Team Hellmuth scores father & son final tables on same day

"Bittersweet."

That's how Phillip Hellmuth described his final table experience on Tuesday, where he finished 10th of 541 players in the $600 Monster Stack at the WSOP Circuit stop in Las Vegas. 

"To show up and then go out, you know what I mean?"

It was a much more modest reaction than we've come to expect from a Hellmuth, but he shared in sorrow with his father, the 17-time WSOP champion Phil Jr., who had just hit the bricks after a fourth-place finish in the first event of the PokerGO Tour's Last Chance Series.

'Like father, like son'

Dad Hellmuth took to X right away. "Like father, like son. I cashed for $98,000 and finished in fourth. I'm really kinda not happy all day."

To answer Phil's question, Jeff and Barry Shulman did this on the same day at the 2012 WSOP, with Barry at the final table of the $1,500 no-limit event and Jeff in the endgame of the $5,000 limit. It's the ninth Hendon Mob entry for Son Hellmuth since his first in April of 2025, a small cash in a $250-entry tournament in Philadelphia. He followed that up with a trip to PGT's Texas Poker Open Main Event for a 61st-place finish, earning $7,000 in his second-ever poker cash. 

Phillip would go on to soft launch a tournament poker career at last summer's WSOP, where he cashed three times, including a deep run to 51st place in the $800 Deepstack. His first final table followed at Lucky Chances Casino in San Francisco before a runner-up finish in a $250 event at the Peppermill Fall Pokerpalooza in Reno. The 10th-place finish on Tuesday earned $3,600, setting his current career earnings just over $35,000. Not a bad start, and only $30 million to go before he catches his dad. 

The young Phillip Hellmuth has soft launched a tournament career.

Omar Sader

Dad fizzles at PokerGO Studio

Meanwhile at the PokerGO Studio, Hellmuth mentioned that he did play a pot for the chip lead. "If my ace-seven holds up against ten-jack we go three-handed with a big chip lead and I probably win."

He's talking about a clash with David 'ODB' Baker, which would be the beginning of the end. Hellmuth had entered the final day with one of the two big stacks, trailing only Jesse Lonis at a final table that also included Cary Katz, Clemen Deng, Baker, and Matthew Wantman. It started out great, with the Poker Brat busting Wantman to move near the chip lead in the early going. 

It would take a turn, however, when Baker took a big chunk out of Hellmuth in the aforementioned hand. Hellmuth had opened with a raise before Baker shoved his last 1.1 million, forcing Phil to toss in a time bank. 

It was a bittersweet end for both Hellmuths.

"I better go with my first instinct," he said as he put the chips out to call. The ace-seven/jack-ten showdown turned lopsided with a flop and there was no help for Hellmuth from there. 

The big aggravator was Deng, who surged to the chip lead as Hellmuth started to crack and simmer. In one instance, Deng forced a fold from Hellmuth after a big bet, prompting one of the worst cuss words and a "Life's good buddy" as the Poker Brat tossed his hand in the muck. 

Hellmuth would find a hope spot with a double through Lonis, but Deng and Baker were waiting in the wings for the one-two. Deng took a pot with [] beating another from Hellmuth before Baker followed up a few hands later with the last word. 

Baker raised and Hellmuth called. The flop was and Hellmuth check-shoved a bet, turning over when Baker snap-called. Baker's were best and they held up when the board finished , sending Hellmuth to the rail in fourth place for $98,100. 

Clemen Deng earned a spot in next week's $1,000,000 freeroll.

Lonis would go next, leaving a very short Baker to battle Deng for the top prize of $277K. A small double would keep things interesting for a few minutes, but Deng closed the book shortly after to lock up the win. Deng was nowhere near the top 40 leaderboard for the PGT Championship, but the victory earns him a Dream Seat and a spot in next week's $1,000,000 freeroll. 

PGT Last Chance Series 2026 Event #1 final table results

Phillip Hellmuth III: 'There are lots of ways I would love to be like my father' From family game night to the World Series of Poker, Phillip Hellmuth III is inspired by his famous father, but he is playing his own hand.

Craig Tapscott / June 17, 2025

^{Images courtesy of Antonio Abrego/PokerGO.}