'I talked to him for an hour' – Negreanu & WSOP respond to Hellmuth bombshell

 

Phil Hellmuth has created headlines long before the 2025 WSOP has started. Soon after this sumer's schedule dropped, Hellmuth stated that he wouldn't be playing this summer's Main Event.

In an exclusive interview with PokerOrg, he claimed that the tournament's marathon length and how it skewed against older players was the deciding factor. He called for a change to the structure.

“If the WSOP Main Event does not give us a day off after Day 3 or Day 4, then I will not play in it!” Hellmuth told us. "This will end my run; I have played the Main Event every year since 1988.”

Hellmuth has won a record 17 WSOP bracelets, including the Main Event in 1989. However, he hasn't cashed in the Main Event since 2015, when he finished 417th.

Hellmuth says the Main Event is too long and unfair to older people

The WSOP responds

We reached out to the WSOP and spoke with Executive Director Ty Stewart, asking him what the WSOP had made of Hellmuth's declaration.

"We try to make decisions in the collective best interests of the entire field," Stewart told us. "Recreational players are a huge part of the Main Event, and many have practical considerations like vacation days, time away from family and cost of travel.

"We've been unwilling to compromise on the value and traditions of the event with 120-minute levels and an ultra-deep structure. We feel playing five levels per day with the opportunity for multiple days off is a happy medium for a tournament that's already 15 days."

Stewart went on to say that discussions had been held: "Phil did make us aware of his intentions to be public with his decision to sit out should we not add an extra break day. We had these discussions as early as WSOP Paradise in the Bahamas. "

Fatigue is a big part of playing the Main Event, Negreanu says.

Does Negreanu agree?

We also reached out to Daniel Negreanu to get his point of view. As a GGPoker pro, someone who holds sway with the WSOP and a friend of Hellmuth's, Negreanu is uniquely placed to see both sides. 

"I talked to him [Hellmuth] for an hour last night," Negreanu told us. "The WSOP Main Event is a marathon and has been for decades. For some, that is part of the allure, a structure that from its very first birth in the 70s had two-hour levels and a very slow structure. It’s a bucket list tournament for most, and if you get to the end, it will take all you got.

" Fatigue certainly plays a role," Negreanu added, "based on a variety of factors including age, stamina, and physical health, but I wouldn’t be happy with speeding up the structure or turning a two-week tournament into a three-week one."

Faraz Jaka is '100%' in agreement with Phil Hellmuth

Players split down the middle

We spoke with 2003 Main Event champ Chris Moneymaker, who didn't side with Hellmuth. "LeBron James plays great in the NBA at 40. Hellmuth can sit at a table at 60," Moneymaker told us. "Nothing should change. If you get to an age where you can’t play the Main Event then there are other events you can play. If you want to win the most coveted bracelet on earth, you are going to have to work for it.”

The issue caught fire on X, with many players putting their views forward, although it's fair to say there's no consensus. 

Here are some of the best responses from PokerOrg Player Advisory Board members and other big-name players, starting with Faraz Jaka, who penned a lengthy tweet that started, "I agree 100% with what @phil_hellmuth says here."

Jaka talked about his back issues and how operators should create healthier playing conditions. His post outlined four improvements they could make. 

1. Make shorter days – add a day if needed. Yes, it increases costs, but you’re losing players long-term to burnout and injury. 
2. Faster structures – not speeding up already fast ones, but some long, drawn-out events could be adjusted.
3. More flexibility – let the floor make a judgment call to end play earlier or push back Day 2 starts when turnarounds get unreasonable. 
4. Put yourself in players’ shoes – they want a full night’s sleep, time to eat, exercise, and handle life outside of poker for an hour or two.

Faraz Jaka post on X:

I agree 100% with what

@phil_hellmuth

says here. Ever since my serious back issues from my herniated disks started a couple of years ago, I’ve realized how brutal these 2AM+ finishes and short turnarounds are and have reduced my play volume as a result of it—not just for performance, but for basic health, sleep, and life balance. At last month’s It’s time for some adjustments to create a healthier playing environment. You might sacrifice some immediate revenue, but in the long run, you’ll retain more players and sustain revenue better., 4 players at the final table told me they were so exhausted from the late night before that they folded obvious hands just because they were drained. Hard Rock is my main stop outside WSOP, and I’ve already started skipping events with extremely late finishes or unreasonable turnaround times there. Sitting for 12-14 hours, then getting 5 hours of sleep with no time to move your body, is just awful for your health. When I posted about the back issues that left me bedridden for weeks and in Urgent Care, I had 300+ DMs from players who had similar issues. Many mentioned quitting tournaments or seriously cut back due to similar health problems. Operators: 1. Make shorter days—add a day if needed. Yes, it increases costs, but you’re losing players long-term to burnout and injury. 2. Faster structures—not speeding up already fast ones, but some long, drawn-out events could be adjusted. 3. More flexibility—let the floor make a judgment call to end play earlier or push back Day 2 starts when turnarounds get unreasonable. 4. Put yourself in players’ shoes—they want a full night’s sleep, time to eat, exercise, and handle life outside of poker for an hour or two... The live poker player pool is aging, as seen in the explosion of senior events. Even younger players don’t realize how much these extreme schedules take a toll—until they start having those issues in their 40s or even late 30s. It’s time for some adjustments to give players a healthier playing environment. You might sacrifice immediate revenue but you'll retain long-term revenue better Phil, thanks for being vocal about this.

His sentiment was shared by Christina Gollins, who has suffered health issues herself and is only in her mid-30s

Couldnt agree more. Folks calling out Hellmuth for being too old and washed, not being able to sustain excessive multiday tournaments. It's not just about age, I experienced the same fatigue/body injury year and im in my mid 30's. The truth is that WSOP bracelet tournaments are unlike any other tournaments, and its hard to prepare for consecutive 14 hour days w minimum sleep and nutrition. Not to mention the main comes at the tail end, where those grinding out the series are already on their last bit of life.

Ari Engel said that there should be a minimum "12-hour turnaround in any/all WSOP events between [the] end of [the] day and [the] start of play next day."

Other players, like Scott Seiver, want to see the Main Event stay as it is.

And there are some players who think Hellmuth will have a change of heart, including Joey Ingram, who commented on our original story, saying, "I think Phil will 100% be playing the event but he also might make a good point about allowing for more of a break as the event goes longer."