【101 game】

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Jul 20,101 game 20253 min read

Table Of Contents

• Phil Ivey Dusts Off Slow Start
• Strong 2025 WSOP for Daniel Negreanu
• 'Poker Brat' Racks Up the Cashes

The three biggest names in the game — Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Hellmuth — had a mixed bag of ups and downs at the 2025 World Series of Poker (WSOP).

None of the three mainstream poker stars won a bracelet this summer, but they all came close. The trio of Poker Hall of Famers, who've combined for 35 gold bracelets, did, however, prove they can still compete at an elite level against the younger GTO crushers in the most prestigious events.

Hellmuth, Negreanu, and Ivey combined to reach 10 unofficial live final tables out of the 100 bracelet events held this summer. Negreanu also added a final table appearance in a WSOP Online event.

Phil Ivey Dusts Off Slow Start

Ivey started slow and didn't record a cash until June 11, which happened to be his first unofficial final table appearance, a ninth-place finish in Event #38: $100,000 No-Limit Hold'em High Roller (8-Handed) for $247,130.

The former Full Tilt Poker pro didn't cash a ton this summer — just six times — but he made the most of his cashes, finishing with three official final table appearances and four top nine finishes.

Ivey, however, didn't beat a top-five finish in any event during the 2025 WSOP. He closed out his series with one final deep run in Event #98: $25,000 Limit H.O.R.S.E. High Roller, a sixth-place finish for $149.643.

Strong 2025 WSOP for Daniel Negreanu

Negreanu was the strongest performer out of the Big 3. He turned in his first profitable WSOP since 2021 and reached six unofficial final tables (five official), which includes a third-place finish in a $1,000 No-Limit Hold'em online tournament.

The GGPoker ambassador entered 45 events, according to his final 2025 WSOP vlog. He cashed 15 times for a 33% cash rate.

Negreanu profited $181,097 during the series, giving the fans who bought small pieces of his action about a 10% profit. He concluded his run eighth on the WSOP Player of the Year leaderboard, an award won by Shaun Deeb. The seven-time bracelet winner didn't add an eighth bracelet, but he came close numerous times.

Negreanu turned in a runner-up finish early in the series in Event #9: $10,000 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better Championship for $313,615, losing heads-up to Ryan Bambrick. He tacked on fourth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth place finishes.

'Poker Brat' Racks Up the Cashes

Hellmuth didn't have his best WSOP, but it was far from a failure. The 1989 world champion was unable to extend his record to 18 gold bracelets. He did, however, cash in 11 events this summer and now has over 200 bracelet event cashes in his career, a record.

The "Poker Brat" reached just one final table during the recently completed series. That was a third-place finish for $112,360 in Event #47: $2,500 Limit Omaha 8/Stud.

Hellmuth, who now has over $30 million in The Hendon Mob live tournament cashes, hasn't won a bracelet since 2023. He's still the G.O.A.T. of the World Series of Poker. But he made headlines at the 2025 WSOP more for changing his mind on playing the Main Event than he did his performance.

Ivey, Negreanu, and Hellmuth each had their ups and downs during the 2025 WSOP. But all three proved they're still competitive more than 25 years after first appearing at the World Series of Poker.