Can you smell what the Poker Brat is cooking?
One month into 2026, Phil Hellmuth isn’t easing gently into the new year – he’s diving headfirst into high-stakes cash game action.
In a post that instantly lit up Poker Twitter, the all-time WSOP bracelet leader hinted he may be playing Hustler Casino Live’s annual Million Dollar Game this May.
We caught up with Hellmuth in an exclusive interview to see what finally pushed him to take his shot in 2026.
Hellmuth's bankroll boosters
"What people don't know about me is that every two months since 2012, I've been up more money than the previous two months," Hellmuth tells us.
"That means I've been going straight up for a long time. It's unexplainable."
He's also had a number of key investments hit recently, including the sale of PrizePicks – a deal he says was worth around $20 million to him personally.
The good news for poker fans? Hellmuth plans to put some of that money into the world’s biggest cash games, with a $1.5 million bankroll earmarked for the year.
The Million Dollar Game – seemingly scheduled for late May, about a month later than the 2025 edition – is first on the slate. But he's not 100% locked in.
“Ryan Feldman [HCL's gamerunner] and I have been negotiating,” he says. “I offered to play May 25. It's going to be $500/$1,000 – I might have him scale it back to $400/$800. He wants to go $500/$1K with a $2K ante, and I might go back and say I'll play $400/$800 or maybe $500/$1K with a $1K ante."
But it’s not all about the money.
"I'll commit," says Hellmuth, "but if I'm super tired that day, I'm not going to do that to myself. If I commit to playing for three days in Ryan's game, or one of those three days, and I'm super tired, you might see me win $1 million and quit early, or lose $300K and quit early. I don't know what's going to happen.
"I'm not going there to hit and run," he adds, "but I'll be paying attention to whether I'm tired or not. Putting on a show is one thing, but if you're going to have a lot of money at risk when you're tired, that's just stupidity. And I'm not going to do that."
Best in the world?
Is part of this about proving himself in deep cash games? Hellmuth’s legacy is already cemented in the tournament arena, where he's won a record 17 WSOP bracelets, but his cash game résumé has its critics.
"People misunderstand my record because they've seen me do poorly in cash games from 2007 to 2010. It's true – I did do badly," Hellmuth admits. "But then I went on a massive run from 2012 to 2019, where I won 22 out of 23 times: filming Live at the Bike, filming at the PokerGO Studio, and Poker Night in America – win after win after win.
"It's pretty easy for anyone who doesn't believe me – just look at the sites where I sold action," he adds. "I ended up paying players over $200,000. It's pretty easy to find out the truth. Most people know I crush cash games."
If he hadn’t, he says, we might not see him in his trademark tracksuits.
"I had this famous saying," Hellmuth continues. "Once I won $10 million in cash games, I started wearing tracksuits, because the old-school guys who were very successful always wore tracksuits."
"The great players know. When people say, ‘Phil can’t play deep‑stack cash,’ that’s bullshit.”
If Hellmuth plays – and wins – the cash game stigma might finally start to fade. If he loses, Poker Twitter will feast.
Either way, the Poker Brat isn’t backing away from a challenge. That alone makes the 2026 Million Dollar Game a must-watch.
Polk and Negreanu react
Daniel Negreanu, who has so far resisted joining the MDG, won’t be playing — even with Hellmuth in the mix.
“It does not entice me to play,” Negreanu tells us, “but good luck, Phil!”
Hustler Casino Live co‑founder Ryan Feldman couldn't hide his excitement at the possibility.
“Phil Hellmuth as part of the Million Dollar Game would be absolutely amazing,” says Feldman. “Nobody has ever seen him play a game this big or this deep. Of all the things he’s accomplished in a legendary career, this is one thing he hasn’t done yet.”
Feldman also leaned into the entertainment value.
“People would love to see him compete with Alan Keating and Nik Airball deep-stacked. Those guys are going to try to bluff him – and that would be incredible to watch.”
WSOP Champion Doug Polk, one of the game’s most outspoken voices, sees Hellmuth as a much-needed injection of prestige.
“The Million Dollar Game is an awesome concept,” says Polk. “The first season was special. Since then, it’s dropped off a bit. Having Hellmuth in there would be a fantastic step in the right direction. It gives the game name recognition and gravity – and lord knows people would love to see Hellmuth play for that much money.
“It’s a very tough job to get lineups together, so I recognize how hard it is to pull off. I would love to play and get a chance to fold the second nuts to him again.”
Airball and Keating want the smoke
High-stakes reg Nik Airball, never one to pass up a million-dollar challenge, framed the matchup in mano-a-mano terms.
“It would be super fun to play deep with Phil,” Airball said. “I think he’s more talk than bite in deep‑stack cash. If he shows up and ponies up, I’d love to be the one to put him to the ultimate test.”
Alan Keating, perhaps the Million Dollar Game's endboss, took a classic shot at Hellmuth’s reputation.
“I’m thrilled that the king of limping and folding is joining us,” jokes Keating. “Snail‑paced play and out‑of‑turn monologues are just what the MDG needs.”
Hellmuth isn't fazed.
“I really love Alan,” he says, noting that the two regularly square off in high‑stakes private games.
“Alan plays in our regular game. I hold my own. In our game, the biggest winner for years was me.”
Check back tomorrow for more from our exclusive Hellmuth interview – including some big news about the 2026 WSOP.
