The Poker Brat hints at a possible challenge to see who’s the better player
Phil Hellmuth and Bryn Kenney might be heading for a high-stakes showdown after a recent exchange of tension between the two poker pros. Kenney, currently leading poker’s all-time money list, made some pointed remarks about Hellmuth during an appearance on the Digital Social Hour Podcast, questioning his place among the game’s best players. While Kenney acknowledged Hellmuth as the most successful player in World Series of Poker (WSOP) history, he implied that Hellmuth’s success mainly came from beating amateur players rather than competing consistently at the highest level.
Kenney’s comments suggested that Hellmuth hasn’t fared well in the high roller scene, casting doubt on his ability to compete with the top pros in those fields. Hellmuth, a 17-time WSOP bracelet winner, didn’t take the criticism lightly.
After a clip from the podcast surfaced on social media, Hellmuth defended himself, stating that the WSOP has always been the true “big leagues” of poker and pointing out his $1.5 million in high-roller earnings. Poker Brat also highlighted several significant high-roller results, including finishing runner-up in the $50,000 Poker Players Championship and banking $2.6 million in the $1 million Big One for One Drop event.
Kenney, however, remains confident he could outperform Hellmuth in WSOP events and even floated the idea of making a major bet to prove it. Hellmuth responded by referencing his open challenge for a heads-up match on PokerGO’s High Stakes Duel, where he’s previously beaten Daniel Negreanu and Antonio Esfandiari. Kenney, in turn, claimed he’s been ready to play from the start and even offered to play for $1 million in any Triton event.
The growing back-and-forth hints at a possible heads-up match between these two poker giants, which could settle the debate about who truly stands at the top.
