Is Phil Hellmuth the best NLHE player in the world? Doyle Brunson says 'Yes!'

[Shells]

Doyle Brunson stated in a tweet yesterday, "I just saw Phil Helmuth has cashed 154 times at the WSOP so he has probably entered 200 tournaments. He is the best NLH tournament player in the world, in my opinion."

So, is Doyle Brunson right? What do you think?

Doyle Brunson Says Phil Hellmuth is the Greatest No-Limit Hold’em Player in the World

 

[antonis32123]

Hellmuth is the best poker player in the world , haters will only do what they know to do , just hate . Hellmuth is the best , either some like it or not .

 

[CliffieDeuce]

His bracelets prove it, I guess.

 

[DS3]

Doyle's figures seem a little off.

From the wsop website - Helmuth has cashed 135 times at the WSOP and then another thirty times between online, WSOP Europe and other circuit events. If WSOP bracelets are the ultimate metric for some - so be it. Not necessarily for me.

It's the tourneys entered where Doyle seems to be a little off- 'so he has probably entered 200 tournaments"

Helmuth first cashes in 1988 and then won in 1989. That's at least 32 years of playing the WSOP - which means by Doyle's estimate he has only entered 6.25 WSOP tournaments a year.

That said, Brunson is a bit of a wag, and as I noted regarding the back and forth over his comments regarding heads up ( I still like the old way of playing poker...#cutthe cheatsheets) - I think his sense of humor can be a little trollish at times.

 

[CSLysander]

There are many reasons that I think he is one of the better players at the game. First, the results he has had goes beyond the WSOP. His bracelets are pretty impressive, especially as they include the Main Event. His amount of final tables is also pretty impressive. Then there is the fact that he has an impressive run with the World Poker Tour. He has won at the National Heads Up Championship. He has won at an EPT event. He knows multiple styles of poker in a way that is a threat whenever he sits down.

Now, he is the Brat, there is no mistaking that. At the same time, he is actually a really nice guy off the felt and can be such while playing. He may have changed, but I have had a conversation with him in the 90s and enjoyed it. It was just a bunch of folks eating somewhere before a tournament and someone who knew him called him over. He has become an ambassador to our beloved game and people love him.

So, while I personally would never say he is better than Doyle Brunson, I would say he is better than a long list of folks who are nowhere near the personality he is. There are even people who want to get him going off on them, just because he is legendary in that.

 

[Poker Orifice]

Doyle Brunson stated in a tweet yesterday, "I just saw Phil Helmuth has cashed 154 times at the WSOP so he has probably entered 200 tournaments. He is the best NLH tournament player in the world, in my opinion."

So, is Doyle Brunson right? What do you think?

Doyle Brunson Says Phil Hellmuth is the Greatest No-Limit Hold’em Player in the World

It wouldn't shock me if he's missing a '0' on the end of that 200.

 

[Rob Hobson]

Doyle Brunson stated in a tweet yesterday, "I just saw Phil Helmuth has cashed 154 times at the WSOP so he has probably entered 200 tournaments. He is the best NLH tournament player in the world, in my opinion."

So, is Doyle Brunson right? What do you think?

Doyle Brunson Says Phil Hellmuth is the Greatest No-Limit Hold’em Player in the World

And I agree. But who can disagree with the greatest poker legend alive?

 

[TerryBLE]

Without a doubt he is a great player and despite not being among my "favorites" I like his eccentricity

 

[lcid86]

Best in the world at this time? Maybe, maybe not. Greatest WSOP NLHE tournament player, probably. If the WSOP results are the standard then Doyle is assuming that all the best players play the WSOP. Not sure that is still the case.

 

[CSLysander]

Best in the world at this time? Maybe, maybe not. Greatest WSOP NLHE tournament player, probably. If the WSOP results are the standard then Doyle is assuming that all the best players play the WSOP. Not sure that is still the case.

Mike Sexton was an amazing player and recognized as such by players worldwide. He spent the time period of many WSOP events coaching kids in sports. Brunson knows this and I know the two had a good relationship of respect on and off the felt.

 

[monkey23]

tourneys yes
cash games...definitely not

 

[wagon596]

He's the best NL Hold'em tournament player for sure. Not sure he has that tag in other games instead of NL Holdem or in cash games. So is he the best over all player? I don't think so. Who is? I have no idea...

 

[blkmoney12]

It is very close

For the most part I do agree with Doyle brunson that Phil helmuth is the greatest no limit Holden player. But close on his heels is Phil Ivey who is no slouch at winning no limit hold them tournaments he has a very outstanding record and no limit hold them as well. it's very hard to put one person clearly above everyone else I think hellmuth deserves to be on top but there's a lot of people there just as good and as talented as he is if not better than Phil hellmuth so it's close I give the edge slightly to Phil hellmuth but not by a lot.

 

[WolfDieter]

Phil H. is incredible!!

 

[bablovod]

perhaps he is one of the best, but who is the best should be determined by real experts.

 

[Ron112355]

Doyle Brunson stated in a tweet yesterday, "I just saw Phil Helmuth has cashed 154 times at the WSOP so he has probably entered 200 tournaments. He is the best NLH tournament player in the world, in my opinion."

So, is Doyle Brunson right? What do you think?

Doyle Brunson Says Phil Hellmuth is the Greatest No-Limit Hold’em Player in the World

If you’re just counting bracelets he is tops but he isn’t even top 20 all time money earned
https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/ranking/all-time-money-list/

 

[Shells]

If you’re just counting bracelets he is tops but he isn’t even top 20 all time money earned
https://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/ranking/all-time-money-list/

Yeah. My guess is Doyle was basing his thoughts mostly on the WSOP bracelets? (even though Phil has won other events other than NLHE)

 

[Shay]

Welllll he is famous and has a lot of good plays on youtube

 

[alietc]

What I like the most about Phil Hellmuth is that he consider worst case scenario every time, he is a great player, and I like watching him when tony g abuse him, haha

 

[MTCashman]

Phil is definitely one of the best, he's been consistently thriving in the poker community for 30+ years, having Doyle say that is quite the endorsement!

 

[MAGICUZ]

No matter how emotional Phil Hellmuth was, but the fact that he is a strong player is undeniable.

 

[maestro121920]

agree Phil is the best, his bracelets proves it

 

[korbal29]

I totally agree . He has a non non sens approch to playing tournament. Unlike Ivey or Neagranu who in my opinion, one like to make insane bluffs and the other like to impress by his reading abilities. Dont get me wrong, both Ivey and Neagranu are excellent players but my money will always be on helmuth

 

[carmenzu]

I do like Phil, I consider him a great player, his career is very long, and of course the awards of 10 years ago are minimal compared to the awards today. That is why he does not appear as the highest money winner on the "All Time Money" list.
If Doyle Brunson admits it, why don't we?

 

[gabryyyel31]

He was the best once upon a time, but now other very good and very talented young guys came from behind.