Hellmuth makes statement about the WSOP Main Event – but has it backfired?

So Phil Hellmuth might play the 2025 WSOP Main Event after all.

Back in February, the BetRivers pro told us exclusively that he wouldn’t be playing the tournament, citing its grueling schedule, which he felt favored younger players. Since then, we've polled other pros — most of whom predicted he'd go back on his word and play.

In a statement posted on his X account on Monday night, Hellmuth said the following:

"Hello folks, I am going to let you decide whether I play the Main Event or not this year. I am 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's plan backfires?

The trouble with Twitter polls is that you can't rely on them to get the answer you want. In fact, many people see them as a hijacking opportunity. 

If Hellmuth's plan was to get a huge amount of public support behind him, paving the way for a 'reluctant' return to the Main Event, it seems to have backfired.

Early voting in the poll strongly favored Hellmuth playing — around 75% of the first 1,700 votes — but momentum began to shift.

The 'boycott' votes took the lead after about seven hours and 17.5K votes. Then the poll was deleted with 17 hours of voting still to come.

The 'boycott' votes took the lead after about six hours of voting... before the poll was mysteriously deleted.

Hellmuth hasn't made any further comment or given any reason why the poll was deleted, but we imagine that will come later today. We'll keep you up to date with any developments. 

Still, if you were betting on Hellmuth playing the 2025 Main Event, things are looking up.

Will you pick Hellmuth for your Fantasy team?

This summer, PokerOrg is teaming up with the long-running $500 ODB Fantasy league to run a free-to-enter fantasy competition: the PokerOrg Fantasy Freeroll. Both competitions use the same player pool drafted in Daniel Negreanu’s $25K Fantasy league.

Pick a team of eight poker superstars within a $200 budget to compete for you all summer. Each time a player on your team cashes, you earn points. The team with the most points at the end of the WSOP will win a $10,000 main event package of their choice.

Player prices will be revealed during the $25K Fantasy draft, live on PokerGO's YouTube channel this Tuesday at 1pm PT.

Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu have been drafted each year of the $25K Fantasy competition.

If you're a Hellmuth fan, tune in and see how much the Poker Brat will cost to have on your side this summer. Hellmuth has been drafted every year in the $25K Fantasy, and there’s little doubt he’ll be picked again this year.

After the $25K Fantasy draft concludes, you’ll have until 12pm PT on May 29 to lock in your team to enter the PokerOrg Fantasy Freeroll. 

Watch the video below to learn more about our free-to-enter competition — and how you can enjoy the ultimate WSOP sweat without spending a dime.