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META: Read on for all the details of The Poker Brat’s enormous paycheck.
The Poker Brat, Phil Hellmuth himself has done it again. He left the 2021 World Series of Poker tournament with a massive paycheck. He might have left the table without his World Series of Poker Player of the Year title or the bracelet, but he made poker fans’ jaws drop around the world with the total of his winnings. Read on for all the details.
The Tweets heard round the world
Notoriously never one to miss an opportunity for attention, Hellmuth wasn’t about to be coy about finances like the rest of us, and instead sent out a series of Tweets, outlining every entry to the tournament and every resulting win, complete with receipts showcasing the spoils of his wins.
Over 34 events, he bought in for $448,379 and cashed out for $1,248,860, making for a profit of $800,481.
Having already broken records with his 15 bracelets, the addition of a 16th at Event #31: $1,500 No-limit 2-7 Lowball Draw was simply a “meh” moment for the 1989 World Champion, who expressed in a Tweet that he “only” received $84,851 in the payout, which isn’t the most impressive of WSOP first place prizes.
And there were plenty of losses to Tweet about too. His most notable was a non-cash in Event #87: the $100,000 High Roller No-Limit Hold’em.
But more than the money was the title. The Poker Brat didn’t get his nickname from bowing out gracefully from fights, and when we couple that with the fact that he keeps selling or donating his bracelets, you have to assume it’s the notoriety that gets him out of bed and to the table every year.
So, it must have hurt when his record-breaking seven final table appearances didn’t result in a Player of the Year Award, losing to Josh Arieh, but ahead of GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu.
Who is The Poker Brat?
The Poker Brat, or Phil Hellmuth to his lawyers, is the one who brings the drama to poker. His antics range from the playful, like showing up to tournaments in a costume like he’s mistaken poker for WWE, complete with music, to the deranged, like long rants aimed at opponents when he has lost a decent pot. How a man with no poker face, ranting at opponents and storming away from tables wins anything is beyond us.
But you don’t become one of the most talked about professional poker players on antics alone, or at least, not in this case. Phil Hellmuth can get away with his antics due to his record-breaking talent at the game, earning a degree of arrogance.
This year sees him gaining his 16th World Series of Poker bracelets, placing him 18th on the all-time money list, bringing his total live earnings to $26 million.
This year’s antics
Beyond a few rants at various tables of the 2021 WSOP, notably including one at opponent Anthony Zinno and another at Liv Boeree, the attention of poker players as it pertains to Hellmuth was his “entrance” into the tournament.
Donned in a robe and beard, The Poker Brat, flagged by an entourage of girls, entered the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino imitating the Tolkien hero, Gandalf the White – complete with staff and sword and Ian McKellen impression.
His sworn enemy, poker player Dan “Jungleman” Cates under the beard, brought the thunder as Saruman, in essentially the same getup in gray. As they meandered through the resort, a scuffle broke out, which isn’t surprising for Hellmuth, and plastic swords clashed over the felt green tables.
Somehow, the entourage of women didn’t seem panicked by this.
