Las Vegas, NV -- June 30, 2006 -- Phil Hellmuth, Jr. is the greatest poker player in the world. And if you don't believe it, just ask him. Hellmuth reached a new milestone today when he became the first player in World Series of Poker history to reach "50" in-the-money finishes. With his 67th-place finish in an colossal field of 2,776 entries in the $1,500 buy-in no-limit hold'em event, Hellmuth eclipsed two longtime poker rivals - Berry Johnston and Men "the Master" Nguyen, each currently with "49" cashes.
Phil Hellmuth has clearly become an icon in a game full of icons. The 1989 World Series of Poker Champion has won a total of nine gold bracelets in his illustrious 17-year poker career. Incredibly, all of his WSOP wins are in the game of hold'em - the most of any player. Through Event #3 at the WSOP, rankings are as follows:

MOST WSOP CASHES (LIFETIME)

Phil Hellmuth, Jr. 50
Berry Johnston 49
Men "the Master" Nguyen 49
T.J. Cloutier 47
Chris "Jesus" Ferguson 43
Erik Seidel 40
Brent Carter 40
An Tran 39
Mike Sexton 38
Ken "Skyhawk" Flaton 38

by WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla
and WSOP Statistician Rory Shanahan