Phil Hellmuth arrives at WSOP Main Event in karate cosplay — PHOTOS
Phil Hellmuth is ready to fight for chips at the World Series of Poker Main Event.
The 17-time WSOP champion made his entrance for Flight 1C of the $10,000 buy-in No-limit Hold’em World Championship on Friday at Horseshoe Las Vegas wearing a karate gi and black belt as Carl Douglas’ “Kung Fu Fighting” played over the PA system.
Hellmuth’s entourage also was dressed in martial arts cosplay, including professional poker players Daniel “Jungleman” Cates, Scotty Nguyen and Jeff Gross. Actress Shannon Elizabeth and Cates staged a quick fight scene near the PokerGO feature table before Hellmuth took his seat.
He has ARRIVED. @phil_hellmuth makes his @WSOP Main Event entrance.
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📺: https://t.co/ZSdQ9jkgBD pic.twitter.com/MWfEVbaVKA
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) July 5, 2024
The player known as the “Poker Brat” has turned his arrival at the tournament into a spectacle in recent years. In 2022, he arrived as Darth Vader and was eliminated before the first break. Last summer, he came as P.T. Barnum from the 2017 movie “The Greatest Showman.”
Hellmuth, who won the 1989 Main Event, has nine cashes at this year’s WSOP, with his best result a fourth-place finish in a $1,500 buy-in Mixed Omaha tournament.
The Main Event continues Saturday with Day 1D, the final starting flight, and registration remains open until 4:40 p.m. Monday. The final table is scheduled to begin July 16.
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on X.