It was only a matter of time.
After taking a brutal beat late on Day 2 of the $10,000 PLO Hi-Lo 8 or Better, Phil Hellmuth took to social media to convey his frustrations in a wholly negative manner. So much for his #positivity streak.
"Folks, for the last few years I don't really share any negative posts on social media," Hellmuth started, before launching into an semi-detailed, somewhat rambling bad beat story.
With the end of Day 2 in sight and a healthy stack to work with, Hellmuth was "playing great poker" and poised for a deep run.
And then came the hand that sparked his fury – check out the video above for the rant.
The action isn't exactly easy to follow as Hellmuth diverts into tangents along the way. Here's what you need to know:
- It's a multi-way pot that checks through to the turn where Hellmuth makes top two pair.
- Two players move in, Hellmuth re-jams into a covering stack who makes "a horrendous call" with an inferior two pair and not much of a re-draw.
- It's now a chip-lead pot headed into the river and the covering stack catches an ace – one of their three outs – to win the high hand. Hellmuth is eliminated.
"I'm just sick of losing these hands for the last three years, four years, whatever it is" he said. "I never share them because I'm so lucky in life."
Hellmuth doesn't stop there. Instead, he turns his attention to perceived slights from "some of the pros" and all those who doubt his skills.
"They don't understand that I keep losing these f**king ridiculous hands," Hellmuth continued.
And then came the nuclear bomb.
"I'm getting sick of this shit," Hellmuth said strongly.
"I want you guys to know that I'm still a great player, and that I'll keep putting the money in with the best hand day after day, week after week, month after month, until I have 24 f**king bracelets."
Hellmuth in a drought
Hellmuth hasn't exactly started the summer as he likely hoped to.
With more than a quarter of the bracelet events already in the books and only three cashes to his name, Hellmuth's frustration at losing this hand in particular may be a symptom of a greater vexation.
It's been three years since he last hoisted a bracelet aloft – not much of a drought for most players, but for the all-time leader in wrist adornments, it's an eternity. And with close calls abound across that period of time, Hellmuth's latest rant felt, in a way, as though it was coming, or even deserved, if that word has any place in a poker setting.
Will the unburdening on display set Hellmuth on track for further WSOP glory? Or will the 'Poker Brat's' bracelet drought roll on?
There's only one way to find out.
