Gray-haired poker TRs: Living the WSOP dream
At the age of 62 (AARP members unite!), I have decided that I will write a trip report for my 2024 trek to the World Ser
rppoker Asks Gemini ... Who, if anyone, can catch Hellmuth for most WSOP bracelets?
Before we move on to the WSOP Main Event Final Table in early August, a little lingering, late business from WSOP 2026. Specifically, Phil Hellmuth almost winning another bracelet during the final, last-gasp moments of WSOP 2026. Pokernews just ran a feature on Phil Hellmuth in which he talks about his goal of winning 24 WSOP bracelets as well as the disappointment of recently finishing in second place at a WSOP tourney (
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After reading this I asked my artificial intelligence sidekick Gemini the following question ... 20 years from now, which poker player do you think will have won the most WSOP bracelets?
Gemini responded as follows:
Looking out 20 years, Phil Hellmuth’s all-time record of 17 bracelets still stands as the ultimate mountain to climb, but the player most likely to hold or fiercely challenge the top spot is Phil Ivey.
Here is how the landscape shapes out when projecting two decades into the future:
1. The Heir Apparent: Phil Ivey
• Current Status: Sits comfortably at 11 bracelets (trailing only Hellmuth).
• The Case For Him: Widely regarded by his peers as one of the most naturally gifted poker players to ever touch a card, Ivey’s mastery isn’t confined to a single format. While Hellmuth's bracelets are heavily concentrated in No-Limit Hold'em, Ivey can win in virtually any discipline—mixed games, short deck, stud, and Omaha. As players age, mixed-game specialists often age better than pure no-limit grinders because the fields are smaller and rely heavily on deep structural knowledge rather than pure physical stamina. If Ivey maintains a consistent schedule over the next 20 years, his versatility gives him the highest ceiling to catch and surpass the record.
2. The Incumbent Target: Phil Hellmuth
• Current Status: 17 bracelets.
• The Case For Him: You can never count out "The Poker Brat." Hellmuth's hyper-fixation on bracelet counts is legendary, and he treats every summer series as his personal Olympic games. While he will be well into his 80s twenty years from now, his sheer willpower, deep understanding of soft-field psychology, and knack for navigating final tables in standard hold'em and lowball events mean he isn't going away quietly. Even if he slows down volume-wise, picking up 2 or 3 more over the next two decades is entirely within the realm of possibility, raising the bar even higher.
3. The High-Volume Grinders: Shaun Deeb or Benny Glaser
• Current Status: Rapidly climbing the all-time ladder (both sitting at 9 bracelets).
• The Case For Them: If the record ultimately goes to someone who treats the WSOP as a relentless, year-after-year numbers game (including online and international stops), the modern volume machines are the dark horses. Players like Shaun Deeb and Benny Glaser crush the schedule across every variant, play massive volume, and possess an insatiable hunger for hardware. Over 20 more years of multi-event schedules, a high-volume crusher who hits a couple of multi-bracelet summers could easily lap the field.
Prediction
Phil Ivey takes the crown. While Hellmuth may hold the lead for a while longer, Ivey’s unmatched game-selection flexibility and ability to close out fields across all variants make him the most likely candidate to ultimately wear the bracelet crown 20 years down the line.
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rppoker says ...
I have to disagree with Gemini’s answer. Ivey seems like he may have lost something off his fast ball. He is potentially still dangerous, but not as dangerous as he used to be. He seems a little stuck in quicksand at the WSOP as far as bracelets go. Of course, all it takes is a future summer sun run in which he wins three bracelets, and I’ll look silly.
That said, I think Shaun Deeb or Benny Glaser are more likely to pass Hellmuth. Deeb because of his relentless, ravenous, fire-insane-amounts-of-bullets pursuit of Hellmuth’s crown. Glaser because he plays mixed games so exceptionally well. Deeb and Glaser have youth on their side, which I think will allow them to steadily reel Hellmuth in over time. And don’t sleep on Nick Schulman who is somewhat quietly racing up the bracelet charts.
Of course, if Hellmuth can add a few more bracelets, that changes the target and the narrative and makes him even tougher to catch. On the one hand, 98% of the way into WSOP 2026 Hellmuth’s results weren’t great and the question was whether he could still win a WSOP bracelet. Then at the very, very, very end of WSOP 2026 Hellmuth got head’s up in a tourney with a big chip lead. He wasn’t able to close the deal, but perhaps this means he’s not done with winning bracelets.
Add it all up, and what do I think it means? I think Deeb, with his combination of skills and volume, is the one to eventually catch and pass Hellmuth.
