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Phil Hellmuth Challenges Poker Critics to $1 Million Cash Game Showdown

Phil Hellmuth Challenges Poker Critics to $1 Million Cash Game Showdown

Written by: James Rossi

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September 17, 2025

Phil Hellmuth Challenges Poker Critics to $1 Million Cash Game Showdown

Phil Hellmuth, aka the “Poker Brat”, is tired of the talk—and he’s offering seven figures to anyone willing to test his cash game record under the lights.

The 17-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner took to social media this past weekend to issue a $1 million prop bet challenge to his critics. At age 61, Hellmuth says his results speak louder than opinions—and he’s ready to settle things on the felt.

The Challenge: $500K Each, Televised Cash Games

Hellmuth’s proposal is simple: each side puts up $500,000, and it would be crossbooked, dollar-for-dollar, in televised cash games—specifically the same arena where Hellmuth claims he won 23 out of 24 sessions between 2013 and 2019.

That’s the foundation of his challenge, which comes in direct response to a new wave of public criticism. In particular, poker coach and commentator Marc Goone recently released a video highlighting what he sees as fundamental flaws in Hellmuth’s cash game strategy.

Goone didn’t mince words, calling Hellmuth’s approach outdated and overly cautious. He even compared the Poker Hall of Famer’s tendencies to players stuck at low-stakes levels.

“Over $30M in tournament earnings and the same giant leak as the biggest fish at your local $2/$5 game,” Goone said. “This leak bleeds money in today’s games… I see players at $2/$5 and $5/$10 every single day wondering why they can’t move up [in stakes],” he added.

Hellmuth Defends His Cash Game Record

The Poker Brat insists that his results don’t match the critique. Along with citing his dominant televised win rate, Hellmuth said he’s up more than $3 million in cash games since 2014, and claims to have tax filings to prove it.

He also pointed to a recent hot streak on his new series, Hellmuth’s Home Game, a $25/$50 cash game show airing on YouTube and CBS Sports Network. According to Hellmuth, he’s up $110,000 across six sessions on the show.

Opponents Step Forward

It didn’t take long for potential challengers to step into the ring.

First came Brian Okin, who extended an invitation to Hellmuth to appear on Venetian Poker Live. Okin noted that his game doesn’t usually feature pros, but said he’d make an exception in this case.

Then came Sean Perry, who’s been calling for a match with Hellmuth for years. “Been trying to play you for years but yet you keep fading me,” Perry posted. He offered a heads-up match for $500K and added, “If you want even more action I’ll play for any amount up to $5 million”.

Also throwing his name into the mix was Ossi “Monarch” Ketola, who made headlines recently after dropping $15 million in a heads-up match against Dan “Jungleman” Cates. Ketola signaled he’d be interested in a high-stakes face-off with Hellmuth as well.

So far, Hellmuth hasn’t responded publicly to any of the offers.

White Magic vs. GTO: Can the Old School Still Win?

At the heart of the debate is a long-standing poker argument: can Hellmuth’s famously unorthodox “White Magic” still hold up against today’s GTO-trained elite?

People argue that his reads-based, exploit-heavy style doesn’t scale against the precision of modern game theory. Then again, he is the player with the most WSOP bracelets, with 17 under his belt.

Since challengers are in the waiting line, it’s up to Hellmuth to prove his style can compete with the wizards.