Phil Hellmuth Reaches WSOP Mixed Omaha Final Table; 18th Bracelet Awaits?
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Five days after Phil Ivey moved alone into second place all-time by winning his 11th bracelet, Phil Hellmuth is on the verge of extending his record.
The "Poker Brat" has reached the final table in Event #43: $1,500 Mixed Omaha on Tuesday, meaning he could be hours away from capturing his 18th bracelet, seven more than any other player has won.
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Last year, in the wee hours of the morning, Hellmuth took down Number 17, beating out 642 entrants to win the $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty for $803,818.
Hellmuth Remains at the Top of His Game
It's been 17 years since Hellmuth set the record for most WSOP titles with 11, surpassing Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan, the player he defeated heads-up in the 1989 WSOP Main Event, denying Chan a third consecutive world title. On Tuesday, he could create an even larger gap from the competition.
Hellmuth entered Day 3 in the Mixed Omaha event sixth in chips out of the 22 remaining players — 853 entered the tournament. Play began at 1 p.m. PT from the Horseshoe Las Vegas Events Center. Reaching the final table on Day 3 hasn't been a cakewalk for the "Poker Brat," not when facing a final session field that includes Shaun Deeb, Nathan Gamble, and other crushers.
Within the first 30 minutes of play on Tuesday, four players had busted. At that point, there hadn't been much movement from Hellmuth's stack. He remained in solid position to make a run at the final table. That didn't change as the field dwindled down to 16 players.
Hellmuth spent the first couple of hours on Day 3 biding his time, waiting to make a move. He avoided any major confrontations early in the session. The same could be said about Deeb, who began the day with a below average stack and wasn't able to make a move during the first two levels of the final day. But the six-time bracelet winner would run out of chips in 16th place for $7,543.
As the day progressed, Hellmuth's stack began to dip further from the chip leaders. He simply couldn't find a hand to double up or even win a big pot. Four hours into the session, with 11 players still standing, only Edward Jackson Spivack had a smaller stack.
But Hellmuth has a lengthy history of battling through a tournament with a short stack. If there's any poker player in history who best exemplifies "chip and a chair," it's the "Poker Brat." Right on cue, Hellmuth battled his way to the final table despite never really getting much going on Day 3. And now he's potentially six eliminations away from his 18th bracelet, a record that may never be broken.
At the time of publishing, eight players remained, all guaranteed at least $19,009, but the big prize is $196,970 and a gold bracelet, which for Hellmuth would be his record-extending 18th.
At approximately 6:30 p.m. PT, Edward Jackson Spivack went out in ninth place ($14,664), setting up the unofficial final table. Hellmuth had built up a stack of 2.7 million chips, putting him middle of the pack.
The official final table will be when the tournament reaches seven players. If Hellmuth advances at least one spot further, it will be his 73rd official World Series of Poker final table, another record that may never be topped.
Phil Hellmuth's 17 World Series of Poker Bracelets
| Year | Event | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | $10,000 WSOP Main Event | $755,000 |
| 1992 | Event #8: $5,000 Limit Hold'em | $188,000 |
| 1993 | Event #7: $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em | $173,000 |
| 1993 | Event #8: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em | $161,400 |
| 1993 | Event #9: $5,000 Limit Hold'em | $138,000 |
| 1997 | Event #15: $3,000 Pot-Limit Hold'em | $204,000 |
| 2001 | Event #3: $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em | $316,550 |
| 2003 | Event #12: $2,500 Limit Hold'em | $171,400 |
| 2003 | Event #32: $3,000 No-Limit Hold'em | $410,860 |
| 2006 | Event #34: $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em | $631,863 |
| 2007 | Event #15: $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | $637,25 |
| 2012 | Event #18: $2,500 Seven Card Razz | $182,793 |
| 2012 | WSOPE €10,000 Main Event | €1,022,376 ($1,333,841) |
| 2015 | Event #17: $10,000 Razz Championship | $271,105 |
| 2018 | Event #71: $5,000 No Limit Hold’em | $485,082 |
| 2021 | Event #31: $1,500 No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | $84,851 |
| 2023 | Event #72: $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty | $803,818 |
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