More than a month after the end of the WSOP 2026, Phil Hellmuth is still thinking about the runner-up finish in Event #99. Furthermore, the result prevented the American from pursuing the historic 18th bracelet.
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Thus, the tournament was the US$ 5,000 No-Limit Hold’em event. In the final, Hellmuth faced Darren Rabinowitz in the decisive heads-up. The legendary player ended up losing the one-on-one and the much-dreamed-of jewel.
However, even after the WSOP ended, the defeat remains in the star’s memory. According to Hellmuth, a specific hand from the heads-up still bothers him daily. “There was a hand I probably should have won that haunts me. I think about it every night”, he said in an interview with “Poker.Org.”
Additionally, during the duel, Hellmuth adopted a more patient stance. With this, he tried to induce Darren Rabinowitz to make mistakes, a strategy that had already worked in other important heads-ups in his career.
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Hellmuth points out decision that changed the heads-up
However, the player himself acknowledged that this plan had also caused problems before. Furthermore, Hellmuth cited the runner-up finish to David Jackson in the US$ 3,000 Freezeout at WSOP 2022 as another example.
Nevertheless, the main memory involves a hand in which Hellmuth held K♦5♠, while Rabinowitz had Jx6x. On the flop, K♣J♥6♥ appeared on the table. Then, the turn brought another 5♥, forming two pairs for Hellmuth.
Finally, the American opted to check on the turn. Rabinowitz also checked. On the river, a 2♥ completed the fourth heart card. Therefore, Hellmuth believes he could have taken a more aggressive line and changed the course of the decision.
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