WSOP Event #34: Phil Hellmuth Wins Tenth Bracelet

Last year, three players were tied for the most World Series of Poker bracelets won in the competition’s history. Johnny Chan, Doyle Brunson, and Phil Hellmuth, three pillars of the game, all had nine championships to their names.

But then Chan won his tenth.

Then Brunson kept pace.

And so stood Hellmuth, now alone in second place. Perhaps the player who most cherishes the gold bracelets was no longer the greatest. Sure, he had cashed more times than anyone else, but he had been passed in the bracelet race.

Fast forward to 2006 and you will see that Phil Hellmuth has been on a break-neck pace. Not counting the tournament he was currently competing in on Tuesday, he had already made the money five times at the World Series.

Twice previously in the 2006 WSOP, he had made the final table. And twice he had failed to earn that tenth bracelet. The first final table he made he even had a two to one chip lead heads-up at one point, but he couldn’t put the young Jeff Cabanillas away. After coming so close, Hellmuth looked pained, but he was a gracious runner-up and commended the winner on his play.

History was finally made Tuesday night (actually Wednesday morning) when, after one of the longest final tables of the summer, Phil Hellmuth clinched the record tying victory in the $1,000 no-limit hold’em with re-buys event, pulling him even with Brunson and Chan, while earning him a healthy $631,863.

Hellmuth was the overwhelming chip leader going into the final table, with over $300,000 in chips more than his nearest competitor. This was not a table to be taken lightly, however, and it was, in fact one of the strongest of this WSOP. All but one player had cashed in an event this year. Ralph Perry already had a 2006 bracelet on his wrist, as well as a 15th place finish in the HORSE event. Tony G had a WPT championship to his credit (along with four 2006 WSOP cashes), as did Juha Helppi. David Plastik had already cashed four times himself at this Series. John Spadavecchia had bracelet to his name and had recently won the WSOP Circuit championship at Caesars Las Vegas. In fact, at one point during the final table, some of the monitors in the room were showing ESPN’s broadcast of that victory.

Hellmuth took a big hit early. On the first hand, in fact. Juha Helppi made two pair on the river to take a large pot from Hellmuth and make up a big chunk of ground. Hellmuth presumably had the best hand until the river, as he showed his usual disgust for what happened while mucking his cards.

After that, Hellmuth settled down, picking spots where he felt he had a large advantage, rather than settling for small edges and coin-flips. While his nickel and diming, along with the ability to lay down hands to raises frequently sometimes looks weak, it is really Hellmuth just finding the best opportunities to make a move, allowing the other players to dig holes they can’t get out of.

Case in point: a couple hours into play, Ralph Perry raised to $40,000 under the gun, and when the action folded around to Hellmuth in the small blind, he moved all-in. Perry called and showed pocket nines, while Hellmuth had pocket Jacks. The best starting hand held up and Perry was eliminated in 7th place.

Shortly thereafter, David Plastik moved all-in and Hellmuth called him from the big blind. This time, it was Plastik with the Jacks, but Hellmuth had pocket Aces. Within twenty minutes, Hellmuth had eliminated two players and added almost half a million chips to his stack. With six players remaining, he had almost double the chips of the next player.

When play got down to four handed, Hellmuth had $1.1 million in chips. The other three players had less than $1.4 million combined. But this is when things moved slower than a turtle in glue. It took four hours for the next player, John Spadavecchia, to be eliminated. Of course, it was by Hellmuth.

Three handed, it really looked like Hellmuth was going to run away with it. He had $1.5 million, Helppi had only $525 thousand, and well-known internet player, Daryn Firicano had $425,000. It wasn’t going to be so easy, though. Firicano showed why he belonged in this final three, not being intimidated at all by the two champions he was competing against. He was fearless, continually moving all-in over the top of raises and forcing the other two to fold. When he did get called, he usually had the best hand.

At one point, Firicano came very close to the chip lead, reaching $830 thousand, just short of Helppi’s $900 thousand. Hellmuth, in the meantime, had fallen into third with just under $800 thousand, as a result of doubling-up Firicano when both players hit an Ace on the flop, but Firicano held a better kicker.

It was the steady Helppi, though, that went into heads-up play as the chip leader after he ousted Firicano. And his chip lead was substantial – almost two to one.

It was an interesting scene when the two players were one-on-one. It felt very similar to the circus atmosphere at Hellmuth’s first final table of the 2006 WSOP. The bleachers were packed. Officials had allowed fans to fill an empty tournament area next to the final table stage, which resulted in a crowd several rows deep. Big-wigs from Ultimate Bet, the online poker room for which Hellmuth is a spokesperson, were gathered behind media row, along with other poker dignitaries. Hellmuth’s wife and father were seated on the stage. And the crowd was most definitely pro-Hellmuth. One might have actually felt a little bad for Helppi, as he must have felt alone in a sea of Hellmuth waves.

During heads-up play, two celebrity announcers took their turns at the microphone: 2006 Poker Hall of Fame inductee, T.J. Cloutier and three time bracelet winner, John Bonetti, both friends of Hellmuth’s. Bonetti, in particular, was entertaining. On the last hand that he announced, he described the bet:

“That’s eighty thousand, ladies and gentlemen. Go buy a house. Bet a new car on every hand. A Cadillac, a Lexus. I have an old Ford.”

Lost in the Hellmuth-love was the fact that Helppi was increasing his lead and looked like he was on his way to his first ever WSOP bracelet. But then came the hand of the tournament.

With a big blind of $30 thousand, Helppi raised to $90 thousand pre-flop. Hellmuth moved all-in and Helppi called and flipped over A-6. Hellmuth showed 5-5 and we were off to the races. The flop was huge. K-J-5, all diamonds. This, of course, gave Hellmuth his set, but because Helppi held the 6 of diamonds, Helppi now had a flush draw. And what did you know? The turn gave him that flush with the Queen of diamonds! Helppi couldn’t contain his excitement as he jumped up and down, the bracelet almost in his hands. Hellmuth had eleven outs to win the hand – he needed the board to pair to give him a full house.

The Queen of hearts on the river, gave Hellmuth the boat and the roof almost came off the Amazon Room at the Rio. Hellmuth sat there stunned, while Bonetti came and shook him by the shoulders. If you had just walked in, you would’ve thought that Hellmuth had won the Main Event. He was still behind, but barely.

Half an hour later, Hellmuth took his next big step towards the top rung of WSOP history. After Hellmuth raised pre-flop, Helppi moved all-in, having Hellmuth covered. Hellmuth called so quickly, you would think his cards were burning his hands. Pocket Kings can do that to a man. Helppi’s A-10 never got help and all of a sudden, Hellmuth had a dominating lead, $2.2 million to $300 thousand. Cheers of "Ten! Ten! Ten!" were belted out from his fans.

Helppi was able to double-up once, but Hellmuth was fitted for bracelet number ten just a few hands later when he called Helppi’s A-9 all-in with a dominating A-J. The final board of Q-8-2-K-6 sealed the deal, finally allowing Phil Hellmuth to get over the hump he could not in two previous tries in the 2006 WSOP.

Some people may be turned off by Phil Hellmuth’s antics at the poker table, but there is no denying that he is one of the best, if not the best, no-limit hold’em tournament player of all time. The crowd support he had Tuesday night was a sure sign that people appreciate great poker.

The Main Event starts in a few days…don’t be surprised if Hellmuth makes yet another final table.

Final Table Standings

(Place/Player/Prize Money)

1. Phil Hellmuth, Jr. -- $631,863
2. Juha Helppi -- $331,144
3. Daryn Firicano -- $187,219
4. John Spadavecchia -- $163,817
5. Terris Preston -- $140,414
6. Elio Cabrera -- $117,012
7. David Plastik -- $93,610
8. Rafael Perry -- $70,207
9. Antanas 'Tony' Guoga -- $46,805