Phil Hellmuth continues to turn up the heat on the World Series of Poker over the structure of its prestigious Main Event.
He’s not alone. Pros and recreational players alike have criticized the iconic event’s grueling schedule.
But, for Hellmuth, this isn't just whining – it's more personal than most realize.
The heart of the matter
Hellmuth suffers from atrial fibrillation (AFib), a chronic heart arrhythmia that causes rapid, irregular heartbeats and increases stroke risk.
“Unfortunately, that’s my thing,” he says.
AFib episodes can bring palpitations, dizziness, chest pain, and extreme fatigue.
“AFib means your heart can go out of rhythm. And for myself, it's usually for about 12 or 24 hours,” he explains. “That’s kind of a pain in the ass.”
The Poker Hall of Famer was open about explaining how it’s a health issue he’s been battling for some time.
“At that point, when your heart is out of rhythm, you're three times as likely to have a stroke," he continues, "but I'm not likely to have a stroke. I've been battling that condition gamely.”
Hellmuth goes on to explain that AFib is a serious condition and acknowledges why he needs rest and uninterrupted sleep for recovery.
“If I feel my heart's out of rhythm, I don't care what I'm doing," he says. "I go right to my room for a nap. That almost always solves it.”
Living with AFib
When the condition began, Hellmuth noticed symptoms about once every three months. It increased to once every three weeks.
“As many people can see, I'm enormously busy," he says. "I advise 36 companies and hold a piece of three funds. It's just a matter of making sure that I sleep in to get my rest.
“If I feel my heart just a little bit out of rhythm, I take a nap. They gave me medicine for that. And now it's more like once every month, because I catch it very quickly.”
Hellmuth has considered seeking the most common treatment for AFib – an ablation. It’s a minimally invasive medical procedure used to treat irregular heartbeats by creating scar tissue to block faulty electrical signals in the heart.
“I can have the ablation," he says. "There's a new one that you can have, and it basically eliminates the problem.”
So why hasn’t Hellmuth committed to scheduling the procedure and moving past the unsettling symptoms of an irregular heartbeat?
“Why have I hesitated?" he says. "It forces me to rest a lot. I kind of like that. It's forcing me to sleep and to take naps. I see a lot of benefit in that, which is kind of weird. Of course, I know that I need to have the ablation eventually. The hospitals have a new version of the ablation, which is now being tested.”
When asked if he would like to keep this part of our recorded video interview private and off the record, Hellmuth responded emphatically: “No!”
“When people see this and read about this, I think that it's good for them to understand that they're not the only ones that have this condition and that there are solutions. I think this is a very positive thing to share with everyone."
“I'm very healthy. But, you know, I'm 61. And you're going to have a little something. Everybody has a little something. I feel I'm lucky that this is what I have to deal with.”
Las Vegas - home, sweet home
What could be more restful during an exhaustive six-week summer WSOP series than sleeping in your own bed?
Hellmuth has solved that issue by purchasing a home in Las Vegas.
When asked if he thinks it will contribute to a more restful WSOP series, he replied, “I don't know. We’re going to find out.”
“My wife and I moved to Vegas in December," Hellmuth tells us. "We closed on the house in January, and it's just beautiful.
“My friends Cary Katz and Richard Blankenship are also in the building. They love it there. That was a big influence on me because I love Cary and his family."
Will the WSOP adjust the Main Event grind for its most decorated champion? That remains to be seen, with the schedule dropping on Monday, February 16.
What’s clear is this: for Hellmuth, the debate is no longer simply about the immense pressure and marathon days of the Main Event. It’s about managing a heart that doesn’t always cooperate during the marathon grind for poker’s most coveted title.
