PokerGO’s High Stakes Poker Season 14, Episode 7: Phil Hellmuth Storms Out Just 40 Minutes in After $100K Faceplant

Another Monday night, another dose of high-voltage drama was delivered on PokerGO’s High Stakes Poker. Episode 7 arrived with everything a poker fanatic could desire. But this time, the main attraction wasn’t the poker itself – it was Phil Hellmuth and his signature theatrics.

This week brought back some familiar faces from earlier in the season. Jared Bleznick, Seth Gottlieb, Markus Gonsalves, and Justin Gavri were present and accounted for. The episode also saw two debutants slide into seats at the HSP table: Scott Seiver (the 2024 WSOP Player of the Year) and Kento Mori, all ready to challenge, among others, the man with 17 WSOP bracelets.

Hellmuth. Just saying the name evokes images of monumental wins and, let’s be honest, some seriously epic meltdowns. Lately, he’s been the king of the poker headlines. First, there was that whole hullabaloo after he casually announced he was skipping the 2025 WSOP Main Event, going as far as urging the WSOP to reconsider the structure of the planet’s most famous tournament. And, of course, there was his “Battle for Phil-adelphia” where he dismantled Phil Galfond. This BetRivers Poker promotional showdown between their brand ambassadors – two $5,000 freezeouts with blinds at $25/$50 – saw Hellmuth give the younger Phil a painful poker education, leaving with an extra $10,000 lining his pockets.

He’s a poker legend. That’s not up for debate. But Hellmuth’s reputation for explosive outbursts is nearly as legendary as his ridiculously impressive list of poker accomplishments. Last year’s No Gamble, No Future is a perfect example. He blew a gasket, stormed off the set, and vowed to never work with Humboldt Mike again. A classic.

Episode 7 of High Stakes Poker delivered a near-encore performance, only at warp speed. A mere 40 or so minutes into the game, Seth Gottlieb landed two consecutive punches on Hellmuth, a brutal one-two punch that left him down six figures. That was the final straw. The Poker Brat yanked off his mic, threw in the towel, and walked out.

Hellmuth’s disappearing act could have easily deflated the entire episode. The game, however, went on. Jared Bleznick and Markus Gonsalves put on a clinic with some high-level play, while Scott Seiver kept the table talk lively. And just when things were threatening to become slightly predictable, Justin Young appeared. He took over Hellmuth’s abandoned chair, instantly changing the whole vibe of the table with a jolt of fresh energy.

Before the action kicked off, the stacks stood as follows:

1. Jared Bleznick – $250,000
2. Kento Mori – $200,000
3. Seth Gottlieb – $150,000
4. Phil Hellmuth – $100,000
5. Scott Seiver – $100,000
6. Markus Gonsalves – $100,000
7. Justin Gavri – $100,000

Phil Hellmuth Gets Hoodwinked by Seth Gottlieb

With Phil Hellmuth making his swaggering arrival in Episode 7, the atmosphere practically crackled with the anticipation of impending drama. The table was already lively, fueled by high-stakes veterans Scott Seiver and Jared Bleznick swapping war stories, but it didn’t take long for the Poker Brat to find himself sinking in quicksand.

The first dent in Hellmuth’s stack came when his got outgunned by Seth Gottlieb’s in a pot that swelled to $11,200. But that was merely a prelude – the real gut punch was delivered on the very next deal.

Gottlieb, holding , initiated the action with a raise to $2,000. Kento Mori folded, but Hellmuth, brandishing , decided to crank up the pressure, 3-betting to $6,000. Gottlieb, completely undeterred, made the call, and the trap was set.

The flop arrived – a disaster for Hellmuth, a dream for Gottlieb. Top set for Gottlieb, and top pair, top kicker for the unsuspecting Hellmuth. Both players slow-played it, checking through to the turn.

The turn card opened . The fuse was lit.

Gottlieb fired out a bet of $4,200, and Hellmuth wasn`t ready to slow down, raising to $11,000. Gottlieb, however, was far from finished – he retaliated with a 3-bet, bumping the price to call to $26,000. Hellmuth visibly squirmed. “Oh man! What the f**k!” he burst out, his composure beginning to fray.

Then, the classic Hellmuth internal monologue began, broadcast for all to hear. “A set, really?” he questioned aloud before Gottlieb added a playful jab: “I’ll show you, Phil.”

Still rattling through his thought process, Hellmuth continued, “I still played this hand, cause the last hand… you remember how normally I check back like a King there? Do you know what I mean?”

His monologue stretched on as he wrestled with the decision, “And I decided not to check back a King. I mean, I decided to, but I didn’t have it that time. So, of course, you know I have at least an overpair here. Which is a real bad spot for me.” But ultimately, he made the call.

The river was a complete blank.

Gottlieb kept the pressure on, tossing out a $28,000 bet. Hellmuth, still trapped in his own head, continued to lament his predicament. “The only show I’ve run bad on is High Stakes Poker. I thought maybe I’d win $300,000 today. Really good feeling. This is what happens. I mean, even if he has nine-ten of clubs, he hit a miracle. What do you have, my man?”

After a period of painful deliberation, Hellmuth announced a call – and immediately regretted it. Gottlieb calmly revealed his set of fives, scooping a massive $121,800 pot, leaving Hellmuth looking like he’d just been hit by a train.

And that was it. The first major blow had landed, sending tremors through Hellmuth’s stack and pushing him perilously close to a complete and total eruption.

Seth Gottlieb’s Aces Crush Hellmuth’s Queens – The Poker Brat Storms Off!

Phil Hellmuth’s meltdown arrived way ahead of schedule—and in spectacular fashion.

The hand that triggered the eruption started innocently enough. Justin Gavri opened the betting with a raise to $1,000, holding . But Seth Gottlieb, looking down at the ultimate poker hand – – predictably 3-bet, bumping it to $3,500. That’s when the Poker Brat entered the fray. With in the hole, Hellmuth escalated the situation significantly, cold 4-betting to $12,000.

Scott Seiver, a spectator to this brewing storm, couldn’t suppress a chuckle – he seemingly had a premonition of the impending disaster.

Gottlieb, absolutely fearless and holding the best starting hand in the game, went for the jugular – 5-betting to a substantial $31,300. Hellmuth, now visibly flustered and clearly feeling the pressure, made the fateful decision to shove all-in for his remaining $31,300.

Gottlieb didn’t hesitate for a millisecond. “I got Aces,” he announced, flipping over the pocket rockets.

Hellmuth, instantly recognizing the severity of his predicament, let out a resigned “Nice hand.” Then, just to twist the knife, Gottlieb smirked and said, “Cooler city.”

With all the chips committed, they agreed to a single run-out. The board was dealt .

With four clubs on the board, both made a flush but Gottlieb’s Ace of clubs played, delivering him the entire $64,200 pot.

That was the final straw for Hellmuth. Without a word, he ripped off his microphone, rose from his chair, and marched directly out of the studio.

“I quit,” he muttered as he made his exit – adding another chapter to the ever-growing volume of legendary Hellmuth meltdowns!

After Hellmuth’s dramatic departure, Seiver shared an amusing anecdote with the remaining players: “Markus and I, we got like a salad together before playing, and we both said the moment he [Hellmuth] loses one big pot he was going to quit. I thought he would quit from your [Gottlieb] set. I was actually impressed he stayed.”

Here’s how the stacks stood

1. Seth Gottlieb – $232,400
2. Kento Mori – $201,400
3. Jared Bleznick – $171,000
4. Markus Gonsalves – $168,900
5. Justin Gavri – $125,500
6. Scott Seiver – $102,800

Jared Bleznick Schools Scott Seiver

The hand started off like any other, but little did Scott Seiver know—he was about to get schooled in classic Jared Bleznick fashion.

Seiver got things rolling, opening the action with a raise to $1,100, holding . The action folded around to Bleznick, who, with the speculative , decided to see a flop. But Seth Gottlieb, sitting with a premium , had bigger ideas – he 3-bet to $4,000.

Seiver, unwilling to fold his pocket pair this early, made the call. Bleznick, always down for a gamble, came along as well.

The flop arrived .

Gottlieb and Seiver checked, keeping their hands close to the chest. But Bleznick pounced, firing out a bet of $7,000. Gottlieb, not ready to let go, quickly called. Seiver, clearly debating his next move, eventually reluctantly flicked in the chips to see another card.

The turn was the .

Another check from Gottlieb. Another check from Seiver. And then came the hammer—Bleznick took his time before dropping a hefty $22,000 bet.

Gottlieb instantly recognized the danger and folded without much fanfare. But Seiver, clutching his pocket sixes, seemingly unable to fathom what Bleznick could possibly have, decided to make a stand, calling the bet.

The river brought .

Complete, utter disaster for Seiver. The board had paired, counterfeiting his two pair sixes and tens, and giving Bleznick the winning hand with his jack kicker.

One last, almost resigned check from Seiver, and Bleznick – perhaps sensing there was no need to risk more – checked behind.

The cards were revealed, and the brutal reality slammed into Seiver. The table, appreciating the sheer audacity of Bleznick’s play, erupted in laughter, while Seiver, visibly frustrated and likely bewildered, watched as Bleznick calmly raked in the $77,800 pot.

Just another day at the office for Bleznick, showing his unique brand of unpredictable, high-level poker.

Markus Gonsalves Traps Seth Gottlieb in a Monster Pot

The hand began with Markus Gonsalves kicking off the action, raising to $1,100 with . Seth Gottlieb, holding , and Scott Seiver, with , both tagged along to see the flop.

The flop arrived . Absolute dynamite for both players – Gottlieb flopped trips, but Gonsalves had made the stone-cold nuts with a full house.

Seiver checked and so did Gonsalves, slow playing his monster. Gottlieb, likely believing he held the best hand, tossed out a bet of $2,300. Seiver and Gonsalves both made the call, keeping the pot brewing.

On the turn , Seiver and Gonsalves checked again, maintaining their slow play. Still confident in his hand, Gottlieb fired a second barrel – this time for $9,200. That was enough to get Seiver to fold, but Gonsalves, patiently waiting to spring his trap, simply made the call.

The completed the board. One final check from Gonsalves, the master of deception. Not sensing any danger, Gottlieb fired a substantial $26,000 bet into the growing pot. And now, Gonsalves struck. Instead of just calling, he announced a raise, firing off $88,000, putting Gottlieb to the ultimate test.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Gottlieb exclaimed, visibly stunned and shaking his head.

After a brief, agonizing pause, he added, “I guess I got coolered here.” Reluctantly, he tossed in the calling chips. And when Gonsalves flipped over his set of queens, all Gottlieb could muster was a wry, “Yup.”

With that perfectly executed trap, Gonsalves scooped a colossal $205,200 pot, leaving Gottlieb to rue the hand that had cost him dearly.

Justin Young Arrives, Gets Dealt Kings & Chops With Justin Gavri

Justin Young hadn’t even warmed Phil Hellmuth’s recently abandoned chair before before finding himself in the thick of the action. And what a hand to be dealt – he looked down at and, unsurprisingly, opened the betting with a raise to $2,000.

Scott Seiver, holding , made a smooth call, but Justin Gavri, waking up with , decided to turn up the heat, 3-betting to $12,000. Jared Bleznick, after carefully considering his options with , took his time but ultimately made an awesome fold.

Back to Young, who wasn’t about to let his cowboys go cheaply—he 4-bet to $35,000, quickly chasing Seiver away. Gavri, however, was committed. He announced all-in for his remaining $85,800, and Young, without a moment’s hesitation, snap-called.

With $175,200 in the middle, they agreed to run the board twice.

First Board:

The King on the turn was a dramatic overkill, guaranteeing Young at least half the pot.

Second Board:

Gavri’s flopped set held up this time, awarding him the second half of the pot.

The two Justins, after a brief but intense confrontation, ended up splitting the $175,200 pot, each walking away unscathed. A dramatic entrance for Young, but in the end, it was just another chopped pot!

Stack size at the end of Episode 7

1. Jared Bleznick – $334,000
2. Markus Gonsalves – $242,400
3. Kento Mori – $196,500
4. Seth Gottlieb – $161,900
5. Justin Gavri – $121,000
6. Justin Young – $112,700
7. Scott Seiver – $83,500

Episode 7 was an absolute knockout, fueled as much by Phil Hellmuth’s signature antics as by the thrilling action. While Seth Gottlieb, Jared Bleznick, Markus Gonsalves, and Justin Gavri made some slick moves, Hellmuth’s epic meltdown became the undeniable centrepiece of the night.

Midway through the chaos, Justin Young boldly slid into Hellmuth’s empty seat, injecting a new dynamic into the game. Meanwhile, Kento Mori’s debut was remarkably quiet, with the newcomer barely dipping his toes into the action.

But the ride isn’t over yet! Get ready for Episode 8, premiering March 17, as these same high-stakes crushers return for another round of fireworks. Don’t miss out—Episode 7 is now streaming only on PokerGO!

Content and Images Courtesy: PokerGO