WSOP 2026: Phil Hellmuth Falls Short in Heads-Up for 18th Bracelet (Event #99)

Event #99: $5K NLH 8-Handed drew a total of 884 entries to the Horseshoe, producing a prize pool of $4,066,400. The top 133 players shared the prize money, including stars like Brian Rast (27th place), David Peters (16th place), and Jennifer Harman (33rd place).

All eyes, however, were on the "Poker Brat." Phil Hellmuth entered the final table as the dominant chipleader with a stack of 10 million chips, and it looked like a clear path to another title.

Hellmuth made it to heads-up as WSOP viewers tuned in to an unofficial stream on X. The number of onlookers in the arena grew, eager not to miss a historic moment. Among them was Martin Kabrhel, vocally cheering for Hellmuth. 

The final duel against Darren Rabinowitz was a true showcase of poker at its finest. Hellmuth started with a deficit but managed to turn it into a commanding 4:1 lead, thanks in part to a successful double-up with 8 c 6 c finding a straight on a board of Q h 5 s 7 h 4 d 9 s against Rabinowitz's two pair with 7 d 5 c.

Rabinowitz, however, displayed patient play, overturning the unfavorable situation and claiming his second WSOP victory. 

In the decisive hand, Rabinowitz announced all-in on the turn 2 c ​​​​​​​8 s ​​​​​​​9 c ​​​​​​​4 d, putting Hellmuth at risk of elimination. Hellmuth contemplated before calling with A h ​​​​​​​2 s, but Rabinowitz revealed 9 s ​​​​​​​7 d. The river 7 h added another pair for Rabinowitz, sealing Hellmuth's fate and leaving him without his 18th bracelet.

Final Table Results of Event #99: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold'em

Source: WSOP, WSOP Live, X, PokerNews

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