“I’m glad I’m not playing today so I won’t see Hellmuth make a fool out of himself with his entrance. I can’t help thinking it’s terrible.” That was the Tweet of 10-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Doyle Brunson shortly before UB.com pro Phil Hellmuth made his grand entrance to the Main Event on Wednesday. This year, Hellmuth dressed as an MMA fighter.
Hellmuth’s entrance was scheduled for around 1:15pm PT in front of the doors to the Rio Pavilion, site of the 2010 WSOP. A media representative told the assembled crowd to “watch for the stage” and, to our amazement, one rolled in being towed by a black pickup truck from the valet area. A group of male and female dancers put on a rather elongated show before Hellmuth finally turned out dressed in a black and yellow UB.com hooded robe.
Brunson in part recanted his controversial Tweet, saying, “I got scolded by PH for my last Tweet. Sorry Phil, but I got 103 responses. 99 agreed with me, 4 didn’t. I love you anyway, gl in the WSOP.” Brunson played in the WSOP Main Event on Thursday for Day 1D, ending the session with 62,000, or twice the starting stack. On July 3rd, “Texas Dolly” was spotted railing Dan “djk123” Kelly in the $25,000 No Limit Hold’em Six-Max final table; Kelly ultimately took down the bracelet and became the newest Brunson 10 member.
Watching the Hellmuthian-sized entrance on Wednesday were a variety of pros including Joe Sebok, Sam Chauhan, Gavin Smith, and Mike Matusow, the latter of whom jokingly told the crowd that he had been paid $50,000 to show up. Smith and Sebok, meanwhile, contemplated what the reaction would be if they showed up to a major tournament like the Main Event in the same fashion as Hellmuth.
On his way up to the Pavilion doors, Hellmuth picked up two escorts, his mom and his dad, who watched their son start his Main Event run. UFC’s Bruce Buffer, donning Full Tilt Poker logos, introduced Hellmuth to the crowd before his microphone stopped working. Then, girls holding up cardboard cutouts of WSOP bracelets trailed Hellmuth down the hallway to the Amazon Room as a mass crowd pursued.
Despite his titanic-sized introduction, Hellmuth was sent packing from the Main Event on Day 1C. Bluff Magazine painted the picture of the scene on Twitter inside the Rio when the 11-time bracelet winner’s run ended: “Phil Hellmuth has been eliminated from Day 1C of the Main Event. Entire Pavilion room applauded as it was announced over the PA.”
For his part, Hellmuth seemed rather calm about being ousted from the $10,000 buy-in tournament, Tweeting, “Out! Still feel calm (not freaking out); did autographs + pics 4 45 mins str8 after busting. 2010 WSOP: played great, cards were not great.” Hellmuth finished the 2010 WSOP with four cashes and one final table for a total haul of $110,000.
While Sebok snapped Twitpic after Twitpic of the sea of poker media and fans enduring 110-degree heat to watch Hellmuth enter, tournament reporter B.J. Nemeth objectively guessed, “I’d bet that >50% of the media reports on Hellmuth’s entrance are negative or mocking in tone. What more needs to be said?” Meanwhile, Annie Duke, who also began her Main Event journey on Day 1C, noted, “Damn. I think I am in the wrong room for Phil Hellmuth’s entrance. Bad beat.”
Perhaps the best summary of the scene, appropriately, went to the always insightful Sebok, who succinctly Twittered: “Holy effing eff. Phil Hellmuth entrance. Wow. Just wow.” With reigning WSOP Main Event champ Joe Cada seated at the feature table, Hellmuth took his spot at Table 2, facing the room that his legacy has, in part, helped to fill. Hellmuth ate sushi with his parents on the dinner break, when his stack had dwindled to around 12,000, and he exited shortly thereafter.
Around 2:30pm PT on Wednesday, Poker News Daily caught up to Hellmuth inside the UB.com suite at the Rio to discuss his entrance. Click here to watch.