Phil Hellmuth III expresses his desire to emulate aspects of his father in various ways.
The Hellmuth home games certainly aren't your run-of-the-mill family get-togethers. With the legendary Phil Hellmuth Jr at the poker table, expect nothing less than a high-stakes, competitive family tournament for the Hellmuth Family Poker Cup.
It's hard to argue that the head of the household isn't a bit competitive when it comes to their own family tournament. Phil Hellmuth III, son of the WSOP legend, shares a chuckle as he recalls the spirited anecdotes. "My father was a bit competitive about our family tournament," he acknowledges. "But that never bothered me. We had a great time playing our poker championship. We even had a little bracelet that we would engrave the winner's initials on and then pass to the winner of the next tournament."
Recently, PokerOrg caught up with Phil Hellmuth III himself, who is competing in numerous events at the current WSOP. As the son of an icon in the poker world, growing up with a father who is a WSOP Main Event champion, a self-proclaimed poker brat, and one of the most entertaining players in the game hasn't been without its challenges.
Poker Comes Naturally
Growing up, did you love poker because of your father's immense success? Poker came very naturally for me from the start. I've always been a fan of the game, though I initially stepped away from my father and the poker spotlight when he started to gain notoriety for his brash behavior at the tables. As time has passed, I've come to appreciate my father's journey and rewatch many of his timeless moments on the felt.
Did you have plans to pursue poker as a career after high school? Not really. My major in college was psychology, initially interested in being a therapist. After college, I found myself working in business banking for eight years until I was laid off last year. At a career crossroads, I reignited my passion for poker and decided to give the game a shot, at least for the time being.
Poker Isn't Work for Phillip Hellmuth III
An extroverted and social individual, like his outgoing father, Hellmuth III prefers the camaraderie and excitement of the poker table to the monotony of a traditional 9-to-5 job. "I'm not one of those people who has an immediate vision that being a professional poker player is what they want to pursue. We'll see how it goes," he offers cautiously.
"Poker doesn't even feel like work on most days when I play," he explains. "At one time in my life, I didn't believe that people could like or even love their jobs. A job has always been just that, a job to me. I couldn't understand when people said, 'I love what I'm doing and love doing it all the time.' I couldn't even conceive that was possible in life."
A New Generation Emerges
The 2025 WSOP has been a whirlwind experience for Phil Hellmuth III, with iconic poker legends surrounding him and creating an atmosphere of fierce competition. "It's been overwhelming," he admits. "This is the first tournament series I've really jumped into fully."
"It's interesting seeing all these poker icons around me, and it shows me how far I have to go," he explains. "It invigorates me in a competitive sense."
As he improves his game by playing numerous tournament poker series, Phil Hellmuth III carries on the family tradition and pursues his own path in the world of poker. "If I can act like half the leader my father acts like within the family, I will consider myself a success," he confesses. "My dad makes sure that people know that he's there for them and that he loves them. He offers very unconditional love and support to all of us. There are lots of ways I would love to be like my father, and that's one of them."
Poker players like Phil Hellmuth III find the game to be more of an entertainment and a source of camaraderie, rather than just work. In the recent WSOP events, the younger Hellmuth has been drawn to the competitive environment and admires the legacy of poker icons, striving to carve out his own path within the poker world.
