Will He or Won’t He: Phil Hellmuth Leaves 2025 WSOP Main Event Decision to the Fans

February: “It’s Just Too Tough”

Earlier this year, Hellmuth announced he was likely bowing out of poker’s biggest event. The 60-year-old cited the unforgiving structure of the $10,000 Main Event — long hours, no days off, deep stacks, and two-hour levels — as being stacked against older players.

Hellmuth, who last cashed in the Main Event in 2015, went so far as to suggest that unless organizers added a break — particularly on Day 6 — the field was increasingly tilted in favor of endurance rather than skill.

Despite calling the Main Event his “favorite event in the world,” he told fans: “I know I can’t do that.”

I am not playing the @WSOP Main Event. It has become an “Endurance contest.”

I truly believe that 80% of the players want changes made to the @WSOP Main Event. 12 hour days, or longer, for 6-7 days in row, is brutal and disproportionately affects older players pic.twitter.com/7K4OcJOZ56

— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) February 18, 2025

May: Polls, Paella, and 2025 WSOP Possibility

Fast forward to just days before the start of the 2025 WSOP, and Hellmuth’s stance appears to have softened. On May 23, he posted a video to X (formerly Twitter) saying he would leave the decision of whether to play up to his fans:

The poll, which asked a simple yes or no — Should I play in the 2025 WSOP Main Event? Or boycott hoping that they change the structure for next year: by giving us Day 6 off? — leaned overwhelmingly in favor of him playing. At the time of writing, over 75% of the nearly 1,600 votes were a resounding “yes.”

Whether or not he was expecting that outcome is anyone’s guess — but it’s clear the fans still want to see the Poker Brat at the biggest table of the year.

I will let YOU guys decide if I play or boycott?

Should I play in the 2025 @WSOP Main Event? Or boycott hoping that they change the structure for next year: by giving us Day 6 off?

In my next tweet I will release a poll and honor whatever the results are#POSITIVITY pic.twitter.com/ex2hq5VBhs

— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) May 27, 2025

A Long History with the Main Event

Hellmuth’s relationship with the Main Event is legendary. In 1989, he shocked the poker world by defeating Johnny Chan heads-up to become the youngest WSOP champion at the time — a record that stood for nearly two decades. That win was the first of what would become 17 WSOP bracelets, a feat no one else has matched.

In more recent years, Hellmuth’s Main Event appearances have become known not only for his play but for his increasingly theatrical entrances: he’s shown up dressed as Julius Caesar, Gandalf, Darth Vader, and, most recently, a karate black belt.

Still, the man who once defined WSOP swagger hasn’t cashed in the Main since 2015 — and his February comments reflected a genuine concern that the format has moved beyond his strengths.

Photo Credit: Hayley Hochstetler

So, What’s Next?

With the WSOP 2025 Main Event kicking off July 2, all eyes will be on Hellmuth’s feed and whether he laces up for another deep run or sits this one out in protest. In the meantime, it’s a reminder of how much the Main Event and Hellmuth’s presence in it still matters to poker fans.

After all, love him or loathe him, poker’s biggest stage doesn’t feel quite the same without its biggest personality.