The 90s saw Hellmuth continue his dominance in the game of poker. He would beat fellow poker legend Johnny Chan heads up at just 24 years old to claim his first bracelet, a sweet $755,000 and a reputation as “the new kid on the block.” He won three tournaments for a total of $86,511 before playing the legendary 1989 Main Event. The next year Hellmuth started to heat up. In August of that year, Hellmuth recorded his first six-figure score when he won a $10,000 event in Los Angeles for $125,000. Later in 1988, Hellmuth would cash his first WSOP events, the $1,500 Seven Card Stud event for $15,450 and the Main Event for $7,500. The next year, Phil had another minor cash for $1,775 and won his first recorded tournament, a $200 tournament in Reno, for $17,550. His first ever recorded live cash was in 1987 in a $1,000 tournament in Reno where he took fifth for $1,980 at the young age of 22. The Birth of a Star The late 1980s are where it all started for Hellmuth’s career. Here’s an in-depth look at Hellmuth’s poker earnings dating back to his first recorded cashes in the 1980s. Most recently, Phil had a stellar WSOP performance this year. The Poker Hall of Famer is first on the all-time bracelet list, and has earned a little over $26 million during his poker career. Phil “The Poker Brat” Hellmuth’s legendary poker career needs no introduction.
