The poker world was hyper-focused on Phil Hellmuth on Monday night as he went after his 18th bracelet in the 2026 WSOP $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship.
After seven-time WSOP bracelet winner Josh Arieh busted in ninth place for $41,334, Phil Hellmuth clinched his record-extending 76th WSOP final table.
It was always going to be a challenge for Hellmuth to win his 18th bracelet, as he was at a star-studded final table.
Two-time WSOP bracelet winner and Omaha specialist Ryan Bambrick, legendary WPT champion Nam Le, Australian mixed games wizard James Obst, Todd Brunson, PLO coach and specialist Dylan Weisman, and three-time bracelet winner Scott Clements were some of the mines in the minefield that Hellmuth had to dodge.
Unfortunately, Phil Hellmuth was denied bracelet number 18 after a couple of bad beats left him finishing 7th for $54,214.
Phil Hellmuth’s unfortunate day at the office
After raking in a few early pots to go up to 17 big bets, it appeared Phil Hellmuth was clear for takeoff. However, nothing else would go his way as he plummeted towards a seventh-place finish.
In a blind-on-blind confrontation with Todd Brunson, WSOP bracelet winner and son of the legendary Doyle Brunson, Hellmuth went bet-bet-bet on with trip tens, ace kicker. However, Brunson made a runner-runner flush, which had Hellmuth revert to his classic “Poker Brat” self.
Hellmuth would then have aces cracked, ending his tournament. Hellmuth raised in the cutoff and was called by Dylan Weisman in the big blind.
Hellmuth flopped top two on with no low draw. Weisman check-raised Hellmuth on the flop, and Hellmuth called.
The put a flush draw on the board. Weisman bet again, and Hellmuth was faced with a decision with fewer than two big bets left. Eventually, Hellmuth put his chips in the middle to see he was drawing dead against , giving Weisman the nut flush and a draw to the second-nut low. The completed the board.
Hellmuth last won a bracelet in 2023, when he won the $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty for $803,818 plus bounties.
Phil Hellmuth bracelets
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$/EU€) |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | $10,000 No Limit Hold’em World Championship | $755,000 |
| 1992 | $5,000 Limit Hold’em | $168,000 |
| 1993 | $1,500 No Limit Hold’em | $161,400 |
| 1993 | $2,500 No Limit Hold’em | $173,000 |
| 1993 | $5,000 Limit Hold’em | $138,000 |
| 1997 | $3,000 Pot Limit Hold’em | $204,000 |
| 2001 | $2,000 No Limit Hold’em | $316,550 |
| 2003 | $2,500 Limit Hold’em | $171,400 |
| 2003 | $3,000 No Limit Hold’em | $410,860 |
| 2006 | $1,000 No Limit Hold’em with rebuys | $631,863 |
| 2007 | $1,500 No Limit Hold’em | $637,254 |
| 2012 | $2,500 Seven-Card Razz | $182,793 |
| 2012E | €10,450 No Limit Hold’em Main Event | €1,022,376 |
| 2015 | $10,000 Seven-Card Razz | $271,105 |
| 2018 | $5,000 No Limit Hold’em | $485,082 |
| 2021 | $1,500 No Limit 2–7 Lowball Draw | $84,851 |
| 2023 | $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em | $803,818 |
Event #9: $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship final table results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott Clements | United States | $450,176 |
| 2 | Dylan Weisman | United States | $299,228 |
| 3 | Todd Brunson | United States | $203,242 |
| 4 | James Obst | Australia | $141,126 |
| 5 | Nam Le | United States | $100,231 |
| 6 | Ryan Bambrick | United States | $72,849 |
| 7 | Phil Hellmuth | United States | $54,214 |
Scott Clements ended up securing his fourth WSOP bracelet, his first since 2019, after defeating Dylan Weisman in heads-up play.
Clements went into heads-up play with nearly an eight-to-one chip lead and finished him off in two hands, securing the $450,176 top prize, the second-largest score of his illustrious career.
It’s a second PLO8 bracelet for Clements, who won the $3,000 version of this event 20 years ago, back in 2006.
With the win, Clements moves up to over $8.7 million in career live tournament earnings. Washington State’s all-time money list leader, ironically enough, takes over Dylan Weisman’s previous spot of 235th on poker’s all-time money list. At the same time, Weisman moves up a couple of spots to 230th, eclipsing the $9 million mark.
Scott Clements bracelets
| Year | Event | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $10,000 Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship | $450,176 |
| 2019 | $1,500 Dealers Choice | $144,957 |
| 2007 | $1,500 PLO | $194,206 |
| 2006 | $3,000 Omaha Hi-Lo | $301,175 |
