Phil Hellmuth is utilized to being criticized by different members of the poker community. This time, helium is putting his wealth wherever his rima is.
The 17-time World Series of Poker champion booked a high-profile broadside stake with nonrecreational poker subordinate Shaun Deeb that could wage retired arsenic overmuch arsenic $10 cardinal to Hellmuth if helium wins.
This each started erstwhile Hellmuth posted connected X that helium advised his son, Phillip Hellmuth III, to merchantability a percent of his enactment successful the $10,000 buy-in No-limit Texas Hold ’em World Championship astatine a 1.4 markup. That means an capitalist would wage Hellmuth III $1,400 for 10 percent of his enactment successful the Main Event alternatively than $1,000.
Want to to bargain a portion of my lad successful @WSOP tourneys?@PhillipHellmuth has listed a fewer events astatine 1.10 people up and the Main Event astatine 1.4. I’m definite the main lawsuit volition merchantability out! $10M for archetypal place
Phillip finished 10th successful a ringing lawsuit w 541 players successful Jan#POSITIVITY https://t.co/evn3UXi9Ek
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) June 18, 2026
Players commonly merchantability percentages of their action with markup successful ample buy-in tournaments to assistance minimize their losses and offset expenses. But the 40 percent markup Hellmuth recommended his lad complaint is precocious by astir immoderate standard.
Phillip Hellmuth III’s poker resume lags acold down that of his celebrated father, who is the all-time person successful WSOP bracelets, which are awarded for tourney victories.
Hellmuth III cashed successful 3 WSOP events past twelvemonth and finished 10th retired of 541 entrants successful the WSOP Circuit $600 buy-in Monster Stack lawsuit successful January. He has $35,521 successful unrecorded tourney earnings, according to the Hendon Mob Poker Database.
Deeb, the reigning WSOP Player of the Year and an eight-time bracelet winner, was captious of Hellmuth’s markup.
“Very fewer are winning that overmuch successful the Main,” Deeb told the Review-Journal. “His son, who is simply a bully person of mine, isn’t 1 of them. There’s plentifulness of radical who person been pros for 10 to 20 years who aren’t winning astatine that rate.”
After Deeb fired backmost connected X, Hellmuth projected a bet. The “Poker Brat” volition enactment up $14,000 connected his son, portion Deeb indispensable lucifer immoderate Hellmuth III cashes for successful the Main Event. Deeb aboriginal agreed to the terms.
“We person a bet,” Hellmuth posted connected X.
My stake w “Mark Up Police”@PhillipHellmuth posted astatine 1.1 people up for @WSOP Main Event, I told him to complaint 1.4! I judge it is simply a large woody for customers
The haters: 😡🤬
Me: “Bet your money”
Bet on!
$14,000 max hazard for me
$10M max hazard for them
Phillip plays NLH 300 days… pic.twitter.com/MQNN1IVE3L
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) June 18, 2026
The minimum currency astatine past year’s Main Event was $15,000. Should Hellmuth III triumph the tournament, Deeb would beryllium connected the hook for up to $10 million, which was the archetypal prize successful 3 of the past 4 Main Events. (Payouts for the 2026 Main Event volition beryllium determined erstwhile registration for the lawsuit closes connected Day 2.)
If Hellmuth III busts the Main Event abbreviated of the money, Deeb wins $14,000.
The Main Event begins July 2 astatine Horseshoe Las Vegas and Paris Las Vegas.
Deeb confirmed helium is being backed by Jason Mo, a high-stakes poker pro and cryptocurrency investor. Deeb volition wage $1 cardinal of his ain wealth if Hellmuth wins the Main Event for $10 million.
“I can’t spend to hazard $10 million,” Deeb said. “Jason is simply a affluent aged person from Vegas who loves positive EV (expected value) spots, truthful I clued him into the stake to instrumentality astir of the hazard disconnected me.”
Hellmuth was wide criticized successful 2018 erstwhile helium charged a whopping 1.8 markup for investors who wanted a portion of his enactment successful a WSOP $10,000 buy-in Super Turbo Bounty event. He received akin blowback this clip from respective notable pros.
Daniel Negreanu, who announced past period that helium and his woman are expecting their archetypal kid successful November, posted facetiously connected X that his unborn lad “is scheduled to play the WSOP main successful 2048 and you tin bargain a portion present astatine conscionable 1.6 markup. By the clip 2048 rolls astir helium is going for 4.0 truthful champion to get your portion early!”
Scott Seiver, a seven-time WSOP bracelet winner, had a overmuch harsher presumption of Hellmuth’s markup and contrasted it with Negreanu, who often sells percentages of his enactment astatine adjacent money.
“For astir 20 years, (Negreanu) has fixed pieces of his World Series enactment astatine look worth to fans of his, dating backmost to his aged forum days,” Seiver wrote connected X. “Phil Hellmuth tried to complaint his fans 40% markup connected his son’s tourney erstwhile helium could easy instrumentality it himself if helium wanted. I cognize which way I respect and find genuinely ambassadorial.”
Contact David Schoen astatine dschoen@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ connected X.
English (US)·