Phil Hellmuth Won’t Play WSOP 2025 Main Event

The WSOP 2025 Main Event Has Become an “Endurance Contest”

According to the video Hellmuth published on X (ex-Twitter), he is tired of the WSOP Main Event structure that has became an exhausting “endurance contest”:

“The World Series of Poker Main Event — I’ve played it every year since 1988 — I will not be playing it this year. It is just too tough, you know.

People are like: “Oh Phil, you can play seven days in a row”. Yeah? Try. Try getting up and playing until noon or midnight seven days in a row. And then they’re: “Oh, well… Today we have to play till 2-3 am” — which also happens at the WSOP Main Event…

It’s just exhausting and I can’t win and I think it really hurts the older players in a much bigger proportion than younger players.

I have four great players come and tell me that they blew the Main Event because they got too tired with 50 left, 30 left, 100 left… It turned into an endurance test.

 I don’t think the World Series of Poker Main Event is measuring skill. It is still my favorite event in the world — don’t misunderstand me, I don’t wanna miss it. But I know that I can’t do that.

I’m 60 years old and no — I don’t think I could have done it at age 50. So I think that the World Series of Poker is set up as an endurance test and we’re losing a lot.”

Phil also expressed confidence that if we poll the players “on whether or not they should have days off in the Main Event” — 80% is gonna say “yes”:

“And the 20% (because I did the polling myself) that “don’t” — they are the guys who are twenty years old, I mean 25, 26, 27 [who are]: “Yeah, yeah people get tired, they blow all their chips — of course we want it to be 10 days straight!”. But I don’t think that is what World Series of Poker should be about.”

Hellmuth emphasized that while this decision does pain him, he hopes that 2026 will bring some much needed changes and restore the “more skill and less endurance” state. Until that happens, Hellmuth isn’t sure that he can make his famous costume entrance in the Main Event.

However, he will continue to play other WSOP events with less exhausting schedules and structures.

Photo Credit: Hayley Hochstetler

Community Reactions to Phil’s Decision

Some players aren’t so convinced that Hellmuth will skip his favorite event of the poker year. One of them was Joey Ingram who simply quoted Phil’s video with the comment: “He will 100% be playing the event”. Salty expanded this opinion stating:

No chance that you skip the main, your fomo will kick in by day 2 when you can still reg and you can play 3 levels on day 2 and then if you survive one and a half more days you're in the money and adrenaline kicks in plus u can nap on dinners and get massages. Man up!

— Salty (@msalsberg) February 18, 2025

In case this turns out to be true and Hellmuth does appear in the Main Event, DJ MacKinnon suggested to Phil “to dress as Sleeping Beauty” for his entrance. 

However, a lot of people were genuinely shocked at the possibility of not seeing Hellmuth in the WSOP 2025 Main Event and moreover not playing against him.

Bryan Kahanu, founder of the NFT Poker Championship, was upset at missing the chance to play a legend: 

“Bummer. I look forward to your entrance to the main. I hope you get that 18th this year, regardless. Maybe even more?! You’re among the best in the world, and the leader of WSOP bracelet wins. One day, we will all be dust, and our stories will be left for future generations. When you hang it up, your title will be chased by all. Don’t make it easy on them.”

Kat Arnsby shared her worries about the future of live poker:

There do not seem to be many young players laughing and saying "shuddup old man".

🚩 for live poker future.

If you need to change a product only to retain an aging demographic the clock is ticking.

What do the 25yo players think on this please? https://t.co/meCpGbACw6

— Kat Arnsby (@ThePokerBaffer) February 18, 2025

The best poker meme creator Barry Carter supported Phil Hellmuth’s take on older players and the WSOP 2025 Main Event:

“I don’t like high profile names trying to change the rules to suit them, but poker players are not getting any younger and I agree with Phil, a break  in the Main would be popular.”

A few players confirmed Phil’s conclusions, for example:

Micky Weissmann: I 100% agree. How about holding the first couple of days of the Main in multiple locations worldwide then play on in Vegas a couple of weeks later for players who are in the money. It could boost the prizepool too.

mayhem357_mark: Thanks for speaking up on this Phil, it’s clear the poker demographic is getting older (on average), time for a day break in the schedule, maybe after Day 4 there is a day off and then continue to conclusion?

Damnatio Memoriae: I don’t disagree I get burned out after 4 hours on a table. Couldn’t imagine 12 hours for 6 days in a row.

Rich Ryan: The primary reason folks I know who want to play the Main Event but don’t are because it takes two weeks to complete. This only makes that longer.

Finally, John Gilbert added that it’s not just poker players who are affected by the present structures:

“This is also true for the fans, it’s gotten a little bit ridiculous sitting through all the bad poker only to watch a bunch of names i never heard be called “the best”. You will be missed.”

The Ongoing Discussion About The Structure Of Live Poker Events

The structural problem with live poker events isn’t a new one for poker players. Different poker players bring this topic to the light from time to time to try and find a convenient solution. The last big discussion started on January 6th, 2025 by Jason Koon on X when he suggested to create a new poker series for aging players including himself:

C'mon guys hear me out. Too Old For This Shit Poker Tour. Shuffle up and deal at 9 a.m. bag 'em at 5. Winner gets the coveted TOFTS gold coffee cup. I would never miss an event.

— Jason Koon (@JasonKoon) January 6, 2025

This semi-humorous offer was welcomed with enthusiasm, with players work-shopping their own ideas into the mix.

Steve Sharp, Andrew Robl and David Tuchman promised they will return to tournament poker if this idea becomes real. Even Phil Galfond expressed readiness to play tournaments if this happens.

Erik Seidel called it “my dream poker tour” and Remko Rinkema said that he “legit would love this”.

Jamie Kerstetter added that everyone in this new event should also have “one 5 minute time extension for a mid-level pee break”.

Faraz Jaka read this idea more seriously and suggested to change poker live tournaments schedule to more convenient for all demographic:

“Yes I am in for poker tournaments that don’t end so damn late.

9am starts still a little, though, It’s nice to have a couple of hours in the morning to take care of family, work, and personal todos.

11am-8:30pm days with 12pm restarts would be 🔥”

Danny Sprung wished to limit the length of each playing day:

“That’d be nice but I’d settle for a maximum of 10 hours from cards in the air till chips in the bag.  These 13-15 hour days are brutal.  You are playing the key hours the latest in the day too.”

Scot Fahrenbruch added his suggestion about schedule and structure:

“This concept isn’t just for the older player. Cultures have changed, wellness has changed, and habits have improved. Starting a little earlier and capping the bag time for multi-day MTTs would serve all of the poker community well. Start at 10am and bag at 10pm, with a dinner break, regardless if we’re in the money or not. Players benefit from more sleep, time to exercise, etc.”

The reason for players calling for changes in live event structures is simple: everyone gets tired of how the game drags on.

At its core, poker should grant people the freedom they don’t have when doing “regular” jobs. In reality, poker — especially live tournaments — have tuned into something exhausting and time-consuming, with an abundance of disadvantages compared to almost any other form of remote work.

While a lot of relatively young poker professionals just go with the flow and get used to this tempo, old goats, fresh blood, and recreational poker players increasingly stop perceiving such structures as attractive or acceptable — and if the industry doesn’t find a way to adapt to these changes, live poker сould be facing a serious decline in the very near future.