Back-to-Back Titles Would Put Kelly in Top Company
JP Kelly has made it down to the final two tables of action in his title defense run here in London. If Kelly successfully defends his title, he'll be one of only a handful of players who have successfully captured the same World Series event in back-to-back years in the game of Texas Hold'em. Doing so would put Kelly among a rather elite list of names, just take a look at the following.
Doyle Brunson: $10,000 WSOP Main Event 1976, 1977
Stu Ungar: $10,000 WSOP Main Event 1980, 1981
Johnny Chan: $10,000 WSOP Main EVent 1987, 1988
Phil Hellmuth: $5,000 Limit Hold'em 1992, 1993
As you can see, that list isn't just your regular Joe Schmoes. Hellmuth was the last to complete the feat, but he did so in Limit Hold'em. The last person to do it in No-Limit Hold'em was Chan back in 1987 and 1988 when he won the Main Event in back-to-back years. Notice that everyone that's completed this feat in No-Limit Hold'em events has done so in the $10,000 Main Event.
Last year, Kelly beat a field of 608 entrants. This year's field is 582-players strong. That's an average field size of 595 players. Not something to bat an eye at at all.