WSOP 1993: Victory of Jim Bechtel, Hat-Trick of Phil Hellmuth and Ted Forrest

Start of the Series

The games started on April 20 with Event #1: $1,500 Limit Seven Card Stud, which had 173 participants. The tournament was won by Robert ‘Chipburner’ Turner from California, earning his only WSOP bracelet in his long career. Turner continued to play poker and made the series prize money until 2022. In the decisive heads-up, Robert Turner defeated Dave Crunkleton, whom you might remember from his third-place finish in the 1990 Main Event and fifth place in the 1992 Main Event.

In the tournament prizes, Steve Zolotow, who at that time had 4 final tables and 0 bracelets, was noted.

A similar but more expensive tournament, Event #2: $2,500 Limit Seven Card Stud, was held the next day with 113 players. The winner was Marty Sigel.

Event #3: $2,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo brought Erik Seidel his second bracelet and $168,000 in prize money. By this time in his career, Erik had achieved second place in the 1988 Main Event ($280,000), second place in Limit Hold’em in 1991 ($105,000), first place in Limit Hold’em in 1992 ($168,000), and first place in Limit Omaha Hi-Lo ($94,000).

Event #4: $1,500 Limit Hold’em became an expected mass tournament, held on Friday, April 23. The tournament registered 383 players, and in the decisive heads-up, former champion Jack Keller was defeated by Hugo Mieth from Nevada.

The next day, Jack Keller won Event #5: $1,500 Limit Omaha, which had 103 players. In the decisive heads-up, he was defeated by Howard Lederer. This bracelet became Jack Keller’s third and final, though he appeared in the series prize money for another 8 years.

Event #6: $1,000 Ladies Limit Seven Card Stud attracted 82 participants. The tournament was won by Phyllis Kessler. It’s worth mentioning that she played bridge for the Israeli National Team.

Phil Hellmuth’s Triumph

In 1993, Hellmuth, the former WSOP Main Event champion of 1989, won three tournaments in a row. Until then, only one hat-trick had been achieved in WSOP history (Puggy Pearson in 1973), but even Puggy did not win day after day.

First, Phil won Event #7: $2,500 No-Limit Hold’em on April 26 with 173 players. The first prize was $173,000. In the heads-up, he defeated Noli Francisco, with Jack Keller (6th place) and Hans ‘Tuna’ Lund noted at the final table.

On April 27, Phil won Event #8: $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em with 284 players. In this heads-up, he faced Chris Tsiprailidis and took home $161,400 for first place. Winning two tournaments in a row is already an outstanding achievement, though not yet unique in series history.

On April 28, Phil won Event #9: $5,000 Limit Hold’em with 63 players—a remarkable achievement. Hellmuth became the first in WSOP history to win three tournaments in a row. In this event, he once again defeated Jack Keller at the final table, and in the heads-up, Phil was defeated by Don Williams.

This incredible achievement is extremely difficult to replicate. However, within the WSOP 1993 series, we will see another sensation.

Mid-Series

Event #10: $1,500 Limit A-5 Draw Lowball was won by Chau Giang, with Brad Daugherty taking third place at the final table. Robert ‘Chipburner’ Turner remained close to success, making the series prize money six times out of the 21 tournaments in 1993.

Ted Forrest’s Hat-Trick

On April 30, the expensive tournament Event #11: $5,000 Limit Seven Card Stud took place, featuring a tight final table with David ‘Chip’ Reese (6th place), young Howard Lederer (4th place), and the series debutant Ted Forrest. Forrest won, marking his first WSOP bracelet and first prize money appearance.

Forrest made his first appearance in WSOP prize money, and his successful tournament career had only recently begun—in 1991. From 1991 to 1993, he made the series prize money 15 times, always at final tables of small tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $300 to $2,000. Most tournaments were held in Los Angeles, and his biggest success up to that point was the 1992 World Poker Finals in Mashantucket, where Forrest took $29,000 for his victory.

And now, Forrest debuts in WSOP by immediately taking a gold bracelet.

The next day, May 1, 1993, Ted Forrest wins again. This time, Event #12: $1,500 Limit Razz with 129 players brings him $77,400. This is already a significant success for a series debutant. In the decisive heads-up, he defeated Charles Burris, with former WSOP champion Tom McEvoy taking 7th place at the final table.

On May 2, something incredible happens. Event #13: $1,500 Limit Omaha Hi-Lo is won again by Ted Forrest, defeating John Cernuto in the decisive heads-up. Forrest becomes the third player in WSOP history to win three bracelets or the second player to win three tournaments in a row. This occurs just days after Phil Hellmuth set this incredible record. In just a few days, it was repeated. The next hat-trick had to wait 19 years!

Ted Forrest played only six WSOP tournaments in 1993 and won three of them. In a subsequent interview, he said:

“I played well and got lucky. It’s a good combination!”

We note John ‘Miami’ Cernuto, who first lost to Phil Hellmuth while setting the record, made the prize money in another tournament won by Phil, and then lost to Ted Forrest in the decisive heads-up.

Another person involved in setting the record—Don Williams—was defeated by Phil Hellmuth in the heads-up and then took third place in Ted Forrest’s decisive tournament.

Next Part of the Tournaments

Event #14: $1,500 Limit Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo with 189 players was won by Gene Fisher. This is his second and final bracelet. Fisher has been playing WSOP since 1980, where he won his first bracelet by making the series prize money. In 1981, he took third place in the Main Event, followed by 12 years of prize money finishes without a win.

Event #15: $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em was won by the reigning series champion Hamid Dastmalchi, playing under the Iranian flag. In the decisive heads-up, he defeated Mickey Appleman. At the final table were previously mentioned Don Williams (5th place) and Dave Crunkleton (6th place).

Humberto Brenes’ Double

Event #16: $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha brought Humberto Brenes from Costa Rica his first bracelet. Brenes has been playing WSOP since 1987 and often made the Main Event prize money, but this was his first career bracelet. In the decisive heads-up, he defeated Jay Heimowitz, and former series champion Berry Johnston took third place.

The next day, May 6, Event #17: $2,500 Limit Hold’em was once again won by Humberto Brenes. This is his second bracelet, and over the next 32 years, Brenes will not increase this number. His last prize money appearance in WSOP was in 2023, but we sincerely hope that Humberto will still delight us with his success. By 2025, he will be 73 and can boast participation in a small club of players who have made the WSOP prize money over 100 times.

Final Tournaments

Event #18: $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha was won by Louis Bonnecaze from Louisiana, earning him $83,400 in prize money.

Event #19: $1,500 Pot-Limit Hold’em with 204 participants was won by John Bonetti from Texas, taking $122,400 in prize money.

The last scheduled tournament, Event #20: $5,000 No-Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball with 58 players almost set a new record in WSOP history. In the decisive heads-up, the incredible Phil Hellmuth was defeated by Billy Baxter. This victory gave Baxter his sixth WSOP bracelet, while Phil could boast five bracelets (also one of the best results among all players). It is worth noting that Billy Baxter won 6 out of his 7 bracelets in Lowball tournaments, so the young Hellmuth was playing against the most successful player in this type of poker.

Had Phil won, he could have set a record of four WSOP bracelets in one year, something no one had ever achieved in history.

By this time, Baxter was in third place in the number of bracelets. Ahead of him were Johnny Moss (9 bracelets) and Doyle Brunson (7 bracelets). Behind were Phil Hellmuth (5 bracelets) and Gary Berland (5 bracelets).

WSOP 1993 Results

Phil Hellmuth and Ted Forrest’s Hat-Trick

Even in the early years, winning three bracelets in a row was an exceptional event for WSOP. The first to achieve this was Walter Clyde “Puggy” Pearson in 1973. In the 1973 series, there were fewer participants, so the probability of winning an individual tournament was higher, but there were also fewer tournaments in the series. Puggy had to truly dominate in 1973 to win 3 out of 7 tournaments. He conquered the Seven-Card Stud tournament with 8 participants, then No-Limit Hold’em with 17 players, and finally became the Main Event champion with 13 players.

Phil Hellmuth and Ted Forrest were the next to achieve a hat-trick in 1993, as you have just read. Poker enthusiasts had to wait 20 years for Puggy Pearson’s record to be repeated. By that time, the number of participants in WSOP tournaments had significantly increased, but the number of tournaments had grown from 7 to 21.

The next hat-trick occurred 19 years later—in WSOP 2002, Phil Ivey won three bracelets. He conquered two Seven-Card Stud tournaments and an S.H.O.E. tournament.

By 2025, two more players will be able to replicate the achievement. First, in 2009, Jeff Lisandro won two Seven-Card Stud tournaments and one Razz tournament. Then, in 2024, Scott Seiver won three bracelets: Omaha 8, Razz, and 2-7 Lowball.

List of players who won 3 WSOP bracelets in one year:

• Puggy Pearson – 1973
• Phil Hellmuth – 1993
• Ted Forrest – 1993
• Phil Ivey – 2002
• Jeff Lisandro – 2009
• Scott Seiver – 2024

In the Money

The 1993 prize zone included both well-known players from previous years and several newcomers who deserve recognition.

Let’s start with already known professionals: one of the best cash players of his time, David ‘Chip’ Reese, took 26th place; Bobby Hoff (second place in 1979) finished 25th; Poker Hall of Fame member Mike Sexton again took 24th place; 1991 champion Brad Daugherty finished 9th.

Women in the prize money: for the first time in WSOP history, 8 women participated in the Main Event, with 2 reaching the prize zone. They were Wendeen Eolis (20th place) and Marsha Waggoner (19th place).

Foreign players in the prize money: Polish Henry Orenstein took 12th place, Thomas Kreilein from Canada took 7th place, and British players Mick Cowley and Mansour Matloubi made it to the final table.

It is important to note that Henry Orenstein, born in 1923 in Hrubieszów, Poland, and playing in 1993 under the Polish flag, was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame thanks to inventing the hole cam. He was a producer of the shows Poker Superstars and High Stakes Poker, allowing viewers to see players’ cards. His greatest success in poker as a player was still ahead. Orenstein died during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 at the age of 98.

Final Table

The official final table included 6 places.

Final table participants:

• John Bonetti from Texas: A two-time WSOP bracelet holder (1990, 1993) and participating in the Main Event prize money for the fifth time. In 1990, Bonetti took eighth place and started this final table as the chip leader.
• Jim Bechtel from Arizona: A former cotton farmer living in Coolidge, Arizona. By this time, he had experience from 4 WSOP final tables, including sixth place in the 1988 Main Event. He began the game second in chips.
• Glenn Cozen from California: Chief Financial Officer at Southern California Orthopedic Institute, with limited experience in poker tournaments and WSOP events. In 1989, he won a tournament at Amarillo Slim’s Super Bowl of Poker and later took 13th place in the 1991 WSOP tournament. His new success was reaching the Main Event final table, where he started with a short stack.
• Thomas Chung from Washington: A professional player with two WSOP bracelets (1989, 1991), former financial consultant from Merrill Lynch.
• Mick Cowley from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England: One of the rare foreigners at the Main Event final table. This was his first prize money appearance in WSOP. In his later career, he would make 7 prize money finishes in affordable local tournaments in London and Las Vegas. In England, Mick professionally trains greyhounds for racing. This was his first WSOP series and first trip to Las Vegas.
• Mansour Matloubi from London: 1990 WSOP Main Event champion, the first foreigner to win the Main Event. By this time, Matloubi was a high-stakes cash player occasionally appearing in tournament prize money but always close to victory.

Dick Van Patten, when asked who he considered the most dangerous player:

“Jim Bechtel. He’s the most unemotional. He’s always the same, whether he’s bluffing or he has the goods. He has icewater in his veins.”

Final Table Video:

The chip leader of the table was John Bonetti with 913,000 chips. His closest competitor was Jim Bechtel with 631,000 chips.

Short stacks:

• Mansour Matloubi (138,000 chips)
• Thomas Chung (146,000 chips)
• Mick Cowley (160,000 chips)
• Glenn Cozen (215,000 chips)

Heads-Up

Glenn Cozen, who started the final table with a short stack, managed to outlast both former champion Mansour Matloubi and chip leader John Bonetti. He reached the decisive heads-up with a minimal stack against Jim Bechtel.

Jack Binion helps lay out the one million dollars in prize money at the final table.

The game begins!

Glenn Cozen had only 70,000 chips, and the all-in didn’t take long. He went all-in with 7 4 and received a light call from Jim Bechtel with J 6 . The flop was 10 3 8 . The turn was 2 . The river was 5 , and Jim Bechtel became the WSOP 1993 Main Event champion!

The Winner – Jim Bechtel

James Gary Bechtel was born in 1952 in Arizona. At the time of his victory, he lived in Coolidge and later moved to Gilbert, remaining in his native Arizona.

Bechtel began playing poker recreationally while working as a cotton farmer. Every day, he got up at 4 a.m. to work on his farm, and after finishing his workday, he went to play poker near his home.

He debuted in the WSOP series in 1979, taking second place in the “Non-Pro” tournament. In 1983, he came close to success but finished fourth in the No-Limit Hold’em tournament. Then he took 9th place in 1984 and 13th place in the 1986 Main Event. His greatest success before 1993 was the 1988 Main Event, where Jim took sixth place, playing at a strong table with Johnny Chan, Erik Seidel, T.J. Cloutier, and Humberto Brenes.

After his victory in 1993, Bechtel did not change his farming career and continued to play high-stakes tournaments, occasionally visiting Las Vegas during WSOP. He explained this by saying he loves poker but doesn’t like to travel, and there are no suitable games for him in Arizona in terms of level or limits.

Bechtel preferred to remain unnoticed, played silently, and achieved success.

Here is what he told a reviewjournal correspondent while playing in the WSOP 2015 tournament:

“That’s why I just don’t say anything. I just play, and if they think I’m just an old guy that came off the street to play, that’s fine with me. I don’t need to brag about my former success.”

WSOP 1993 Main Event Results