Brandon Cantu Wins Phil Hellmuth's “Beat the Champ”; Poker Brat Rewards Local Artist
Two weekends back, Phil Hellmuth, who is sponsored by BetRivers, took a trip to New Hampshire for the Lilac Club Casino’s $100K “Beat the Champ” Tournament Weekend. From Aug. 15–17, local players faced off against the 17-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) gold bracelet winner, who brought along his two sons, Phillip and Nick, as well as his good friends NASCAR driver Jason White and Brandon Cantu.
It was actually Cantu – one of only 27 players to hold both a WSOP bracelet and a WPT title – who topped a 136-player field to win the $1,200 buy-in “Beat the Champ” tournament for $29,000. Others who competed in that tournament were 2025 WSOP Player of the Year Shaun Deeb and Granite State Gaming and Hospitality CEO Greg Carlin.
Prior to the tournament, Hellmuth hosted a book signing for his memoir Poker Brat, and it was there that artist Jess White presented Hellmuth with a portrait.
As a result, Hellmuth rewarded her by buying her into the “Beat the Champ” tournament, which was so titled because whoever knocked out Hellmuth would receive a $500 bounty. The player who collected ended up being Mike R., a Rochester player who also received a commemorative t-shirt recognizing him as the man who did the deed.
The following day, Hellmuth and his sons returned to the poker room for a meet-up game of sorts where they competed against local players at the $1-$3 tables. Ultimately, the weekend cemented Lilac Club Casino’s growing reputation as a premier entertainment destination in New Hampshire.
*Images courtesy of Lilac Club Casino.
