Hellmuth is Out of WSOP

July 23, 2008

To say that Phil Hellmuth being knocked out of the World Series of Poker 2008 was shocking is no overreaction. Hellmuth was the last of the former winners in the event, and many thought it would be up to him to win the whole event.

Many blame his loss on the penalty that was put on him after he berated another player. Hellmuth was playing at a table that also had Cristian Dragomir of Romania on Saturday night.

Dragomir had a successful bluff where he re-raised the pot with just a pair of tens. Hellmuth had folded on the hand, and when he saw what Dragomir had bluffed with he was understandably irate.

Hellmuth said to Dragomir, “Listen buddy, you’re an idiot…This is the main event and you are the worst player in the world.” Officials did not care for Hellmuth’s “berating” of the other player and penalized him for it.

Officials determined that he had to sit out one round, or nine hands, for his behavior – which put him at a great disadvantage. After Hellmuth was out, there was an official review of the call at which point the penalty was decided to be “excessive.”

With Hellmuth out there are 27 remaining players, which will be whittled down to nine. The event will be stopped and completed on television on November 9th.