Phil Hellmuth Secures Record-Breaking 17th WSOP Bracelet

Phil Hellmuth has secured his 17th World Series of Poker bracelet after a two-year wait. The Poker Brat triumphed in a field of 642, with a prize pool of more than $4 million on the line to further extend his WSOP record.

Hellmuth's record-breaking victory came in the single day Event #72: $10,000 Super Turbo Bount. Despite the rapid pace of the event, the final hand wasn't dealt until around 5:20 in the morning after a gruelling 15-hour battle. The win not only earned Hellmuth his 17th gold bracelet but also a massive $803,818 prize, marking the fifth-largest score of his career.

The 58-year-old poker legend has accumulated around $18 million in WSOP earnings throughout his career, making him one of the most successful players in the history of the tournament, sitting only behind Antonio Esfandiari and Daniel Negreanu on the prize money leaderboard.

In terms of WSOP gold bracelets, however, it’s a totally different story. Hellmuth's latest win extends his all-time WSOP bracelet record, putting him seven WSOP wins ahead of a trio of players at 10 bracelets – the late Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, and Phil Ivey. Interestingly, Ivey also made it to the final table of the same event, ultimately finishing in sixth place after Hellmuth found pocket aces at the perfect time to send his long-time rival to the rail.

This latest win is further testament to Hellmuth's adaptability and prowess in live events populated by a wide variety of player types. Not many would bet against him extending his record even further.

"I'm feeling pretty good. I must have a smile just fixed to my face. I tried not to complain. Oh, I've been unlucky in key spots. Fuck all that bullshit you know, because things happen for a reason."

"You know maybe part of the reason I busted the Pot Limit Omaha was to come and win this. You know, maybe part of the reason I busted the deuce to seven was so I could get rest."

"I came back from one of those breaks, I had sixty thousand left. The blinds were fifteen and thirty. I just knew I needed to make it to that break."

“This is the first year of my career that all the great players called me great or the greatest. Shaun Deeb is one of the greatest players in the world. He finally understands and was giving me compliments like, ‘You’re the best player in the tournament.’”

Despite his polarising personality and sometimes brash nature, Phil Hellmuth is considered one of the nice guys in the poker world and is generally regarded as good company away from the tables.

As he continues to break records and maintain his level of play, Hellmuth's legacy as one of the greatest tournament players of all time remains unchallenged regardless of what the haters say about his ability in the modern game.

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