A number of big-name players will be at the tables for this year's World Series of Poker, the annual Vegas tournament celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019. Only a select few have emerged from the pack over the years to reign as repeat bracelet winners.
This year's field, which has benefited from the tourney's increasing popularity much like 2018's initial entrant pool of more than 120,000, includes former Players of the Year such as Shaun Deeb, last year's title winner who claimed two bracelets and $2.5 million in prize money; Chris Ferguson, the top 2017 WSOP honoree; and Jason Mercier, 2016's No. 1 player. And yet most eyes might be on those with a chance to add to their Hall of Fame legacies -- guys like Phil Hellmuth and Erik Seidel.
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the WSOP, plus the dozens of Bracelet Events on tap this summer, here's a look at the top bracelet winners of all time, with Hellmuth leading the way with a record 15 victories:
| Player | Bracelets | Last Win |
|---|---|---|
Phil Hellmuth | 15 | 2018 |
Phil Ivey | 10 | 2014 |
Doyle Brunson | 10 | 2005 |
Johnny Chan | 10 | 2005 |
Johnny Moss | 9 | 1988 |
Erik Seidel | 8 | 2007 |
Men Nguyen | 7 | 2010 |
Billy Baxter | 7 | 2002 |
Chris Ferguson | 6 | 2017 |
| Ted Forrest | 6 | 2014 |
| Jeff Lisandro | 6 | 2014 |
| Daniel Negreanu | 6 | 2013 |
| Layne Flack | 6 | 2008 |
| T.J. Cloutier | 6 | 2005 |
| Jay Heimowitz | 6 | 2001 |
Beyond the top 15, there are 10 different players, including 2018 winner John Hennigan, tied with five career bracelets and 22 tied with four bracelets. Of all WSOP players with at least four career bracelet wins, 16 of them have also won at least one Main Event.
Hellmuth, of course, has long topped the all-time list, emerging as a top-35 finisher in the 1988 WSOP, becoming the youngest player to win the Main Event the following year and collecting more than a dozen additional bracelets since. According to The Hendon Mob, the 54-year-old Wisconsin native has earned almost $23 million over the course of his career, most recently claiming $485,000 in a No Limit Hold'em as part of the 2018 tournament. Hellmuth is also one of just six people to win three bracelets in one year, accomplishing the feat in 1993.
In the 2010s alone, Hellmuth is tied with seven others, including Deeb, for the most bracelets. Deeb, Brian Hastings, Brian Rast, Dominik Nitsche, George Danzer, Jason Mercier and Michael Mizrachi have all won four in the last nine years.
