Phil Hellmuth has done it! The best World Series of Poker (WSOP) player of all time has won a record-breaking 16th bracelet and, even more impressively, it wasn’t in a Hold’em event.
There are few poker players that value WSOP bracelets more than Phil Hellmuth, which is handy because he has more than everyone else. Sunday’s victory in the $1,500 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw event was the 16th time we’ve seen the Poker Brat atop of the winner’s rostrum and, in many ways, it’s his most coveted bracelet to-date.
It all started on Friday, October 15, when Hellmuth joined 271 other players in the 2-7 Lowball event. As it was in the $1,500 H.O.R.S.E. tournament that Anthony Zinno won last week, the relatively small buy-in (buy professional standards) didn’t deter the game’s elite from anteing up.
In fact, the starting line-up on Day 1 wouldn’t have looked out of place in a $10,000 championship event. With that being the case, it was hardly surprising to see the likes of Ali Imsirovic, Jeremy Ausmus, Daniel Negreanu, and Vanessa Kade making it through the first session.
Phil Hellmuth Builds a Stack as Final Table Dawns
Of course, Hellmuth was still in the mix at the start of Day 2, but he had a lot of work to do. Imsirovic had a comfortable chip lead and there was a wealth of talent between him and Hellmuth, who was down in 37th place.
However, if we know one thing, it’s that Phil Hellmuth isn’t a quitter. When it comes to playing small stacks and surviving as long as possible, he’s one of the best. He proved that again on Saturday when he grinded his way through masses to finish Day 2 second in chips.
That run not only gave Hellmuth a ton of confidence going into the third and final day, it put him just nine eliminations from his 16th WSOP title. That might not sound like a tough task given that he’d already outlasted over 250 players. However, with experienced pros such as Rep Porter, Dario Sammartino, and 2013 WSOP Main Event winner Ryan Riess all in the mix, winning was anything but easy.
As it played out, Riess fell before the official final table of eight, but Sammartino quickly established a hold over the match. At one stage, it looked as though the Italian might do a Zinno and thwart Hellmuth’s bracelet dreams.
However, Sammartino’s aggressive strategy eventually ran afoul of Rep Porter’s wheel (an ace to five low: A-2-3-4-5). That put Porter back in the driving seat, but he was soon usurped by Joshua Faris who hit his stride with five players left.
No One Could Stop History Being Made at WSOP Final Table
Faris’s surge saw him take chips from Hellmuth, but he soon ran out of steam. Jake Schwartz slipped into pole position at this point and gradually chipped away at his opponents. This led to a cascade of eliminations that saw Schwartz book a place against Phil Hellmuth in the final showdown.
It looked as though it was going to be close but no cigar for Hellmuth heads-up. He had shown flashes of brilliance during the final table, but he was far from dominant at any point. The tension was kicked up a notch after Hellmuth lost the first few pots to Schwartz and fell behind.
Hello @WSOP #16!! pic.twitter.com/quoDLX2gdu
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) October 18, 2021
Things could have either way at this point. Hellmuth could have blown up, started one of his familiar rants, and lost, or he could have hunkered down and fought back. He chose the latter on this occasion.
Smallball poker allowed Hellmuth to chip away at Schwartz’s stack and, eventually, edge in front. The final hand saw Hellmuth take his 8-9 low and put his opponent all in.
Schwartz was drawing to a strong low but a second four on fifth street gave him a losing pair. That ended the match and gave Hellmuth one of his sweetest victories.
$1,500 WSOP 2-7 Lowball Draw Result
- Phil Hellmuth - $84,851
- Jake Schwartz - $52,502
- Chris Vitch - $36,387
- Rep Porter - $25,661
- Joshua Faris - $18,421
- Dario Sammartino - $13,463
- Jason Lipiner - $10,023
- Kevin Gerhart - $7,602
As the rail cheered, he turned to his wife and said, “what did I tell you, honey.” Winning the 2-7 Lowball Draw event earned Hellmuth his 16th WSOP bracelet. It was also his 157th WSOP cash and, as he said during the post-win interview, an important milestone for his career.
“I've wanted a 2-7 bracelet ever since the 1980s because it was the coolest bracelet to win. It's the one tournament that Chip, Doyle, and all the big named poker players showed up for,” Hellmuth told the WSOP’s media team.
Hellmuth may divide opinion at times, but his WSOP record is second-to-none. Not only does he own more WSOP bracelets than any else, he’s been winning since 1989. That alone is an impressive feat because poker has changed so much over the last 20+ years.
Phil Hellmuth’s WSOP Record
| World Series of Poker | Event | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 WSOP | $1,500 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw | $84,951 |
| 2018 WSOP | $5,000 No Limit Hold'em | $485,082 |
| 2015 WSOP | $10,000 Razz Championship | $271,105 |
| 2012 WSOPE | €10,540 Main Event | €1,022,376 |
| 2012 WSOP | $2,500 Razz | $182,793 |
| 2007 WSOP | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | $637,254 |
| 2006 WSOP | $1,000 No Limit Hold'em (Rebuy) | $631,863 |
| 2003 WSOP | $3,000 No Limit Hold'em | $410,860 |
| 2003 WSOP | $2,500 Limit Hold'em | $171,400 |
| 2001 WSOP | $2,000 No Limit Hold'em | $316,550 |
| 1997 WSOP | $3,000 Pot Limit Hold'em | $204,000 |
| 1993 WSOP | $5,000 Limit Hold'em | $138,000 |
| 1993 WSOP | $1,500 No Limit Hold'em | $161,400 |
| 1993 WSOP | $2,500 No Limit Hold'em | $173,000 |
| 1992 WSOP | $5,000 Limit Hold'em | $188,000 |
| 1989 WSOP | $10,000 Main Event | $755,000 |
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