The ever-controversial Phil Hellmuth believes that the 300+ WSOP bracelets that are up for grabs each year are way too many. Talking to Card Player, the 61-year-old said that players should be fighting it out for no more than 100, as bracelets are on their way to becoming “meaningless.”
believes that any bracelets won online should be in their own category
He referenced the matter during an episode of No Gamble, No Future, saying that WSOP’s parent company, GGPoker, and fellow legendary poker pro Daniel Negreanu are open to changing the current system. He believes that any bracelets won online should be in their own category.
Hellmuth went as far as saying he will cut down his playing schedule if something doesn’t change. Highlighting the starkness of the situation of GGPoker, which bought the WSOP for $500m last year, he said the company might “end up with a $50m asset” if they “run it right into the ground.”
Negreanu didn’t enjoy Hellmuth sharing their conversation, telling PokerOrg: “If you want to leak a secret, tell Phil. He can’t help himself.” The Toronto native went on to say he’s in favor of dropping the number of bracelets to 150 per year.
Hellmuth is still the clear leader in the bracelet rankings, having accumulated 17 in his career. His first was in 1989 in the Main Event, and his most recent came in 2023 in $10,000 Super Turbo Bounty No-Limit Hold’em. He is six bracelets ahead of Phil Ivey in the overall bracelet standings.
