Phil "the Poker Brat" Hellmuth silenced all critics, at least temporarily, this week when he strapped on his record 11th World Series of Poker championship bracelet, putting him alone atop a mountain of WSOP WINS.
Hellmuth won his record 11th bracelet in Event #15, a $1,500 No Limit Hold 'Em tournament at the Rio in Las Vegas last weekend. This victory breaks what had been a three-way tie between Hellmuth, Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson, with all three men amassing 10 WSOP bracelets, including at least one Main Event title for all of them. Brunson and Chan have each won two Main Event titles, while Hellmuth's single Main Event title came in 1989, his first WSOP bracelet.
After Hellmuth claimed his victory, an impromptu ceremony was held with Chan and Brunson presenting Hellmuth with his record-setting bracelet. Hellmuth has already cashed in other events this series, so it is not out of the question for him to extend his lead over Chan and Brunson, or for one of them to catch Hellmuth, as Brunson did in 2005, winning his tenth bracelet the night after Chan became the first man to ever win double-digit championships.