'They don't understand' – Phil Hellmuth on why he doesn't play Tritons

If you want to catch up with Phil Hellmuth, a Las Vegas casino hallway during a tournament series is a great place to find him. That’s just where Nikki Limo spoke to her former PokerStars Big Game opponent during a break in filming the new series of the show, as the PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Las Vegas festival plays on.

As one of the world’s most high-profile poker players, Hellmuth gives his fair share of interviews - check out PokerOrg’s in-depth chat with Hellmuth from earlier this year - so props to Limo for asking him a question we can’t remember the ‘poker brat’ ever facing before. And it’s as simple as it is profound: why do you play poker?

Watch the full video above for some unfiltered Phil, including why you won't find him at any Triton stops in the near future, or read on for some choice nuggets...

Nikki Limo: What do you do it for?

Phil Hellmuth: I mean, I'm trying to become the greatest poker player of all time and I have to do that by showing up and playing. A lot of people criticize me, ‘Oh, he's not playing Tritons, he's not playing this, he's not playing that. That's ok, let people attack, but it's also kind of funny to me.

NL: Do you have to become the greatest player?

PH: I mean, I have 17 [WSOP bracelets], I'm gonna keep winning bracelets, I'm gonna keep putting the numbers up and at the end of time, some subset will say ‘He didn't play the Tritons’, or they used to say, ‘Oh, he's losing money in the high rollers’ which I’m up, like, $1.8 million in the high rollers.

So, I mean, whatever, they all come up with their things. But I have to have a life, you know, I'm married and I like being with my wife.

I'm also trying to become a billionaire. And so playing Tritons… they don't understand how big a favorite I am in Tritons… I'm not saying I would be the best, but I would do really well.

NL: Ok, once you're a billionaire, would you play the Tritons?

PH: I mean, it's the traveling, right? It's time away from my wife and my friends. I have a great friendship group in Palo Alto.

How do you think Hellmuth would fare in the Triton Super High Roller Series? And would it take them adding a Palo Alto stop to the tour to get Hellmuth involved? Have your say in the comments below.