Juha Helppi

Juha Helppi

Nationality
Finland
Finland
GPI Rank 381
WSOP Bracelets 2
WPT Wins 1
Total Live Earnings $9,270,953
The Hendon Mob Data provided by The Hendon Mob

Biography

Finnish poker legend Juha Helppi, born March 4, 1977, has amassed more than $8 million in tournament earnings dating back to 2001 according to the Hendon Mob, which puts him second on Finland’s all-time money list behind only Patrik Antonius.

He first rose to fame during the early days of the World Poker Tour (WPT) when he won the first-ever WPT Aruba Poker Classic for $75,000 and then a few years later finished runner-up to Roland De Wolfe in the WPT Grand Prix de Paris at the Aviation Club de France for $318,528.

Helppi, a former poker dealer in Finland, won his first World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet in 2019 when he took down Event #72: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship for $306,622.

“Of course, it feels great. I don’t feel that tired right now because it’s so exciting to play for a bracelet. I’ve been coming here since 2003,” Helppi said at the time. “This means a lot to me to win a bracelet. It’s such a long journey.”

While Helppi had to wait a long time to get his first piece of WSOP gold, he didn’t have to wait long for the second. Just a year later in the WSOP Online GGPoker Event #35: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship, he bested a 328-entry field to win his second bracelet and a $290,286 top prize.

An Accomplished Paintball Champion

In his personal life, Helppi is the Captain of the “Finnish Dream Team,” which won the 2022 Finnish National Paintball Champions. It’s not the first time either as Helppi was the captain of the team when they won the same title in 1996, 2003, 2007, 2008, and 2014!

Helppi started playing paintball when he was just 15 years old by following in the footsteps of Olli, his little brother who had taken up the sport first. Fittingly, the Helppi brothers have been a part of the same team all these years.

The championship Finnish Dream Team consisted of Juha Helppi, Olli Helppi, Pasi Muurinen, Tuomas Manninen, Santeri Manninen, Kai-Markus Lilli, Mark Nuutinen, Heikki Siltala, and Tuomas Mertsalmi.

“I have been our team captain for over 20 years now and I am getting to decide who plays in the team and which strategy we use at each point,” Helppi revealed. “Paintball is a lot about strategy and guessing how your opponent’s play. Teamwork and communication in the field are also very important, you need to know where your players and opponents are and how many players both teams have left. In the team, you need a few fast runners, but back players can be a bit older, bigger, and slower if they shoot and communicate well.”

Juha Helppi’s Top 10 Tournament Cashes

DateTournamentPlacePrize
October 2015EPT Malta €25,000 High Roller2nd$399,261
December 2016EPT Prague €50,000 Super High Roller3rd$360,186
July 2006WSOP $1,000 NLH2nd$331,144
December 2014EPT Prague €50,000 Super High Roller4th$330,933
July 2019WSOP Event #72: $10,000 Limit Hold’em Championship1st$306,622
July 2005WPT Grand Prix de Paris2nd$305,160
July 2020WSOP Online GGPoker Event #35: $5,000 PLO1st$290,286
May 2011EPT Madrid €25,000 High Roller3rd$274,582
January 2009EPT Deauville €20,000 High Roller1st$254,598
December 2009Full Tilt Poker Million VIII $20,000 Final2nd$250,000

PokerNews Covered Events

Event Place Prize
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #73: $25,000 High Roller Pot-Limit Omaha (8-Handed)
5th $524,911
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #42: $10,000 Seven Card Stud Championship
6th $46,084
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #34: $2,500 Freezeout No-Limit Hold'em
4th $151,592
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #19: $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship (8-Handed)
10th $24,740
2024 World Series of Poker
Event #9: $1,500 Limit Hold'em (8-Handed)
4th $37,880
2024 Irish Open
€1,150 Main Event
141st €4,100
2023 PokerStars EPT Prague
€1,100 Eureka Main Event
523rd €1,940
2023 PokerStars EPT Prague
€2,200 Eureka High Roller
124th €4,310
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #50: $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship
12th $60,136
2023 World Series of Poker
Event #37: $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em
137th $4,346
2022 PokerStars EPT Prague
€10,300 EPT Prague High Roller
37th €17,970
2022 PokerStars EPT Prague
€3,000 EPT Mystery Bounty
18th €9,490
2022 PokerStars EPT Prague
€1,100 Eureka Main Event
409th €2,280
2022 PokerStars EPT Barcelona
€3,000 Mystery Bounty Championship
112th €3,980
2022 PokerStars EPT Barcelona
€1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event
639th €2,330
2021 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #13: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship
17th $13,484
2021 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #6: $200 FLIP & GO NO-Limit Hold'em [Go Stage], $1M GTD
207th $1,632
2021 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #7: $1,500 MILLIONAIRE MAKER NLH - $1M for 1st [Final Day], $5M GTD
329th $3,377
2021 partypoker MILLIONS Online
Main Event
158th $10,695
2020 GGPoker WSOP Winter Online Circuit
WSOPC #16: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Championship
41st $5,848
2020 WPT World Online Championships
Event #8: $10,300 Main Event, $10m GTD
50th $37,407
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #74: $1,500 Pot Limit Omaha
127th $3,412
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #73: $1,000 No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed
138th $2,944
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #67: $500 Limit Hold'em
77th $1,126
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #66: $800 Pot Limit Omaha
127th $1,944
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #63: $500 Mini Main Event, $5M GTD
558th $2,479
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #60: $525 Bounty No Limit Hold'em 6-Handed
20th $3,042
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #53: $800 Double Stack Pot Limit Omaha
14th $4,575
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #50: $2,100 No Limit Hold'em Bounty Championship
71st $3,020
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #49: $500 Turbo Deepstack No Limit Hold'em
133rd $1,898
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #42: $400 PLOSSUS [Day 2], $1M GTD
65th $1,166
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #41: $400 COLOSSUS [Day 2], $3M GTD
1014th $1,011
2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Bracelet Events
Event #35: $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship
1st $290,286
2020 Irish Open Online
Event #20: €50,000 GTD PLO 8-Max
16th €2,720
2020 Irish Open Online
Event #8: €200,000 GTD High Roller
7th €11,642
2019 Coolbet Open II
€550 Main Event
13th €3,000
2019 PokerStars.es EPT Barcelona
€10,300 EPT High Roller
52nd €21,480
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #89: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em
53rd $10,382
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #85: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed
11th $26,277
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #80: $1,500 Mixed No-Limit Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha
167th $2,260
2019 World Series of Poker
Event #72: $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship
1st $306,622
2018 PokerStars EPT Prague
€5,300 EPT Main Event
58th €14,520
2018 World Series of Poker
Event #70: $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Handed
2nd $95,380
2018 OlyBet Kings of Tallinn
€1,100 Main Event
1st €62,000
2017 PokerStars Championship Barcelona
Main Event
79th €15,490
2017 World Series of Poker
Event #64: $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em/Pot-Limit Omaha 8-Handed Mix
28th $6,718
2017 World Series of Poker
Event #56: $5,000 No-Limit Hold'em
23rd $16,889
2017 World Series of Poker
Event #53: $3,000 Limit Hold'em 6-Handed
20th $6,464
2017 World Series of Poker
Event #49: $3,000 Pot-Limit Omaha 6-Handed
50th $5,407
2016 PokerStars EPT Season 13 Prague
€5,300 Main Event
98th €13,830
2016 PokerStars EPT Season 13 Prague
€50,000 Super High Roller
3rd €341,150
2016 Master Classics of Poker
Main Event
4th €92,057
2016 PokerStars.es EPT Season 13 Barcelona
€25,500 Single-Day High Roller
19th €50,940
2015 PokerStars EPT Season 12 Prague
€5,300 Main Event
114th €10,280
2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 12 Malta
€25,750 High Roller
2nd €354,440
2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 12 Barcelona
€25,500 Single-Day High Roller
23rd €21,600
2014 PokerStars.com EPT Season 11 Prague
€50,000 Super High Roller
4th €269,360
2014 Master Classics of Poker
Main Event
20th €10,621
2014 PokerStars.com EPT Season 11 Barcelona
€10,300 High Roller
17th €42,000
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #48: $2,500 Limit Hold'em (Six Handed)
3rd $82,956
2013 World Series of Poker
Event #41: $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (Six Handed)
36th $10,960
2013 PokerStars.com EPT Berlin
Main Event
62nd €12,000
2012 PokerStars.net EPT Prague
High Roller
3rd €121,800
2012 World Poker Tour Grand Prix de Paris
Main Event
20th €16,835
2012 PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen
Main Event
30th 65,000 DKK
2011 EPT Copenhagen
Main Event
8th 296,400 DKK
2010 World Series of Poker
Event #57: $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em Championship
86th $79,806
2010 EPT Copenhagen
Main Event
34th 65,000 DKK
2009 PKR Heads Up Grand Slam
PKR Heads Up Grand Slam
2nd $70,000
2009 World Series of Poker
Event 56 - $5,000 Six-handed No Limit Hold'em
82nd $9,159
2009 World Series of Poker
Event 50 - $1,500 Limit Hold'em Shootout
34th $4,350
2008 PokerStars.com EPT - Prague
€5,250 Championship Main Event
48th €8,300
2007 World Series of Poker
Event 38 - $1,500 No Limit Holdem
236th $3,223

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