Like father, like son. Phil Hellmuth ended up at the same table as his son, Phillip Hellmuth III, on Thursday in a $5,100 buy-in PokerGO Tour Kickoff Series event, and the father and son duo were eliminated by the same player.
John Riordan took out the 17-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner with ace-king against pocket jacks after hitting a set. He’d then eliminate the poker champ’s offspring with the same hand, the second time versus pocket nines, again hitting a set.
The Hellmuth’s both late registered for the fourth tournament of the series at the PokerGO Studio in Las Vegas. Neither player came close to reaching the money, but they did have a story to tell.
The younger Hellmuth, like his father, is successful away from the felt. He’s works in an executive role with Citibank and has been invited to compete in the First Chance U Inaugural Golf Tournament at Papago Golf Club in Phoenix next month, according to Instagram.
As a poker player, he doesn’t have his dad’s tournament resume — only $914 in The Hendon Mob results — but does have plenty of cash game experience. Hellmuth III took his shot at some tournament poker this week, competing in a few PokerGO Tour events.
“Phillip, did you have fun today playing?” Hellmuth asked his son in the above video.
“Yeah, it was a great time,” Hellmuth III, playing in just his third tournament ever at PokerGO Studio, responded.
Day 1 attracted 126 entrants and will play down to a winner on Friday, the same day as the $10,100 No-Limit Hold’em finale kicks off. The Hellmuth’s weren’t the only big story at the Studio on Thursday.
Japanese Poker Star Masato Yokosawa Wins Event #3
Masato Yokosawa, the popular Japanese poker vlogger, took down Event #3: $5,100 No-Limit Hold’em for $142,800.
The poker pro with 944,000 YouTube subscribers defeated heads-up opponent Neil Warren and navigated a final table that included poker coach Justin Saliba (7th – $22,400) and Poker Hall of Famer Erik Seidel (5th – $36,400), who made his second final table of the series.
PGT Kickoff Event #3 Final Table Results
| Place | Name | Country | Prize (In USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Masato Yokosawa | Japan | $142,800 |
| 2 | Neil Warren | United States | $89,600 |
| 3 | Nicholas Seward | United States | $64,400 |
| 4 | Blake Vogdes | United States | $50,400 |
| 5 | Erik Seidel | United States | $36,400 |
| 6 | Michael Vanier | United States | $28,000 |
| 7 | Justin Saliba | United States | $22,400 |
Yokosawa has had other big scores in Las Vegas, including from a sixth-place finish in the 2024 PokerStars North American Poker Tour (NAPT) Main Event for $155,550. He has $1.8 million in Hendon Mob earnings and sits ninth on Japan’s all-time money list.
Yokosawa sat down with PokerNews at the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) to talk about becoming one of the world’s biggest poker vloggers.
*Photos courtesy Phil Hellmuth & PokerGO
Editor & Live Reporter U.S.
