History was on the line Wednesday as 15-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth found himself battling heads-up for a record-extending 16th WSOP title in the 2019 WSOP Europe €25,500 Mixed Games Championship.

However, it was not meant to be for Hellmuth on this day as he ran into the heater of Switzerland’s Besim Hot, who defeated Hellmuth in heads-up play and took home the €385,911 first-place prize and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

Besim finished Day 2 of the tournament with a massive chip lead and never found himself in very much trouble throughout the final table despite being up against some of poker’s toughest competition.

As one might expect, the final table of the €25,500 Mixed Games Championship was loaded with some of poker’s elite mixed game talent, including WSOP Player of the Year contender Daniel Negreanu, 2019 PSPC runner-up Julien Martini and 2019 World Series of Poker Main Event third-place finisher Alex Livingston.

It took over two hours into the final table for the first player to fall. During a Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better round, Alex Livingston lost a big hand to Daniel Negreanu where Negreanu hit a high hand of two pair holding and showing . The very next hand Livingston found himself all in and facing elimination against Hot who hit a ten-high straight on sixth street while Livingston made a set of aces. Seventh street didn’t improve Livingston’s hand and he bowed out in seventh place, taking home €38,389.

Negreanu’s stack took a big hit in the Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better round and he found himself clinging to a short stack as the game changed to Razz. In Negreanu’s final hand of the tournament, he was at odds with Hellmuth, who was battling for the chip lead. Negreanu took the betting lead early in the hand but was raised all-in on fifth street where Negreanu committed the last of his chips. When the card were turned up Negreanu held / to Hellmuth’s /. Sixth street was the killer for Negreanu who double paired his board when he picked up a and Hellmuth grabbed an . Negreanu was drawing dead and exited in sixth place for €54,287. However, his deep run in this pivotal tournament provided him enough points to take over the 2019 WSOP Player of the Year race for the time being.

In a Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo 8 or Better round partypoker ambassador Dzmitry Urbanovich mixed it up with France’s Julien Martini. Urbanovich completed holding a and Martini made the call showing a . Urbanovich led out on fourth and fifth street, and as Martini continued to call, his stack was starting to dwindle. Urbanovich bet again on sixth, Martini continued to call and on the seventh card, Urbanovich put Martini all-in. Martini, with less than one big blind behind, was forced to call showing down / for a pair of deuces and a missed low draw. Urbanovich showed down two pair with his / hand, taking down a healthy pot and sending Martini to the rail in fifth place for €77,502.

With four players left, during a No Limit Hold’em round, Benny Glaser found himself super short stacked. He put in a raise holding but left himself a single chip behind. Urbanovich made the call with 9c] on the button and Hellmuth called from the big blind. The flop fell and Glaser tossed in his final chip. Urbanovich isolated with a raise and Hellmuth’s cards hit the muck. Glaser needed help to remain in the tournament. The hit the turn and as the fell on the river, Glaser said his goodbyes to the table and headed to the cashier to pick up his €111,689 for his fourth-place finish.

Despite picking up the knockout, Urbanovich was still looking up at both Hellmuth and Hot on the leaderboard. After losing a couple of big hands, one in O8 and another in Razz, Urbanovich was sitting on under ten big blinds. During the same Razz round that he lost a huge hand to Hellmuth, he found himself all-in, again facing Hellmuth. Urbanovich was drawing live to seventh street hoping to improve on his / hand versus Hellmuth’s /. But on the final card, Urbanovich picked up a , pairing his six leaving him dead to Hellmuth’s hand. Urbanovich busted in third place for €162,463.

It was a familiar sight for World Series of Poker fans as Phil Hellmuth prepared to battle in hopes of extending his WSOP record and claim his 16th bracelet. However, Besim Hot was running like his namesake as the duo sat down to close out the tournament.

From the onset, Hot continually chipped up as Hellmuth found himself losing hand after hand, no matter what game was being played.

The final hand of the tournament was played in PLO as Hot raised on the button holding and Hellmuth defended with . The flop came and Hellmuth checked to Hot who slid out a bet. Hellmuth check-raised and Hot shipped. Hellmuth made the call, putting himself at risk, but holding the best hand. The turn was the , improving Hot a full house and leaving Hellmuth drawing to one of the final three aces. The river was the which secured the hand and the tournament for Hot as Hellmuth fell just short of bracelet number 16, finishing as the runner-up for €238,509.

In only his third ever WSOP cash, Besim Hot is the winner of the 2019 WSOPE €25,500 Mixed Games Championship for a career-high cash of €385,911 and his first WSOP gold bracelet.

€25,500 Mixed Games Championship Final Table Payouts

1. Besim Hot – €385,911
2. Phil Hellmuth – €238,509
3. Dmitry Urbanovich – €162,463
4. Benny Glaser – €111,689
5. Julien Martini – €77,502
6. Daniel Negreanu – €54,287
7. Alex Livingston – €38,389