| Juha Helppi | |
|---|---|
 Juha Helppi, 2017 | |
| Nickname | Peasant |
| Born | (1977-03-04)4 March 1977 (age 48) |
| World Series of Poker | |
| Bracelets | 2 |
| Money finishes | 30[1] |
| Highest WSOP Main Event finish | 86th,2010 |
| World Poker Tour | |
| Title | 1 |
| Final table | 2(+1) |
| Money finishes | 10(+1)[2] |
| European Poker Tour | |
| Title | None |
| Final table | 1 |
| Money finishes | 5 |
Juha Helppi (born 4 March 1977) is aFinnish professionalpoker player fromHelsinki.
Juha was originally acroupier. He worked as a dealer forRAY in Finland but never dealt poker. He made a name for himself in the firstWorld Poker Tour (WPT) event inAruba, where he eliminatedKathy Liebert on the way to defeating professional playerPhil Gordon in a heads-up challenge match.[3] He has since made two other WPT final tables, with a 4th-place finish in the Season 1 Battle of Champions and a 2nd-place finish to England'sRoland De Wolfe in the Grand Prix de Paris 2005 event.[4][5]
At the2019 World Series of Poker, he won his firstWorld Series of Poker bracelet in the $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship.[6] He won his second WSOP bracelet in the2020 WSOP Online.[7] In total, he has finished in the money in 29 WSOP events.[1]
In November 2005, Helppi facedPhil Laak andKenna James in the first ever underwater poker tournament and was awarded theCaribbean Poker Classic Extreme Poker bracelet.[8]
In March 2007, Helppi won the inaugural Premier League Poker title, defeating some of the all-time greats along the way, such asPhil Hellmuth andDave "Devilfish" Ulliott. Helppi defeated German pro and two-time WSOP Bracelet winnerEddy Scharf In heads-up play to win the title.[9]
As the winner of InterPoker's first extreme poker tournament, he earned the right to choose the next year's location. He chose to play it inKemi on the frozenGulf of Bothnia. He finished second, losing to former WSOP championRobert Varkonyi.
As of 2019, his total live tournament winnings exceed $7,700,000.[10] His WSOP cashes account for over $1,350,000 of those winnings.[1]
Helppi is a high levelpaintball player and the captain of the Finnish national paintball champions 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2014. When younger, he playedMagic: The Gathering successfully for several years.
| Year | Tournament | Prize (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $10,000 Limit Hold'em Championship | $306,622 |
| 2020 O | $5,000 Pot Limit Omaha Championship | $290,286 |
An "O" following a year denotes bracelet(s) won during the World Series of Poker Online