Phil Hellmuth Falls Short in WPT Venetian

Poker icon Phil Hellmuth saw his latest quest for an elusive World Poker Tour title come to an end on Monday, finishing in 20th place for $22,200 at the $5,000 WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship.

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The Battle on Day 3

The tournament began on Thursday, November 5, at The Venetian Las Vegas, drawing 510 total entries to create a lucrative $2,346,000 prize pool. Hellmuth faced an uphill battle after squeaking through his Day 1C starting flight with a modest 39,000 stack. He successfully built that up to 455,000 by the end of Day 2.

However, heading into Monday’s Day 3 with 29 players remaining, the 17-time WSOP bracelet winner sat 22nd in the chip counts holding just 18 big blinds. As the field thinned past notable pros like Landon Tice, Jesse Lonis, and Shannon Shorr—who busted in 21st place for $19,500—Hellmuth tumbled to the danger zone. Looking to navigate similar pressure spots in your own events requires mastering foundational concepts like ICM poker tournament strategy to maximize your equity.

The Crucial Coin Flip

Down to his last ten big blinds, Hellmuth committed his remaining chips preflop holding against the pocket jacks of Nick Pupillo. The Poker Brat desperately needed to spike an ace or a queen, but the board ran clean for his opponent, bringing his championship run to a close in 20th place.

Reflecting on his elimination via social media, Hellmuth kept his trademark rants in check while expressing his frustration. “Very disappointing result, folks. Finished 20th. Man, poker can be a little frustrating,” he shared. “Today I just lost a flip, ace-queen against jacks, to get me back in the tournament if I won that pot. But look, it is what it is, and I have to be grateful for everything that I have in life.”

Consistency and Past WPT Near-Misses

Despite the sting of defeat, Hellmuth took solace in his overall consistency this year, noting that he has notched three final tables across roughly 15 no-limit events, alongside a 42nd-place finish at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship for $11,400. American players looking to match Hellmuth’s high-volume tournament grind can sign up to play on BetOnline Poker.

A WPT Championship victory remains one of the few glaring omissions on Hellmuth’s legendary resume. His previous close calls include a runner-up finish at the 2017 WPT Legends of Poker for $364,370, a third-place run at the 2003 World Poker Finals for $281,700, and a sixth-place finish in the 2008 WPT L.A. Poker Classic for $229,820. His lifetime WPT earnings now sit comfortably above $1.6 million.

Final Table Picture

While Hellmuth’s tournament life ended on Monday, the man who eliminated him surged to the top of the leaderboard. Nick Pupillo bagged a commanding chip lead of 6,400,000 heading into the latter stages of the event. WPT Champions Club member Nick Yunis sits in second with 4,155,000, followed by Daniyal Gheba with 3,270,000.

The remaining players are all guaranteed a payout of at least $45,000, while the eventual champion will secure a massive $446,800 first-place prize package, which includes a $10,400 seat into the season-ending WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. The six-handed livestreamed final table is scheduled to begin at noon Las Vegas time on Tuesday, November 10.

Source: PokerNews Online

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