Famous player are like buses, as soon I highlight the prevalent presence of the Mateyboy, two big boys come along to spoil the party. With last year’s Main Event finalist, Allen Cunningham, taking down Event 13’s $5,000 Freezeout, in storms the Poker Brat to snap up what is an awe-inspiring 11th World Series of Poker bracelet.Love him or hate him, Phil Hellmuth Jnr. Is undoubtedly one of, if not the game’s greatest ever player, surpassing other legends Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan in the race to possess the heaviest wrists in poker.
At the moment, only the combined force of Jimmy Saville and Mr T own more jewellery, and at just 42 years of age, Hellmuth has plenty more time to add to his ever-expanding trophy cabinet.
Phil Hellmuth’s WSOP record is near impecible. He has cashed 59 times, more than anyone else in the World, and has reached 39 final tables, just one behind current leader, Tj Cloutier. And now, for the first time in his career, he holds the distinct honour of winning more bracelets than any other player, all in Hold’Em which makes his achievement even more astounding.
With the Rio ready to burst, Hellmuth had to conquer his biggest crowd to date. But with his teeth grit, The Poker Brat successfully fought through the 2,628 dense field including tough opposition like Tom McEvoy, Joe Bartholdi and Frenchman Fabrice Soulier, who he had to overcome at the final table.Perhaps using his experience among a final 9 of (predominantly) relative unknowns, Phil Hellmuth came through to take down his 11th bracelet and the first prize of $637,254, the final hand seeing Phil’s A-3 outdraw Andy Philachack’s A-T, a cruel 3 hitting the Flop.
Hellmuth’s license plate currently reads '9Poker9' which he personalised after his 9th bracelet win. About time he updated it…
Images courtesy of Imagemasters Photography.