The record holder of 17 prestigious bracelets isn’t known for holding back when it comes to voicing his opinions, and so usually we don’t read too much into it all. This time, though, Hellmuth has got the poker community debating passionately.
Appearing on the No Gamble, No Future livestream, Hellmuth publicly laid out his proposal, reading from his phone:
“This is what we are thinking…the World Series of Poker…way too many bracelets out there.”
He then turned his attention to Shaun Deeb at the table:
“Some guy at the table won his eighth bracelet with 38 players in Rozvadov. There were basically no great players in this tournament.”
A bit harsh considering WSOP Player of the Year winner Deeb’s record and this event costing €25,000 to enter.
He continued:
“Daniel Negreanu agrees with me, although he’ll probably scramble to tweet and say he doesn’t…. And I’vebeen talking to Michael Kim (GGPoker boss) about this. We want to do 100 bracelets a year. Not 10,000 bracelets a year – 300 bracelets, whatever it is.”
Hellmuth hammered home the loss of value he perceives in modern bracelet counts:
“We want to do 50 in Vegas, 10 in Paradise, 10 in Europe, 10 in Asia, and 20 online. We want to do 100 bracelets a year. I think it’s ridiculous that there are all these bracelets.”
He then goes on to mock players with as many as six bracelets, saying it’s only because of the amount that are handed out each year. That’s a bit harsh.
“If you keep giving out 300 bracelets a year, you’re cheapening the bracelets horrendously.”
Pressed about the impact such a dramatic reduction could have, Hellmuth didn’t mince words about the prestige at stake.
It’s clear to see the amount of passion Phil Hellmuth still has for poker, even after all of these decades, and he just doesn’t want to see his life’s work cheapened.
He said he’s supporting this initiative to reduce bracelet events as by now a lot of players feel the WSOP is not worth what it used to be, and if this continues then eventually it will be worth nothing.
Hellmuth’s stance has drawn both support and skepticism from the poker community.
.@Phil_Hellmuth has an announcement! Could we see a change in how many WSOP bracelets are awarded each year? Hellmuth seems to think so.
No Gamble, No Future presented by @PokerStarsUSA is streaming now on https://t.co/2RQh5ROjQG. pic.twitter.com/442ju1oy56
— PokerGO (@PokerGO) November 14, 2025
The Reaction
WSOP Executive Director Ty Stewart responded to the debate by acknowledging:
“I’m not sure there’s a magic number, but I acknowledge it’s getting pretty close. We’ve tried to be very modest in growth. Only went up 1 this year and a handful year before. It’s still statistically harder to win a bracelet than it’s ever been.”
Shaun Deeb said he hated the idea, even if the Player of the Year race became more important.
GGPoker ambassador Daniel Negreanu was more circumspect, agreeing that a cut down to around 150 bracelets per year would be more ideal. He also criticised the online events earning bracelets, calling them embarrassing.
And the fans had their own ideas. Giving online events a silver bracelet was one opinion which could work. Others suggested culling the events with sub $1,500 buy-ins.
Meanwhile, the poker community wrestles with the broader implications. For Hellmuth, the bracelet is more than just a trophy — it’s his legacy.
With 17 wins across five decades and a long history of outspoken protests, Hellmuth’s latest campaign is a fight for the enduring prestige of poker’s greatest prize — a WSOP gold bracelet.
