PHIL HELLMUTH WINS RECORD-EXTENDING 14TH WSOP BRACELET
The “PokerBrat” denies Mike Gorodinsky his second bracelet; further cements his legacy as the most successful player in WSOP history.
$10,000 Buy-In Razz Championship Pays $271,105
MEET THE LATEST WSOP GOLD BRACELET CHAMPION
Name: Phil Hellmuth
Birthplace: Maidson, WI (USA)
Age: 50
Current Residence: Palo Alto, CA (USA)
Marital Status: Married
Children: 2
Profession: Professional Poker Player
Number of WSOP Cashes: 109
Number of WSOP Final Table Appearances: 52
Number of WSOP Gold Bracelet Victories (with this tournament): 14
Best Previous WSOP Finish: 1st
Total WSOP Earnings: $12,512,800
He’s done it again.
Phil Hellmuth has once again proven why he is one of the greatest to ever play the game. On Monday, Hellmuth dominated the $10,000 Razz Championship final table to earn his record-extending 14th World Series of Poker bracelet.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Hellmuth following his victory. “It’s one of those ones where I kept my head down the whole time. I tried to stay divorced from the result, detached from the result. I was just focusing on playing great, playing great, playing great.”
What is there to say about Hellmuth that hasn’t already been said? He first rose to fame in 1989, winning the $10,000 Main Event and denying Johnny Chan his third victory in a row. From that point on, Hellmuth consistently played against elite competition, time and time again dominating the game.
Back in 2012 it was a question whether or not Hellmuth would ever win a bracelet in a non-hold’em event (each of his 11 prior bracelets had been in this discipline). Hellmuth silenced critics when he defeated Don Zewin heads up to win the $2,500 Seven Card Razz event. Now, two bracelets later, Hellmuth has once again proven himself to be one of the top razz players in the world.
“I think I figured something out about razz in maybe 2012,” said Hellmuth. “All of a sudden the game just clicked. I was like ‘Wow, this game just makes sense.’ Then I won a razz bracelet!”
Hellmuth pocketed $271,105 for his championship victory. This brings his lifetime earnings at the WSOP to an astounding $12,783,905. Over the course of his career, Hellmuth has attained a record 109 cashes at the WSOP with 52 of those being final table appearances.
The whispers of a possible 14th bracelet for Hellmuth began on Day 2 when he surged to the top of the chip counts. He ultimately finished the day third in chips and was primed for a solid run heading into the final day of play. Hellmuth continued to extend his lead and at one point held half of the chips on the table during five-handed play.
Hellmuth topped an absolutely stacked field of 103 total runners. The final table included the likes of fellow bracelet winners Brandon Shack-Harris, Thomas “Thunder” Keller, and Mike Leah. In the end, Hellmuth squared off against 2013 bracelet winner Mike Gorodinsky for the title. Hellmuth began the match with a chip deficit but quickly battled back into the chip lead. From there, the chips swung back and forth consistently with Gorodinsky all in for his tournament life several times. In the end, however, the “PokerBrat” was able to clinch the victory in heads up play.
“This is the quietest heads up I’ve ever had before,” said Hellmuth. “Mike is just really tough and I need all of my concentration to give myself the best chance to beat him. He played phenomenal poker.”
Despite this momentous occasion, Hellmuth immediately made it known to the world that this win was about more than just the glory.
“I’m dedicating this,” said Hellmuth to the crowd after his victory. “I lost a friend about a month ago, Dave Goldberg. I’m going to give this bracelet to his wife and kids. This is for Dave Goldberg. Goldy, I love you.”
Hellmuth’s victory has now further padded his resume as the most successful player to ever grace the WSOP felt. Following this win, one thing is certain; while Hellmuth is surely celebrating his win, his quest for bracelet number 15 is right around the corner.
Here’s the succession of other finishers who made the final table:
Second Place: Mike Gorodinsky finished runner-up to Phil Hellmuth. Gorodinsky, a bracelet winner currently residing in San Diego, California, took home $167,517 for his second place finish.
Third Place: Adam Owen, Folkstone, UK, finished this event in 3rd place. This marks Owen’s fourth lifetime WSOP and his largest live cash to date. Owen pocketed $104,914 for his efforts.
Fourth Place: Mike Leah finished in 4th place. Leah is a WSOP bracelet winner and two-time WSOP Circuit ring winner. Leah earned $75,964 for his fourth place finish, marking his 28th career WSOP cash.
Fifth Place: Thomas Keller, from Scottsville, Arizona, finished in 5th place. Keller is a WSOP bracelet winner and has $969,623 in lifetime WSOP earnings. This event makes for Keller’s tenth overall WSOP cash.
Sixth Place: Jyri Merivirta finished in 6th place. Merivita hails from Helsinki. This cash marks his fourth career WSOP cash, picking up $47,344 for his efforts.
Seventh Place: Stephen Chidwick, hailing from Deal, United Kingdom, finished in 7th place. Chidwick earned $38,447 for his cash today, allowing for his 31st WSOP cash.
Eighth Place: Brandon Shack-Harris finished in 8th place. Shack-Harris, who won his first WSOP bracelet in 2014, earned his career 14th WSOP cash with this finish. He’s earned $1,592,367 in lifetime winnings at the WSOP.
FUN FACTS:
There were 17 total WSOP bracelets among the competitors at the official final table. Thirteen of those belong to Phil Hellmuth.
This was Brandon Shack-Harris’ first cash at the 2015 WSOP. Shack-Harris is coming off of a stellar run in 2014 where he won his first bracelet and was in contention to win Player of the Year.
Shaun Deeb, fresh off of his first WSOP bracelet win in $10,000 Pot-Limit Hold’em Championship, just missed out on making back-to-back official final tables. Deeb finished in 9th place, bubbling the official final table for $26,557.
EVENT DIRECT LINKS:
For this event’s results, visit:
http://www.lnmandiya.com/tournaments/results.asp?grid=1136&tid=14217&dayof=142173
For Phil Hellmuth’s official player profile page, visit:
http://www.lnmandiya.com/players/playerprofile.asp?playerID=271
For the Live Reporting Log for this event, please visit:
http://www.lnmandiya.com/tournaments/updates.asp?grid=1136&tid=14217&dayof=142173
Written by Josh Cahlik (WSOP Media Staff)