‘Poker Brat’ eliminated from WSOP Main Event, starts social media war with rival

Phil Hellmuth, the 17‑time WSOP champion known as the “Poker Brat,” was eliminated from the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event on Day 3 at Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas, falling short of the money. He also lost a high‑profile side bet with fellow professional Shaun Deeb. After his exit, Hellmuth took to social media to denounce the WSOP Player of the Year system, calling it a “massive unfair disadvantage” for the average player who cannot afford higher buy‑in events. He added, “If you suffer money at WSOP, you should not win Player of the Year.” The remarks ignited a feud with Deeb, who sits third in the current POY standings and won the award in 2025 and 2018. Deeb accused Hellmuth of “moving the goalposts” and shaping his schedule to give himself the best chance at the title. Poker pro Daniel Negreanu sided with Deeb, writing on X that “The POY isn’t designed for the recreational player who comes out for a few weekends. It is for the hardcore grinders who put in the time and grind it out across a wide range of buy‑ins.” The WSOP overhauled the POY scoring this year, capping at 15 the number of cashes that count toward the leaderboard and adding a $1 million prize pool to the competition. Alex Foxen leads the race, which will not be decided until WSOP Paradise in December in the Bahamas. Earlier in the day, Hellmuth’s son Phillip III was knocked out before the money bubble burst, obligating Hellmuth to settle his side bet with Deeb. Hellmuth had staked $14,000 on each of his sons to cash in the Main Event; Deeb agreed to match any amount they earned. Had Phillip won, Deeb would have owed $10 million. Hellmuth’s other son Nick remained in the field when play halted late Wednesday with 1,390 players left, giving Hellmuth a chance to recover the wager. The top 1,382 finishers make the money, with a minimum payout of $15,000. Bracelet Legend successful Trouble@phil_hellmuth needs a spade to past connected Day 3 of the $10,000 Main Event, tin helium find one? Watch the WSOP Main Event watercourse LIVE contiguous connected @espn integer and YouTube successful prime territories. pic.twitter.com/DvG48FGS8f — WSOP - World Series of Poker (@WSOP) July 9, 2026