelet No. 11 at the 2007 WSOP in a $1,500 NL event.
Hellmuth hit a dry spell over the next few summers, and came close three times at the 2011 WSOP. He was a runner-up in 2-7 Lowball Draw, Seven-Card Stud Hi/Lo, and the $50K Poker Players Championship.
Hellmuth returned to the winner’s circle with two bracelet victories in 2012. He won bracelet No. 12 in Las Vegas in $2,500 Razz, which marked his first non-hold’em bracelet. Hellmuth won the WSOP Europe Main Event in Cannes, France for bracelet No. 13 and a score worth €1 million. The Poker Brat made history once again when he became the first (and only) player to win the WSOP Main Event and the WSOP Europe Main Event.
Hellmuth snagged bracelet No. 14 during the 2015 WSOP with a win at the $10,000 Razz Championship. He proved that his initial Razz victory three years earlier was not a fluke.
Hellmuth Breaks Bracelet Drought
It took three more years before Hellmuth locked up bracelet No. 15 at the 2018 WSOP. He was the last player standing in $5,000 NL.
The 2021 WSOP was delayed a couple of months due to the pandemic, but Hellmuth was in rare form with one victory and two second-place finishes. He emerged victorious in $1,500 NL Deuce to Seven Lowball Draw to win bracelet No. 16. He also added two more runner-up finishes in $50,000 PLO High Roller and $10,000 Dealers Choice (6-Handed).
Last summer, Hellmuth finished in second place for the 14th time in his illustrious career when he was the runner-up in $3,000 NL Freezeout.
Hellmuth padded his overall bracelet lead at the 2023 WSOP with a victory in the $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty to claim bracelet No. 17.
At WSOP.com new players get $50 Free Play just for signing up. Unlock the first $25 in freeplay, then unlock the next $25 in freeplay by making your first deposit. Start reaping the benefits of joining the No. 1 real money poker site in the world.
