Phil Hellmuth has always preached “positivity” on social media, but on Thursday night, he let loose in a three-and-a-half-minute rant on Twitter after his latest bustout.
After finishing in 37th place, winning $21,162 in the $10,000 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship, Hellmuth set aside his positivity to “let loose with truth” after losing a pot that he claimed was for the chip lead, which “would have led to bracelet 18.”
Phil Hellmuth lets loose
Phil Hellmuth appeared to be in the parking lot in the back of Caesars Horseshoe in Las Vegas when he told what was virtually a lengthy bad beat story.
“Folks, for the last few years, I haven’t really shared any negative posts on social media. I understand I’m always like ‘Hey Phil, you have a lot of money, you have fame, you have fortune, you have health, you have everything…’ and I haven’t won any bracelets! But this isn’t about that, this is about poker.
“So, I’m playing the Omaha 8 or Better today. Pot limit. I run my stack up to about 700,000 in chips. I’m playing great poker. Really, really happy with the way I’m playing.
“This hand comes down late (on Day 2).”
Phil Hellmuth then has a little trouble getting the hand history out, but from what we understand, the board was 9-7-4 with Hellmuth holding KJT9, with the flop going check-check.
The turn was a king, giving Hellmuth top two and a double-gutter. There were two shorter all-ins ahead of him, and Hellmuth went all in for about 520,000. The player behind then puts his chips in the middle with a worse two pair, kings and fours.
“It’s a horrendous call, like what is he doing? I think, oh my god, he’s the only one that has me covered, and I only lose to two aces and one four in the deck to scoop me. That’s three outs. Meanwhile, I have top two pair and can make the nuts with a queen or an eight. He’s basically just dead, he’s calling me for 520,000 chips.
“I’m gonna have the chip lead. I mean, there’s almost 2,000,000 in chips in the middle. Someone else (one of the other opponents) could hit a low, and one of them had a flush draw.
“But, I mean, I’m just sick of losing these hands for the last three years, four years. I never share them because I’m so lucky in life, but, you know, people think, “How’s Phil playing?” They don’t understand that I always have the best hand in these massive pots. Maybe they think “Oh, maybe Phil’s not that good?”
“I keep losing these f**king ridiculous hands. We’re about an hour from the end of the day, I’m going to be the chip leader, and somehow an ace on the river for this guy. But he has the world’s easiest fold. He has to get confused in his mind and put in 520,000 with kings and fours. This is the world’s easiest fold. That’s the only way I can get eliminated… if he puts his money in with this goofy hand that makes no sense at all.
“I was just thinking no ace, no four, it was my first all-in in about six hours. The river’s an ace and somehow I’m out here (in the parking lot) and I’m really just getting sick of this s**t. Yes, I have great health, yes I’m blessed, but come on. I can’t win tournaments if this bulls**t just keeps happening.
“Same with the Omaha 8 or Better final table, I lose four big pots in a row? Each time I had aces…. ace-ace-three… whatever… Four in a row. It’s ridiculous. I’m just getting sick of this s**t.
Phil Hellmuth’s final declaration
Phil Hellmuth made the last 10 seconds of his video meme-worthy, something that has already spread across the internet.
“I just want you guys to know that I’m still a great player, and I’m still going to keep putting the money in with the best hand day after day, week after week, month after month until I have 24 f**king bracelets!”
Phil Hellmuth’s 2026 WSOP
Hellmuth has been out there battling in virtually every big event this summer, yet he only has three cashes to his name: A 7th-place finish in the $10K Omaha 8 or Better Championship ($54K), a 9th-place finish in the No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship ($41K), and the aforementioned virtual min-cash in the Pot Limit Omaha 8 or Better Championship.
The 17-time bracelet winner and Poker Hall of Famer las won a bracelet in 2023, winning the 642-entry $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty event for $803,818. His other bracelet this decade came in 2021, when he won the 272-entry $1,500 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw event for $84,951.
