Phil Hellmuth certainly doesn’t lack confidence in his poker game even at age 56. He’s so confident he can beat the GTO crushers he often talks down on that he made a six-figure wager against Daniel Negreanu on turning a profit in a fairly large sample size of $25,000 high rollers at Aria in Las Vegas.
Will this bet even reach a conclusion? That’s anyone’s guess. Aria hosts a few high rollers monthly, except during the worst of COVID-19, which means even if Hellmuth plays every single one available, it would take nearly two years to complete.
Negreanu attacked Hellmuth’s overconfidence on Poker Central’s new podcast, No Gamble No Future. The Poker Hall of Famers are set to face off on PokerGO’s “High Stakes Duel” show in what will most certainly be one of the most anticipated heads-up matches in poker history.
They’ll compete in a series of sit n go heads-up matches until one players decides to quite. The first match will air on PokerGO March 16. Although it will be recorded, poker fans will get to see every hand dealt.
Poker Legend Sure Doesn’t Lack Confidence
On the No Gamble No Future podcast, Negreanu admitted Hellmuth is one of the all-time greats. He praised the “Poker Brat” for being the most skilled exploitative player in history. But he doesn’t think Hellmuth would have an edge against the younger GTO-focused pros in a heads-up format over a large sample size. Nor does he believe his friendly rival could win in high roller tournaments.
Bet offered and accepted:
I’m laying $400k to @phil_hellmuth $200k that over 50 $25k buy in @AriaLV tournaments that Hellmuth will end up in the red.
If he shows a $1 profit he wins the bet.
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) March 2, 2021
During the podcast, Negreanu laid 2-1 odds — his $400,000 to $200,000 — that Hellmuth, if he played 50 Aria high rollers, would end up in the red. Hellmuth accepted the offer and will get to playing as soon as he’s ready. Both players have avoided playing much live poker since COVID-19. With an opportunity to get vaccinated soon, they may soon get back to the grind.
The bet is cut and dry. Hellmuth must play 50 Aria high rollers at $25,000 or above. At the end, if he’s turned even a $1 overall profit, he wins the bet. Otherwise, he owes Negreanu $200,000.
The poker pros went back and forth on No Gamble No Future as hosts Brent Hanks and Jeff Platt mostly sat back and listened to them trade jabs. Hellmuth and Negreanu went on the podcast to promote their upcoming heads-up match on PokerGO. And, as always with these two, they sure know how to market and entertain, which is exactly why the match is so intriguing and must-see TV.
You can watch the entire hour-long interview on YouTube for free.
