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After saying earlier this year that he would skip the 2025 WSOP Main Event, Phil Hellmuth might be back at the table—depending on what his fans decide.
Good to know
Back in February, Hellmuth made headlines when he said he would sit out the World Series of Poker’s $10,000 Main Event for the first time in decades. The tournament has long been a fixture for him, with a streak going back to the mid-1980s. At 60, however, he felt the multi-day schedule had become too draining.
“It’s just too tough,” Hellmuth said. “People always tell me, ‘Phil, you could play seven days in a row.’ Yeah? Try it. Try getting up and playing from noon to midnight for seven days straight—It’s exhausting.”
But just a day before the 2025 WSOP kicks off, Hellmuth took to X to ask his followers to make the call for him.
“Hello, folks, I’m going to let you decide whether I play the Main Event or not this year,” he posted. “I’m going to honor whatever the Twitter poll says, and then I’m going to commit to not playing next year, unless changes are made.”
Hellmuth has also been vocal about wanting structural adjustments in the event that would give players more recovery time during the week-long tournament.
So far, fans are clearly on board with seeing the “Poker Brat” return. As of publication, around 71% of over 6,700 poll participants voted in favor of him playing. That number could increase, suggesting there is still a good chance Hellmuth will compete this July.
As we predicted back in February, Hellmuth skipping the Main Event never really seemed likely. We had a feeling the RSI/BetRivers ambassador would change his mind, albeit pressed by his endorser. Once the tournament kicks off, we fully expect to see him at the tables—whether he walks in confidently or finds a way to save face along the way.