Phil Hellmuth Has Another Chance at No. 12

The most illustrious wrist in poker could get a bit more decorative Monday evening in the $10,000 seven-card stud eight-or-better championship, as 46-year-old Phil Hellmuth is in contention for his 12th win at the World Series of Poker, just nine days after a devastating runner-up finish in the $10,000 deuce-to-seven draw lowball championship. The remaining nine players merged into an unofficial final table of nine shortly after 6 p.m. PST.

Hellmuth has been putting on a clinic in the big buy-in non-hold’em events at this year’s World Series. This despite all of the Wisconsin native’s victories at the WSOP coming in variants of hold’em. With a win Monday, Hellmuth would distance himself from the stagnant Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson, who each have 10. The cash is Hellmuth’s 81st, also the crest in the poker world.

With just 168 players in the event, it comes as no surprise that the end of the tournament will be a tough one for Hellmuth. He will have to amputate David Benyamine’s quest for a second gold trinket, Ted Forrest’s mission for a sixth, and John Racener’s shot at a first, after binking a second place in last year’s main event.

Here are the chip counts at the start of the nine-handed final table:

1. Eric Rodawig — 1,400,000
2. David Benyamine — 792,000
3. Ted Forrest — 680,000
4. Phil Hellmuth — 535,000
5. Joe Tehan — 475,000
6. Mikhail Savinov — 413,000
7. John Racener — 353,000
8. Ali Eslami — 315,000
9. Antony Lellouche — 158,000

To follow the action at the final table, please check out Card Player’s live updates.

For all of the latest WSOP information, check out the WSOP landing page.

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