Greatest Showman? Phil Hellmuth Makes Another Grand Entrance into WSOP Main Event

Ever the showman, Phil Hellmuth made his customary grand entrance for Day 1D of the World Series of Poker Main Event. This time the 17-time bracelet winner fittingly played the ringmaster from the film The Greatest Showman, complete with red jacket and top hat. A caged Dan “Jungleman” Cates trailed behind, also fittingly dressed as a lion.

If that weren’t enough spectacle, 17 models followed the twosome, each holding a number – 1 to 17 for each of Hellmuth’s bracelet wins. The halls of the Horseshoe were packed with onlookers checking out the scene as the entire posse made their way to the PokerGO set with Katy Perry’s “Roar” accompanying the entrance.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the World Series of Poker,” Hellmuth boomed after taking the microphone. This has become a regular tradition for Hellmuth and past years have seen him play numerous roles.

One of the most memorable came in 2007 when he donned a complete fire suit to look like a racecar driver. A day before his entry in the Main Event, Hellmuth even hit the gas driving a stock car through the Rio parking lot. Many observers noted that he should stick to poker after crashing the car into a light pole. 

“I went from impressive to a jerk in one fell swoop,” he noted after the experience. “I thought I looked really cool when I was in control, but I looked really idiotic when I crashed – kind of like when I’m playing poker. I guess there’s a parallel between the two.”

Here’s a look at some of Hellmuth’s memorable costumes entries through the years:

• 2007 – racecar driver

• 2008 – army general

• 2009 – Julius Caesar the Roman emperor

• 2010 – mixed martial arts fighter 

• 2018 – Thor from Marvel

• 2021– Gandalf from Lord of the Rings

• 2022 – Darth Vader from Star Wars

Catch Hellmuth on tonight's live stream from the 2023 WSOP Main Event at 10PM ET / 7PM PT!

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