The countdown to the 2025 WSOP is on. 100 bracelets. All the poker players. And PokerOrg will be on the floor from start to finish.
Jeff Platt is a broadcaster, PokerGO sideline reporter, and one of the friendly faces of the WSOP throughout the series. He's also the most recent addition to the PokerOrg Player Advisory Board. Follow Jeff on X.
Will Phil Hellmuth play the Main Event?
During PokerOrg’s recent in-depth interview with the nicest man in poker, Jeff Platt, we held back on asking the burning Hellmuth question we’ve asked every player we’ve talked to over the last six weeks.
What Platt shared didn’t take us by surprise. Still, he elaborated on what he called ‘Hellmuth’s flawed reasoning’ during Hellmuth’s exclusive interview with PokerOrg.
Platt disputed a statement direct from the Poker Brat’s mouth — "The WSOP Main Event is no longer a test of skill; it’s a test of endurance."
We wondered if that was really true.
Lucky for us, Platt chose not to dodge any bullets and spoke the truth about his experiences during the main over the last few years with PokerGO, the WSOP, and the players.
Platt steps in it
It was Platt’s turn to pick apart Hellmuth’s excuses behind skipping the main for the first time since 1988 and, most importantly, if he predicted Phil would change his mind and play.
First, I sure hope he plays. It's always good for the game and the fans when the 17-time World Series of Poker Bracelet winner is in the mix.
In his initial chat with you, Craig, Phil made it sound like you're playing until two or three in the morning every day during the main. He also said you have to play two weeks straight. That’s just not the case.
The WSOP has made significant changes over the last few years, and Platt is prepared to highlight them for Hellmuth.
Over the last few years, the WSOP has fixed some things. In the past, there may have been some very late nights or quick turnarounds during the main. That’s changed.
They’ve added an extra day to get to the final table, which helped immensely. The latest night now during the main is about midnight, maybe 12:30-ish.
The fact is, Phil, you can also have a decent number of days off. Let me explain how.
Hellmuth has always jumped into the event at the very last second, sometimes on day two for late registration. Because he does that, he gets the very minimum as far as days off are concerned.
If you played day 1A, you would have three days off before you played day two. Then you'd play day two, A, B, or C, and get another day off.
Then, the players would play three through eight straight days. Sure. That would be hard, intense, and grueling, but you get another day off when you make the final table.
The final table is split into two days, so you play down to a four, five, or six-ish hour day, and then you get some more time off before the next day's play begins.
I have to ask: when was the last time Phil ran deep in the World Series of Poker Main Event?
I'm not saying this to poke fun at him, even though I enjoy doing so. But I don't think Phil's familiar with what it takes, either way, whether the main is super difficult or perhaps easier than he really feels.
My final point is that the main event should be a grind. It should be a test of endurance.
I genuinely believe that the World Series of Poker Main Event should be the greatest test of endurance that the poker world sees year after year.
If you prepare for the series with sleep, good health, and overall fitness and are a skilled player, you should have an edge in the main.
Is the Main Event harder for Hellmuth?
I’ll give Phil this: It is probably harder for him and a more draining experience than most players.
Why? It's because Phil's under the lights and on camera more often. He is always on stage, so to speak. I understand that.
But he's also a superstar of the game. He's also going to have some advantages against amateur players.
We all know that people who play against Phil Hellmuth play differently. They might donate their chips to him. It's a whole balancing act when Phil is at the table.
However, I disagree with Phil's point that the main is too tough for an older player to win.
Lights! Camera! Shuffle up!
During many of PokerOrg’s recent interviews with players preparing for the series grind, the subject of the intense pressures at a streamed table was spotlighted.
This topic was especially true during our interview with one of the best in the game, Alex Foxen.
We both know that a streamed table's lights, cameras, and pressures can take their toll.
I read your interview with Alex and understand his point regarding playing on streamed feature tables.
The facts are that it’s nice when the viewership numbers go up because we have Kristen Foxen and or Phil Helmuth at our feature tables.
But guess what, it's also really good for the game. This is the WSOP’s opportunity to showcase poker to a bigger audience and for fans worldwide to see the game's elite stars.
Does PokerGO stack the streams with superstars?
As we discussed the full scope of the production of the WSOP Main Event, Jeff wanted to clear up some perceived misconceptions concerning PokerGo’s role.
I want to clarify what I perceive as a fairly common misconception: PokerGO has zero say about the table draws for the featured tables and who they place up on stage.
PokerGO has nothing to do with table draws at the feature tables; we only run the production for the WSOP broadcasts.
The production team reviews the table draws at the beginning of the day and sees what the best feature table is for the main stage and then the secondary table. We have no influence whatsoever on table draws.
When the WSOP tournament director and staff break tables, and a player(s) draws the streamed tables, PokerGO does not mess with that. It's all hands-off for the integrity of the tournament and the game.
I just wanted to make that point clear: there is no rigging the deck, so to speak. Thanks for letting me share this.
Will Hellmuth play the Main Event?
Jeff certainly beat around the bush for what seemed an eternity during our WSOP interview until we pinned him down and asked --- Will Hellmuth change his mind and play the main?
Yes. The answer is yes.
Because I don't think Phil Hellmuth can resist the allure of the WSOP Main Event. It is indeed the greatest poker tournament in the world.
Craig, I’m going to say this one more time for you. Let me get this straight.
Are you trying to tell me that one of the greatest players in the game's history would miss the WSOP Main Event?
I don't think so. Phil’s going to play.
