Phil Hellmuth Misses WPT Venetian Championship Victory

Phil Hellmuth‘s pursuit of his first World Poker Tour (WPT) Main Event title suffered another setback after the 17-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner finished 20th in the $5,000 WPT Venetian Las Vegas Fall Championship. His tournament ended on Monday following a coin-flip confrontation with Nick Pupillo, earning Hellmuth $22,200 from a prize pool of $2,346,000.

The Poker Hall of Famer entered the competition hoping to add the WPT Mike Sexton Champions Cup to his extensive collection of poker achievements. Despite reaching the final 20, he failed to secure a place at the six-handed final table.

His latest cash followed another deep run at the WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star Championship in San Jose, where he officially finished 42nd for $11,400. The two results gave him multiple WPT Championship cashes in the same season for the first time since 2017-18.

Pupillo Ends Hellmuth’s Latest Championship Challenge

The Venetian tournament attracted 510 entries and began on Thursday, November 5. Hellmuth initially struggled to build a competitive stack, narrowly progressing through his Day 1C flight with 39,000 chips.

His position improved considerably during Day 2, when he increased his stack to 455,000. However, he still faced a difficult task when 29 players returned for Monday’s Day 3. Sitting 22nd in the chip counts with just 18 big blinds, he needed to accumulate chips quickly.

Several established players exited as the field contracted. Landon Tice, Jesse Lonis and Shannon Shorr were among those eliminated, with Shorr finishing 21st for $19,500. His departure secured a minimum payout of $22,200 for the remaining 20 competitors.

Hellmuth’s tournament ended shortly afterward. Holding approximately ten big blinds, he committed his remaining chips with ace-queen against Pupillo’s pocket jacks. The hand offered him an opportunity to double his stack and return to contention, but neither an ace nor a queen appeared on the board.

Pupillo’s victory in the confrontation sent Hellmuth to the payout desk in 20th place.

Speaking in a video shared on X, Hellmuth expressed disappointment with the result while acknowledging that he had given himself an opportunity to advance further.

“Very disappointing result, folks. Finished 20th. Man, poker can be a little frustrating,” said Hellmuth according to Poker News.

He also discussed his approach to the tournament, suggesting that his opponents had been playing aggressively and entering too many pots.

“When I get to play six hours against a $5,000 field, or against any field, it feels like I have a great chance to chip up,” he explained. “People are playing a little bit aggressive, too aggressive. They’re playing too many hands.”

Although he acknowledged receiving some favorable outcomes earlier in the competition, Hellmuth felt his overall performance justified expectations of a stronger finish.

“I don’t want to get into the complaining mode too much. I don’t want to be a victim,” he said. “But then you leave and you’re like, ‘Oh man, I played so good. I gave myself such a great chance.'”

Recent WPT Results Offer Encouragement

Despite the Venetian elimination, Hellmuth believes his performances during 2026 show that he remains competitive in major tournaments. He said he had entered approximately 15 no-limit events during the year and reached three final tables. Discussing his two WPT appearances, he recalled finishing 50th in San Jose and 20th in Las Vegas.

He also drew a distinction between the two performances, admitting that he was dissatisfied with his play in San Jose while expressing confidence in his decisions at the Venetian.

“I don’t need much in the way of luck. I don’t need much to go a lot farther. Bay 101, I was not happy with the way I played,” he admitted. “I was upset because I wanted to give myself the best chance to win. But here at the Venetian, I have no regrets. Just felt like I played great.”

Hellmuth’s WPT record includes a runner-up finish at the 2017 WPT Legends of Poker, where he collected $364,370. Other notable results include third place at the 2003 World Poker Finals for $281,700, sixth at the 2008 WPT L.A. Poker Classic for $229,820 and seventh at the 2010 WPT World Championship for $152,856.

His WPT tournament earnings have now exceeded $1.6 million. Across his professional tournament career, he has accumulated more than $31.7 million in earnings.

Pupillo Leads the Final Six Contenders

While Hellmuth’s campaign ended, Pupillo continued his run and established himself as the leading contender for the championship. He subsequently eliminated Mohammad Pourmandi in seventh place for $67,000. Pourmandi moved all-in with king-deuce of diamonds on a flop showing J-T-9 with two diamonds. Pupillo called with ace-deuce of the same suit and maintained the lead through the turn and river.

The elimination secured Pupillo’s place at the final table and strengthened his chip advantage. The six remaining players were Pupillo, Daniyal Gheba, Nick Yunis, Matt Affleck, Craig Mason and Anthony Piacquadio.

The winner stood to receive $446,800, including a $10,400 entry into the season-ending WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. The runner-up was set to collect $280,000, while third place carried a $209,000 payout.