Here are two lists of names that on first glance might not make much sense. But they are relevant to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and particularly relevant right now, at 7.15pm PST, July 11, 2018. (Yes, there are a couple of names that feature on both.)
List 1: Johnny Chan, Steve Kopp, Noli Francisco, Chris Tsiprailidis, Don Williams, Tom McEvoy, T.J. Cloutier, Young Phan, Daniel Negreanu, Juha Helppi, Dr. Andy Philachack, Don Zewin, Sergii Baranov and Mike Gorodinsky.
List 2: Erik Seidel, Billy Baxter, George Rodis, Scotty Nguyen, Johnny Chan, Jeff Cabanillas, John Juanda, Eric Rodawig, Brian Rast, Ted Forrest.
Did you guess it? Did you figure it out?
That’s right: List 1 features all the people who have lost heads up to Phil Hellmuth in WSOP bracelet events. List 2 features all those people who have knocked him out to seal bracelet triumphs of their own.
Phil Hellmuth: Second to none in WSOP bracelet events
We all know that Hellmuth is the most decorated player in WSOP history. His 14 bracelets already have him four clear at the top of the list of bracelet winners. But it’s worth noting too that he has been heads up for 10 more WSOP events. Whatever you think of Hellmuth, and there’s plenty of reasons to think plenty of different things, that tournament record is sensational.
Most WSOP bracelet wins
14 — Phil Hellmuth
10 — Doyle Brunson
10 — Johnny Chan
10 — Phil Ivey
9 — Johnny Moss
8 — Erik Seidel
At time of writing, Hellmuth is in the last three of the $5,000 no limit hold’em turbo event at the 2018 World Series. He is the short stack of a trio also featuring Steven Wolansky and Alan Sternberg. As far as I can see, Hellmuth has “only” finished third on three occasions, so we might expect either Sternberg or Wolansky to perish next.
And then? Well, will the remaining player be more Tsiprailidis or Rodawig? Will this be a case of the Baranovs or the Forrests?
Either way (or even, shock horror, if Hellmuth does end up busting in third), the Poker Brat’s story just continues to add more superlative chapters.
Previous 2018 WSOP coverage:
As England departs World Cup, a new hero emerges
From the archive: Kassouf is finally silenced
Short stories of long nights at the poker table
The payout process
The regulars, the decorated and the knockers
From the archive: The Fukuburger flood of 2015
Then and now: Jake Cody
From the archive: K.L. Cleeton’s inspiring run
Is Andreas Kniep this year’s Ylon Schwartz?
Inside the ideas factory: Jason Somerville’s Run It Up Studios
Stop, start, break, start, bubble for Matt Hopkins
Then and now: Barry Greenstein
A comprehensive guide to the WSOP bubble
The field converges for bubble day…perhaps
The rough and tumble of Day 2
From the archive: Blood, sweat and other bodily fluids
Untangling the cake riddle to discover the key to Liv Boeree’s heart
Meet Muskan Sethi: India’s presidential poker ambassador
A return of the masses for the long, slow dance
Then and Now: Daniel Negreanu
Records broken and Red Spades flying
“Thanks Daniel” — A letter to Negreanu from Phil Galfond
A flippin’ fantastic way to enter a poker tournament
Jeff Gross: A momentary pause in the perpetual motion
From the archive: Stages
Moneymaker surveys the world he created
Negreanu continues preparations for PokerStars Players Championship
Then and Now: Andre Akkari
An exceptional Day 1A
From the archive: Rio here, Rio there
Then and Now: Maria Konnikova
All systems go on ‘cattywumpus’ World Series
WSOP photos by PokerPhotoArchive.com.
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