Phil Hellmuth recorded his first tournament cash of the year last week, scoring a 10th-place finish in a PokerGO Tour Kickoff Series event for $14,400. But the week will be remembered more for the time he got to spend on the felt with his son, Phillip Hellmuth III.
The younger Hellmuth made his debut in the PokerGO studio at Aria for a series of tournaments, playing three separate $5,000 buy-ins against some of the best high rollers in the world. Phillip Jr. III, is 34 years old and has spent most of his career working as a banker, but has been playing a lot of poker since this summer, according to papa Hellmuth.
“He started playing a lot of poker in May, and has played around 160 days over the last 320 days,” Hellmuth told Card Player. “He has played both tourneys and cash games.”
While playing his own game, promoting his new online poker sponsor, and taking selfies with fellow players and fans, the older Phil also played the proud dad spending some time with his son in Sin City.
“Hello my son!” he noted on Twitter. “I love it here so much that I sent my own son Phillip Hellmuth III to play here at PokerGO Studio! Phillip and I are here with great players and legends, old and new, like Erik Seidel, Alex Foxen, and Jesse Lonis.”
Cash Games And More
Although the younger Hellmuth failed to make the money, dad was happy to hear reports of how he held his own at the tables.
“I am always pleased when players come up to Me and say, ‘Phillip is wonderful kid. He handed himself really well.’ I already know he is a great person, but it never hurts to hear it confirmed over-and-over!”
At one point, the two Phils were actually seated at the same table in one of the tournaments. Phil was quick to commend his son on a good fold in one hand, but both Hellmuths ended up busting to the same player, John Riordan.
The two later hit the cash game tables at Aria, playing $5-$10 no-limit hold’em.
“I hope it’s a lot more profitable than blackjack and… Ultimate Texas Hold’em,” Hellmuth noted in a video of the pair’s earlier casino adventures. “It didn’t work out so well.”
Hellmuth later captured a hand the two played heads-up, with Phillip taking a nice pot off of Phil while booking a win. Although Hellmuth says that Phillip has “many avenues open to him outside of poker,” there’s still a chance that he follows in his Hall of Fame dad’s footsteps.
“I staked Phillip for the three PokerGO studio tourneys,” Hellmuth said. “I thought he would learn a lot, and he did. I think he has great talent and great potential. He is not a professional poker player yet, but maybe by the next WSOP he will be a pro.”
.jpg "Phil Hellmuth Jr.")
By the time Hellmuth was 34 he already had six WSOP bracelets. The now 17-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner got an early start, dropping out of the University of Wisconsin after three years to pursue a career in the game.
In 1989, he won the WSOP main event for $755,000 at just age 24, becoming the youngest ever at the time to win the title.
Phil recently made news by signing an online poker ambassador deal with Rush Street Interactive. In recent years, he’s been a bit more selective in playing tournaments because of his work as an adviser for several companies, but still tries to put in a heavy schedule at the summer series.
In the Bahamas at the WSOP Paradise in December, Phil also grabbed an eighth-place score worth $130,830 in the $10,000 GGMillion$ Championship along with a mincash in the $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller for $107,130, but was eliminated on the bubble of the main event. He now has $27.2 million in career tournament earnings.
Hello my Son!! I love it here so much, that I sent my own son Phillip Hellmuth III to play here at
PokerGO</a> studio!<br><br>Phillip and I are here w great players and Legends, old-and-new, like <a href="https://twitter.com/Erik_Seidel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">Erik_SeidelWAFoxen</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JesseLonis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">JesseLonis #POSITIVITY pic.twitter.com/XEDr2yBd9e— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) January 24, 2025
Like Father, like Son, Phillip raised in first position, got reraised all in by third person to act, and folded A-Q face up for 13 big blinds more. His opp told him he had A-K!
I went broke w A-K the hand before, put 25 big blinds in pre-flop vs J-J. Somehow we were at the same… pic.twitter.com/jQSb6WnAun
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) January 24, 2025
Like father like son, both busted holding A-K all in preflop, both busted by THIS guy! GG, good luck in the tourney John Riordan! #POSITIVITY pic.twitter.com/ykbLwiVSIE
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) January 24, 2025
Playing poker w my son Phillip in
ARIAPoker</a>, sure beats Ultimate Texas Hold’em! $5-$10 No Limit Hold’em, and everyone straddling for $20.<br><br>I love being w my sons <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/POSITIVITY?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#POSITIVITY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHNiceLife?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PHNiceLife</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AriaLV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">AriaLV pic.twitter.com/zlmWqLL1iU— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) January 25, 2025
Father vs Son! I have top pair, he is betting $100…
Commentary (“Hellmuth Rant”) from
rok300</a> (Aria Poker Boss) here at <a href="https://twitter.com/ARIAPoker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">ARIAPoker #POSITIVITY @AriaLV pic.twitter.com/62C2KXEYY9— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) January 25, 2025
Father and Son poker at the
ARIAPoker</a> RN! My son Phillip w the $250 bet on the turn, Milo calls…<br><br>Milo has queen of hearts, my son Phillip has, well watch the video:<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/POSITIVITY?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#POSITIVITY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AriaLV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">AriaLV pic.twitter.com/vMlaVScNoS— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) January 26, 2025
*Photos by PokerGO / Antonio Abrego