The World Series of Poker (WSOP) recently announced its power-packed schedule for the 56th annual series, boasting 100 gold bracelets from May 27 to July 16. However, the poker community got surprised when the record-holding WSOP bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth announced that he would not longer be playing the $10k main event of the upcoming series.
With seventeen WSOP bracelets and a former Main Event title, Hellmuth is widely regarded as one of the greatest tournament players of all time. His achievements have earned him immense respect in the poker community. Shortly after the release of the 2025 WSOP schedule, Hellmuth posted a video on X stating, “I’m not playing the WSOP Main Event. It has become an endurance contest.” The statement quickly ignited debate within the poker world, with some players agreeing with Hellmuth while the majority defending the WSOP’s longstanding structure.
Why is Phil Hellmuth Boycotting the 2025 WSOP Main Event?
The WSOP Main Event is one of the most prestigious poker tournaments in the world. The $10,000 buy-in Championship Event attracts over 10,000 players each year, all vying to etch their names into poker history. However, Hellmuth argues that the event has now become an unfair challenge for older players.
“I am not playing the WSOP Main Event. It has become an endurance contest,” the 60-year-old poker legend emphasized that 80% of players want changes to the Main Event structure. He pointed out that playing 12-hour days—or longer—for six to seven consecutive days is brutal and disproportionately affects older players.
Poker Community Reacts
Many in the poker community did not agree with Hellmuth’s stance on making the 2025 WSOP Main Event faster. Poker pro Scott Seiver commented, “Obviously, an event showcasing the best should favor younger players. As we get older, we get worse—that’s life, and we all have to accept that.”
GGPoker ambassador and seven-time bracelet winner Daniel Negreanu also weighed in on the debate, stating that there are only two possible solutions: shortening the tournament to three weeks or speeding up the structure. However, Negreanu argued that neither option is ideal.
“The WSOP Main Event is special because of its long-standing consistency as a $10k buy-in, freezeout, and two-hour levels. All three of these elements have been in place for over 50 years now,” said Negreanu.
The $10,000 buy-in Championship Main Event has been a staple of the WSOP since its early years. The first $10,000 Championship took place in 1972—just two years after the series debuted—and has maintained the same structure ever since.
The oldest WSOP Main Event champion, Johnny Moss, also known as The Grand Old Man of Poker, won his third WSOP Main Event title in 1974 at the age of 66. Although he competed against a smaller field, his victory remains remarkable. Besides Moss, Ireland’s Noel Furlong was 61 years old when he outlasted 393 players to win the 1999 WSOP Main Event.
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