We track a disappointing summer for Mr. WSOP via his Twitter feed
1. Seven-figure start
May 29: $300k Super High Roller Bowl (4th, $1.6M)
‘Finishing 4th, when I had 2.6 Mil in chips, Seidel had 600k, and I played super patiently, hurts! Played well. already in the gym…’
Phil Hellmuth talked about his battles with fatigue before the 2016 WSOP but he seemed on top form as he played with the world’s best players in the second super high roller bowl at aria. He might have been disappointed with fourth place – especially as Erik Seidel was short stacked and got $2.4m for third – but it boded well for a concerted tilt at his 15th WSOP bracelet.
2. Blanks to begin
June 2-11: 10 events (0 Cashes)
‘Super frustrating opening week at WSOP!! No cashes and a couple bubbles. I wanna blame the cards, but that’s the easy way out’
You can’t accuse Hellmuth of going easy on himself. He played a gruelling schedule in week one, starting with the Colossus and taking in nine other tournaments, including three $10ks. Total outlay? $39,565. Total cashes: 0. He wasn’t letting it get him down though. ‘If i’m gonna play great all the time… then I have to understand that I will still have bad days, and bad runs to deal with.’
3. In the money!
June 12: event #17, $3k H.O.R.S.E (45th, $5,081)
‘Finished 45th place in WSOP $3,000 horse tourney. Super frustrating result, but at least I picked up my first #wsop2016 cash…’
Hellmuth was one of the shortest stacks when Day 2 of the $3k H.O.R.S.E. started but he chipped up significantly before he was eliminated by Pascal Leyo in a hold’em hand. Hellmuth committed the last of his chips with k♣-J♠ in a three-way pot and found himself up against aces on the t♠-5♠-3♣-4♥ board. ‘Wow, i’m drawing dead,’ he said as the 4♣ was dealt on the river.
4. Short in defence
June 12: Event #17, $3k H.O.R.S.E. (45th, $5,081)
‘Flayed Far above the rim all day long in WSOP $10k seven Card stud low. Must have lost 11 sickening hands and 20 others that I was a fav in’
Hellmuth won the $10k Razz last year and he was on for a repeat at the start of Day 2. He was second in chips with 45 players left, but razz can be a frustrating game and after making a wheel early on to draw level with benyamine he lost his cool – and a number of key pots. After some verbal volleys he eventually went out in 15th saying, ‘Guy beats me 50 straight pots today, what the fuck!’
5. Final cash/Final table
June 28: Event #48, $5k No Limit Hold’eM (8th, $46,553)
‘Sadly, I busted in 8th place in WSOP $5k NLH, however it was my 118th cash and 54th final table at WSOP: and I have #MaXpositivitynow’
Event #48 was a $5k NLHE with 30-minute levels and by the time the players hit the final table the stacks were shallow. Hellmuth was still there though, making this his 54th final table appearance at the WSOP. It’s an incredible record but Hellmuth couldn’t work his white magic here, despite starting in fourth spot. He was railed by eventual winner Aankush Mandavia in eighth.
6. The Big Ones
July 2-11: $50k pp ChaMp, $111,111k one Drop, $10k Main event
‘One of my worst @wsop in the last 10 years. one final table, one 15th place, only 3 cashes and tons of “Close to cashes.” blah.’
Hellmuth would have taken blanks right through the summer in exchange for three good performances in the blue chip tournaments, but it wasn’t to be. He made Day 3 of the poker players Championship but didn’t make the cash; Day 2 of the $111,111k one Drop for another blank and crashed out on Day 3 of the Main Event for a very disappointing end to the summer.
Watch Hellmuth in action!
Hellmuth might have only made one final table – and he wasn’t there long – but you can see whether he made any mistakes by watching it again from the WSOP archive. Hellmuth still makes his presence felt, both on the table and in the booth where Jason somerville is on commentary duties. Watch the $5k NLHE final table here.
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