Phil Hellmuth Jr. is the most decorated player in World Series of Poker history with 13 gold bracelets and $12,273,964 in tournament winnings from 100 cashes (he holds the record for most cashes). Well, that was before today. By making the money in Event #7: $1,500 Seven-Card Razz, Hellmuth has secured his 101st cash. What's more, he has some chips and has a legitimate shot at capturing a razz title for the second time in three years.
"I’m not done winning no-limit hold’em events, but it just feels like I have such a huge edge in the mixed games," Hellmuth previously told PokerNews. "It just seems like so many people are playing them poorly that I just have to get down there a bunch more times. I wouldn’t be surprised if I won a stud eight-or-better. I wouldn’t be surprised if I won two or three razz bracelets. Pot-limit Omaha is a game I’ve worked hard on, and I’ve been down there a lot, but I just haven’t busted through. So I can do it. Omaha eight-or-better I already have a second, and I think I’m going to win one, but I need a little more practice with that game, and I need a little more practice with seven-card stud."
If you recall, Hellmuth navigated a field of 309 players to win the 2012 WSOP Event #18 $2,005 Razz for $182,793 and his then 12th bracelet. That fall he would go on to win No. 13 in the 2012 WSOP Europe Main Event, a victory that earned him €1,022,376.
Here at the 2014 WSOP, Hellmuth is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his Main Event win, but did you know his very first cash actually came a year before that when he placed fifth in the 1988 WSOP Event #6 $1,500 Limit 7-Card Stud Hi-Lo for $15,450. What a long and arduous road it's been since then.
After Alex Dovzhenko completed with a , 1989 WSOP bracelet winner Frank Henderson raised to 5,000 showing a . Dovzhenko called and then we missed the action on fourth as Phil Hellmuth was distracting us (it's true). When Henderson picked up a on fifth, he bet 5,000 and Dovzhenko, who had received a , made the call. Both players then checked sixth and seventh.
Dovzhenko: / /
Henderson: / /
"Jack," Henderson declared. It was good as Dovzhenko reluctantly mucked his cards.
We saw Alex Dovzhenko quickly grab his things and exit the tournament floor. By the time we made our way over to the table, the cards had been scooped away and Rebecca Kerl was being pushed the pot.
She was kind enough to confirm that she had eliminated the Russian after making a "perfect six." Dovzhenko apparently had a nine-seven low. The field is now down to the final 24 players, and that means it is time for the three-table redraw.
After a short-stacked Ayelet Kotonas fell in 24th place, Richard Bruning followed her out the door in 23rd.
It happened when John Roveto completed showing a and Bruning raised to 5,000 with a of his own. Roveto made the call and then bet out when he caught a on fourth street. Bruning, who had received a , made the call and then bet 5,000 when he retook the lead on fifth. Roveto called and then bet on sixth after once again taking the lead. Bruning, who had a single T1,000 chip back, called off.
Roveto: / /
Bruning: / /
Bruning kept pairing and ended up with a nine-seven low, but it was no good as Roveto held a nine-five low. Bruning will take home $3,659 for his 23rd-place finish.
It's the end of the road for Jared Koppel here in Event #7: $1,500 Seven-Card Razz.
He got the last of his chips in against Brandon Cantu, who had a made nine-seven low on fifth street. Koppel ended up double pairing and was drawing dead on sixth.
Phil Hellmuth has been cheerful most of the day, but that just changed after a big hand against Brandon Cantu. Interestingly these two have razz history as Cantu finished third in this event back in 2012, which is when Hellmuth won his first non-hold'em bracelet.
We picked up the action on fifth street when Hellmuth bet and Cantu called. The latter then took the lead on sixth, fired out 6,000, and Hellmuth called. Cantu bet another 6,000 on seventh and Hellmuth mumbled to himself before making the call.
"Your seven is good," Hellmuth said.
"I don't know, I have to look," Cantu replied, meaning he needed to hit the last card to make a seven. During this time Hellmuth tabled his eight-six low.
Hellmuth: / /
Cantu: / /
Cantu flipped over his last card to reveal a deuce, which gave him the best hand. Hellmuth then launched into an epic tirade.
"He's trying to bluff off his chips. I let you steal, and steal, and steal," the Poker Brat said. "I mean are you even trying to win, Brandon? What are you doing?"
Hellmuth seemed to take the beat personally and continued to voice his frustration into the next hand despite a warning from the dealer. Hellmuth then got up out of his chair, wandered the tournament area, and eventually made his way over to Huck Seed to see if he had a sympathetic ear.
"They've got me talking to myself, Huck," Hellmuth said. Seed did not respond.