German Poker Dominance at Poker Masters: Hellmuth vs. Negreanu

The Poker Masters series, held in Las Vegas at the Aria casino from September 13 to 20, concluded with another triumph for German poker. The series featured four tournaments with a $50k buy-in and one with a $100k buy-in. Steffen 'Go0se.core!' Zontheimer won the overall standings, securing two tournament victories and making it to the final tables in all others, although he missed the money in one.

Fedor Holz had predicted Steffen Zontheimer's breakthrough in January, calling him 'the best in poker at the moment'. In addition to his winnings, Steffen received a designer jacket in the signature color of Poker Central and $50k from Daniel Negreanu, who had bet $50k against 18 players that Steffen would win the overall standings.

Phil Hellmuth, who had a modest series with only one cash, questioned the strength of German players. Daniel Negreanu defended the young German players, stating that they would dominate against Hellmuth. David Williams proposed a PokerAfterDark episode featuring Daniel Negreanu, Phil Hellmuth, and German players Steffen Zontheimer, Fedor Holz, Stefan Schillhabel, and Christian Christner. Daniel Negreanu expressed his willingness to play in the proposed episode, even if Phil Hellmuth declines. Jason Mercier missed the Poker Masters series to stay with his family during Hurricane Irma. Tom Dwan and Bobby Baldwin were seen with a young, unidentified woman in Las Vegas. Phil Hellmuth is set to commentate on the 'King of the Hill 2' tournament in Pittsburgh on October 6 and 7.