In the world of poker, there are few names more well-known than Phil Hellmuth
It all started with a video posted on the official World Poker Tour (WPT) account on X (formerly Twitter), where Hellmuth explained why he is the best of all time. In the footage, Phil can be seen arguing points such as:
“I have 17 WSOP bracelets. Three WPT titles wouldn’t be bad. I want to reach 24 bracelets and be known as the best poker tournament player of all time. I already have that title, but there are people like Shaun Deeb
As expected, the video did not go unnoticed and many users began commenting on it. Player Glen Pearson
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“At one time he was the best MTT player in the world. Then tens of millions of players entered the market and he quickly fell behind in terms of skill and game understanding. A legend who deserves all respect, but you can’t be the best without playing against the best.”
Phil did not let that comment pass and decided to highlight his credentials:
“Huh? In 2026 I played about 14 NLH tournaments and made the final table in 3 of them. Two at PokerGO Studio and one at the WSOP (2nd out of 886 players). I only played 10 tournaments in 2025… I have 12 NLH bracelets and about 7 second places, playing many fewer tournaments than other pros. I think there’s another who also won 5 NLH bracelets, let me know when someone wins 6,” Hellmuth replied, true to his style.
Without a doubt, Phil Hellmuth is an absolute legend of world poker, but can he be considered the best tournament player in history, despite not competing in today’s biggest stages beyond the WSOP?
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