Home / Poker News June 2011 / 2011 WSOP – Close Again but no Cigar for Phil Hellmuth
2011 WSOP – Close Again but no Cigar for Phil Hellmuth
Posted by: James Carter. - Wed, 2011-06-22 07:00
Phil Hellmuth had already come close to winning a WSOP bracelet once this year – in a non-Holdem event no less - but he got denied over the home stretch by Full Tilt Poker’s John Juanda. The Poker Brat’s swagger has definitely not been broken though: on Day 21 of the
2011 WSOP, he played down to the heads-up stage of the $10k Stud 8 or Better World Championship event, where alas he yet again faltered and got bounced by Eric Rodawig. Every time Hellmuth seems ready to unleash a beastly force of never before seen potential (himself with a 12th bracelet under his belt) on the poker world, some knight in shining armor steps up to the plate and saves the day yet again.
18 players returned to action on the final day of the event, but with Phil Hellmuth starting 7th, his presence hogged all the press attention. The field played down to the final table relatively fast, and sure enough, the Poker Brat was among those who would embark on the final stretch of the tournament, still very much in the books for that illusive 12th bracelet. Other “name” players who made the final table were Eric Rodawig, John Racener, Ted Forrest, Joe Tehan and David Benyamine. It was by no means going to be an easy walk in the park for The Brat to make the heads-up stage, but he did it nonetheless.
Unfortunately for him, when it came down to heads-up play, he found himself a massive underdog. He did fight back and he managed to build his 600k+ stack up to 1.3 million before the final hand sealed the deal.
The chips went into the middle with Hellmuth holding Jc,10c,9h against Rodawig’s A,8,3 rainbow. Over the following 3 streets, Rodawig made a two pair, picking up 2,2,3. Hellmuth got 5,4,7, not much to work with. Rodawig then picked up a K on the river, and the J which fell for Hellmuth denied the Poker Brat yet again.
Rodawig pocketed $442k.
