![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media.cardplayer.com\/assets\/000\/038\/049\/Phil_Hellmuth_PGT_Kickoff_AntonioA_DSC05947.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
The World Series of Poker<\/em> released the summer schedule on Monday<\/a>, but Phil Hellmuth<\/a> made some series news of his own on Tuesday. The 17-time bracelet winner announced that he would no longer be playing the $10,000 main event.<\/p>\n Hellmuth won the event in 1989<\/a>, cashing in for $755,000 and becoming the youngest ever at the time to win the title at just age 24. Now 60 years old, the bracelet goat says that the event has simply become an \u201cendurance contest\u201d that favors younger players.<\/p>\n \u201cI truly believe that 80% of the players want changes made to the WSOP<\/span><\/span><\/em> main event,\u201d he noted on Twitter. \u201c12 hour days, or longer, for six to seven days in a row is brutal and disproportionately affects older players.\u201d<\/p>\n The 2024 main event was won by 38-year-old Jonathan Tamayo after the action played out over 15 days, including four starting flights, two day 2 flights, and one day off after setting the final table.<\/p>\n Test Of Endurance<\/strong><\/p>\n Hellmuth has played every main event since 1988, but says he won\u2019t be playing this year and released a video detailing why.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just too tough,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople at home are like, \u2018Phil, you can play seven days in a row.\u2019 Yeah, try it. Try getting up and playing noon until midnight seven days in a row.\u201d<\/p>\n Some of those days may include playing until 2 or 3 a.m., Hellmuth noted, and that schedule can be exhausting.<\/p>\n \u201cI think that really hurts the older players in a much bigger proportion than the younger players,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I\u2019ll say this: more great players come and tell me that they blew the main event because they got too tired with 100 left, 50 left, with 30 left. It\u2019s turned into an endurance test. I don\u2019t think that the World Series of Poker<\/em> main event is measuring skill.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s still my favorite event in the world, don\u2019t misunderstand me, I don\u2019t want to miss it. But I know that I can\u2019t do that. I\u2019m 60 years old. I don\u2019t think I could have done it at age 50.\u201d<\/p>\n Hellmuth believes there should be scheduled days off during the main event and that 80% of the players would agree with him. He said the tournament shouldn\u2019t be about \u201cpeople getting tired and blowing up chips.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI hope that in 2026 there are some changes made so that we can restore more skill and less endurance,\u201d he added. \u201cI really hope they make those changes.\u201d<\/p>\n Hellmuth hasn\u2019t made the money in the main event since 2015, when he finished 417th. He also narrowly missed out on cashing this year in the WSOP<\/span><\/span> Paradise<\/em> main event, busting on the money bubble<\/a>.<\/p>\n I am not playing the \n
WSOP<\/a> Main Event. It has become an \u201cEndurance contest.\u201d <br><br>I truly believe that 80% of the players want changes made to the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WSOP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\"><\/code>WSOP<\/span><\/span><\/a> Main Event. 12 hour days, or longer, for 6-7 days in row, is brutal and disproportionately affects older players pic.twitter.com\/7K4OcJOZ56<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"Hellmuth](\"https:\/\/media.cardplayer.com\/assets\/000\/038\/050\/Phil_Hellmuth_PGT_Kickoff_AntonioA_DSC04442_(1).jpg\" "\\"Hellmuth")
\u201cThe main event structure is great,\u201d 888poker ambassador Ian Simpson noted. \u201cWe want them to stop increasing the rake and general expenses involved in the trip.\u201d<\/p>\n