The controversial poker player, Phil Hellmuth, is no stranger to dividing opinion in the poker community. Despite this, when it comes to his performances at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), he is the most efficient player around. Every time criticism of Hellmuth arises, he sets out to prove his detractors wrong and once again demonstrates why he is one of the best at what he does.
Today, Phil Hellmuth has achieved the extraordinary. Having won his 17th WSOP event, he is now firmly ahead of his rivals in the “most wins” category. It’s worth noting that no other poker player comes even close; Phil Ivey, Johnny Chan and recently deceased Doyle Brunson are all tied for second place with 10 wins each. Clearly, Hellmuth is the best player in the world when it comes to WSOP.
He won his 17th bracelet in the Event #72: $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em. It was a one-day event, with 642 poker players taking part. Blinds changed every 20 minutes and a $3,000 bounty was awarded for every elimination. There was just over $4m to be distributed among 97 players.
Two of the poker finest at the final table
The final table of this event included another very well-known player. Considered by many to be the GOAT of poker, Phli Ivey. However, the American had to settle for a 6th place finish. He was eliminated from the tournament by Hellmuth, who isolated his all-in with a pair of AA. Ivey only had KdTd, and the board ran: 4s, Qh, 4h, Jh, 3c, so it was over for him.
In heads-up Helmuth met with his fellow countryman Justin Zaki. At the begining of this duel stacks were almost even. Yet “Poker Brat” emerged victorious after just one hand, claiming his 17th World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet and the grand prize of $803,818.
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Both players saw the: 8s, Kc, and 4s after a limped action preflop. Phil led out with a bet of 1 million, and his opponent announced all-in and was quickly called. Hellmuth had two pairs (8c and 4h) whereas Zaki had a monster draw (6s and 7s). The turn paired board with a 4 of diamonds, which gave the chip leader a full house. All he had to do was to dodge 5 of spades on the river. The river dropped a K of spades, making Phil victorious once again! What an amazing performance!
Congrats to @phil_hellmuth on winning bracelet #17 just now! #WSOP (video from @StevejKraft) pic.twitter.com/Yups91Jp98
— Tim Totten (@N4GN) July 2, 2023
| # | Player | Nationality | Winnings (USD) |
| 1 | Phil Hellmuth | USA | $803,818 |
| 2 | Justin Zaki | USA | $496,801 |
| 3 | Tom Kunze | Germany | $349,737 |
| 4 | Kelvin Kerber | Brazil | $249,876 |
| 5 | Chris Savage | USA | $181,230 |
| 6 | Phil Ivey | USA | $133,461 |
| 7 | Brandon Steven | USA | $99,817 |
| 8 | Marc Foggin | UK | $75,837 |
| 9 | Abdella Ali | USA | $58,546 |
| 10 | Lawrence Brandt | USA | $45,938 |
There are no adequate words to capture the magnitude of Phil Hellmuth’s accomplishment this evening. It is an inspiring feat and a testament to his commitment to the game. Congratulations, Phil! We can’t wait to see what else you will achieve in your poker career.