Hellmuth Announces he is Not Playing 2025 WSOP Main Event
Poker superstar says he’ll skip WSOP Main Event: ‘It’s just exhausting’.
In today's Las Vegas Review Journal and posted on Twitter.
He mentions it's an endurance challenge and puts older players at huge disadvantage.
Any chance WSOP adjusts schedule moving forward to 8 hours of play? or 10 hours of play?
He's absolutely correct and the event has become a joke.
There is zero chance he won’t play it.
Guess he remembers how it was when he won. My bet is he will not participate, could that really be true? Anyway, do you view the winner of the ME as a world champ?
No, it's a laughable concept. Luckbox one MTT and you are the world champ? Ok.
I've thought about what an actual world championship of poker would look like. Best idea I've landed on is a conference room full of tables running big mixed games. Seats are randomly assigned. Players are free to buy in and rack up whenever they please. Profit from each session is automatically calculated. Buy-in for $100k, rack up $123k, you are now +$23k in the computer. Tables are re-drawn every few hours at random. Festival runs uninterrupted for a certain time frame (one week? ten days?). Revolving door policy. Players are free to come and go as they please. Player with the biggest net profit at the end is declared the winner of the festival. You could have min. hours played to qualify and min. hours per session to discourage hit-and-runs.
I'm sure there would be ways to game this system, chip dump, and cheat, but it's still a better solution than calling someone world champion because they binked one MTT.
As it stands now, GPI POTY is closer to "World Champion" than WSOP winner, in terms of what the title world champion should mean.
Think the variance concept has sunk in more and more each decade.
This got me thinking about how we all handle the intense grind of tournament play.
I found this meme perfectly captures that transformation we undergo when it's poker time:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGNYWn4NLTk/
How do you all cope with the mental and physical demands during long events?
This got me thinking about how we all handle the intense grind of tournament play.
I found this meme perfectly captures that transformation we undergo when it's poker time:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DGNYWn4NLTk/
How do you all cope with the mental and physical demands during long events
There is no way this is a real human being.
Chan was the last ME winner who anyone seriously considered to be the best player in the world and who might’ve been. Had Astedt won last year, who knows.
Harrington’s win and subsequent run of donkaments was highly respected. Had Raymer managed to fade a heart and go back to back at the height of the boom he’s on Mount Rushmore now. Ivey, DNegs, Chan, Hellmuth, Todd Brunson, or a woman are the only ones moving the mainstream needle.
I’ve thought of similar things to DogFace’s idea over the past thirty years. Isn’t that pretty much what they did in 1970? Be fun if they tried it, probably have to have at least a $25K buyin to make the logistics manageable.
I haven't watched any of the ME coverage in years. Not sure why, but none of the televised poker hits the same way it used to. Maybe because the naiveness around everything has disappeared. Like the very first few seasons of high stakes poker. It was cool, fun to watch, laid back, and enjoyable. When I watched the first episodes of the return of HSP, I was very disappointed. Everything just seems different and artificial with the newer seasons. Sorry, I didn't mean to go on an unrelated rant haha.
I think the only way to really have any true championship would have to be a long series of HU matches. If you think about it, it's poker in its purest form. There is no 12% vpip'n. Taking an orbit or 2 off to let your emotions calm down. A true test of tactical skill and emotional control.
90min lvls and/or 50k s.s. cuts a day or two. Timebanks after dinner on day 3. Plenty of options.
I think the only way to really have any true championship would have to be a long series of HU matches. If you think about it, it's poker in its purest form. There is no 12% vpip'n. Taking an orbit or 2 off to let your emotions calm down. A true test of tactical skill and emotional control.
I've long thought as pay jumps get real they should be playing short handed way earlier and actually test skill. Playing 9 handed all the way until the final table is insane.
I also think at every break deep they should redraw for seats.
Its a bunch of bullshit. Besides the nice long layoff during the Nov 9, the main event is arguably been more player friendly. They got rid of the play til 9 no matter what and most days end at midnight. You play day 1A, enjoy 3 days off, play day 2abc then enjoy another day off, and then play 3-whatever. Phil has been playing this format forever, since 2005 the format has largely been the same and even more grueling when they had no breaks and sometimes 7am final tables. Phil knew father time was going to catch up sooner or later, he watched Doyle not play for a few years then one day play it at age 79 and get 409th. The main event hasn't favorite older players in 20+ years, yet a few have FT and Hossein Ensan took it down at age 55. Phil played all through 2005-2024 and knew this day would come.
So now he hits age 60 and says "You know something we need to change this for older people, we just can't do it" The guy who ESPN famously filmed sleeping all damn day, that he's cool with his chips blinding off because he needs his sleep.
the guy who in recent years is mostly known as stuffing his face full of **** food at the table.
We have to change the main because this old outshape guy can't get it together at age 60. Get the hell out of here with this ****. You knew this time was coming, take better care of yourself. You waited for Doyle to kick off before start being a bitch about age. Its the main, it is special. You'll get two hours each level and slow moving structure which will favor the best of the best. Too tired? Get yourself back in to shape because this ain't going to get easier. Eventually some of the older guys had to stick with the 100 player 7 Card Stud and some of the smaller mixed fields because that's what they're body could handle. The WSOP needs to stop bending to Phil. He knew what others before him had to go through in 2005-2024 and now that time is here. Remember Doyle gets his flowers because of what he did after age 60. Step up your game.
Yah I'd love too see it speed up because it would add a bit more variance as it has been awhile since some goofy wildcard made it deep. But no, its the main and it is special. It shouldn't be like all the other 90 minute championships at the Wynn or whatever. Its your one chance a year, make the most of it before time gets you.
Anyway, if there weren't luck - and stamina - involved, he would win them all.
Helmuth is great at marketing himself. Any attention is good attention. He hasn't done **** in the main even in a decade so he waits until the WSOP schedule comes out and then makes it all about him.
Id be surprised if he actually doesn't play but I also don't care if he doesn't play.
The fact wsop lets him make these obnoxious entrances year after year disturbing everyone playing at the time is absurd anyway. All for a guy who won the main 35 years ago.
“But it’s not supposed to be played so long”. Yah it has, at least over a 15 years now. Again he played it and watched older players do it too. He knew this time was coming.
The solution: busting even earlier.
Seriously, not easy to solve with 10 000 playing. Fast structure would accentuate luck even more. Maybe ten tournaments merging with nine left in each?
I've long thought as pay jumps get real they should be playing short handed way earlier and actually test skill. Playing 9 handed all the way until the final table is insane.
I also think at every break deep they should redraw for seats.
This would be a great idea. Once the real pay jumps start condense down to 6max tables. This would be better for TV as well. It would be a change that is easy to implement. I do think there would be major push back from the rec players who enter. I know the pros would love it.
if sitting at a table in the air conditioning is exhausting, wonder how he would handle a real job?
He surely should at least skip day 1 and reg day 2.
Who gives a **** lol
