Is Phil Hellmuth an Overrated Poker Player?

Few would argue that Phil Hellmuth is the G.O.A.T. of the World Collection of Poker (WSOP). However Bryn Kenney would not assume the “Poker Brat” is that nice general as a poker participant.

Kenney, who holds the report for reside event cashes at $67 million, in accordance with The Hendon Mob, appeared on the Digital Social Hour Podcast with Sean Kelly. The New York poker professional addressed a handful of subjects, together with dropping $3.5 million, drama within the poker world, and the Poker Corridor of Fame.

He additionally was requested a query from the host who has over 1 million followers about Hellmuth’s stature throughout the poker world. And the reply would set off considered one of poker’s hottest gamers ever.

Kenney Disses Poker Legend

Hellmuth holds the report with 17 WSOP bracelets. Phil Ivey is in a distant second place at 11, whereas Johnny Chan, Erik Seidel, and Doyle Brunson are the one others to achieve double-digits. However the visitor on the Digital Social Hour Podcast would not seem like all that impressed.

“Lots of people label Hellmuth because the ‘Match G.O.A.T.,” however I would love to listen to your opinion. As a result of he would not actually play within the greater stakes tournaments such as you do,” Kelly mentioned.

Kenney first talked about that Hellmuth is the “greatest profitable WSOP participant,” which is hard to argue provided that Hellmuth holds the report for WSOP bracelets and last desk appearances by a large margin.

“He has his profession, which is spectacular, too,” Kenney mentioned of Hellmuth’s WSOP efficiency.

However that’s the place the compliments ended. He went on to assault the 1989 world champion’s efficiency on the highest stakes.

“He is performed some excessive rollers and hasn’t actually fared very properly in them, and , once I take into consideration who’re the perfect gamers in poker, should you’re not competing on the highest stage, you possibly can’t actually be in competition for it,” Kenney argues.

Kenney then prompt Hellmuth may very well be “the top of some sub-category that exists some place else,” implying that Hellmuth is solely the perfect World Collection of Poker participant, not an general G.O.A.T. He then knocked Hellmuth’s supposed incapacity to thrive when competing within the “small fields with the perfect gamers.”

“Should you’re enjoying towards principally novice gamers on the World Collection, you are nice at beating the novice gamers. It is like you might be the King of Triple A,” Kenney mentioned.

The best stage {of professional} baseball on this planet is Main League Baseball (MLB), whereas the extent one notch under is AAA Minor League Baseball (MiLB). Kenney is implying that Hellmuth is extra fitted to AAA, though the World Collection of Poker is poker’s equal to baseball’s World Collection or the Tremendous Bowl (NFL), at the very least when it comes to status throughout the recreation.

Hellmuth Fires Again

Hellmuth did not simply settle for the criticism from Kenney. The “Poker Brat” responded to a video clip from the Digital Social Hour Podcast.

“To me the @WSOP (World Collection of Poker) is the “large leagues.” At all times has been, at all times shall be. It’s aggravating to me when folks lie about me and my legacy. For the report, I’m profitable over $1.5M in “Excessive Rollers.” (Straightforward to substantiate this on HendonMob). You mentioned I wouldn’t play you heads up? The place have been you I challenged the complete world to a $1.6M heads up problem on ‘Excessive Stakes Duel?'” Hellmuth tweeted.

Hellmuth dominated Excessive Stakes Duel, a former heads-up poker present on PokerGO, for a pair years. He received his first six matches — three towards Antonio Esfandiari and three towards Daniel Negreanu — for a complete of $700,000 in revenue.

The Poker Corridor of Famer then defeated sports activities discuss character and leisure poker participant Nick Wright within the first spherical of Excessive Stakes Duel III earlier than splitting matches towards Tom Dwan. He then beat Scott Seiver within the $800,000 spherical earlier than falling to Jason Koon for $1.6 million. Hellmuth went 9-2 general on the present, which used a sit-n-go model heads-up no-limit maintain’em format.

Hellmuth additionally received the 64-player NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship in 2005, and completed runner-up to Mike Matusow in 2013, the present’s last season. The polarizing poker icon has over $30 million in general reside event cashes, not even half of Kenney’s outcomes. However there’s extra to evaluating a poker participant than simply The Hendon Mob cashes.

Phil Hellmuth Beats Scott Seiver for $800k on Excessive Stakes Duel