Main Winners and Losers of the First Season of Hellmuth’s Home Game

We review the results of the first season of the poker show Hellmuth’s Home Game: who took home the biggest winnings, who suffered the biggest losses, and which moments left the strongest impression on viewers.

Throughout the year, CBS Sports aired a unique poker show every Monday: the first season of Hellmuth’s Home Game , organized by Poker Night in America (PNIA) with support from BetRivers. The filming took place at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, Nevada. The second season is expected to start by the end of the month, but for now, let’s take a detailed look at the results of the first season: who was the biggest winner, who suffered the largest losses, what memorable events took place, and what lessons PPPoker club players can take from it. Show Format and Features of Hellmuth’s Home Game Hellmuth’s Home Game is a televised cash game format without the usual poker commentary. Instead, viewers hear live table talk: Phil Hellmuth and invited pros discuss hands, share emotions, and tell stories in a relaxed, home-like atmosphere. Over the first season, 24 players took a seat at the table, including both global poker stars and Hellmuth’s close friends. In a cash game, players exchange money for chips and can leave the table at any time, taking their winnings or after losing their stack. Unlike tournaments, there is no elimination when you lose all your chips—you can rebuy. The show didn’t mention a fixed buy-in, but all wins and losses were counted in dollars, as well as in terms of 100 big blinds (bb/100)—the standard metric for evaluating cash game performance. Who Played the Most and What Were Their Results The player with the most hands in the first season was Phil Hellmuth himself, playing 1,611 hands—almost 500 more than his closest rival, Dan “Jungleman” Cates (1,125 hands). Other notable players by number of hands played: Randy “3Coin” Sadler — 986 hands Kelly Lucas — 935 hands Phillip “P3” Hellmuth III — 885 hands Xuan Liu — 825 hands Jennifer Tilly — 816 hands In poker, an important stat is VPIP (Voluntarily Put Money In Pot), meaning the percentage of hands in which a player voluntarily put money into the pot. Phil Hellmuth’s VPIP was 38.3%, and his total profit for the season was $58,975, putting him fourth among the most successful players of the season. Top Winners of the Season: Who Won the Most The absolute leader in winnings was Jennifer Tilly , who increased her bankroll by $189,150 over 816 hands. Her VPIP was 56.3%, and her average win was $463.60 per 100 big blinds (bb/100). Tilly took part in the biggest and most spectacular hands of the season, often battling Dan Cates. Second place in profit went to Dan “Jungleman” Cates . His result: $116,225 over 1,125 hands with a very high VPIP of 62% and an average win of $206.60 bb/100. Cates was known for his aggressive play and frequent involvement in big pots. Other players who finished in the black: DJ Washburn — +$29,025 Erick Lindgren — +$22,400 Mike “The Mouth” Matusow — +$2,650 As mentioned, Phil Hellmuth finished fourth in winnings with +$58,975. Biggest Losers: Who Ended Up in the Red The unluckiest player of the season was “Texas” Mike Moncek , who lost $225,700 in just 359 hands. His VPIP was a record-high 69.6%, and his 3-bet percentage (raising after a raise) was 34%. Moncek’s average loss was -$1,257.40 bb/100, indicating an extremely aggressive but ineffective strategy. Second among the losers was Shaun Deeb —he lost $111,925 over 288 hands with a VPIP of 36.8%. Also finishing in the red: Phillip “P3” Hellmuth III — -$6,600 Nick Hellmuth — -$9,200 Randy “3Coin” Sadler — -$35,900 Xuan Liu — -$41,000 Full Results Table for the First Season of Hellmuth’s Home Game: Jennifer Tilly — +$189,150 (816 hands, VPIP 56.3%, $463.60 bb/100) Dan “Jungleman” Cates — +$116,225 (1,125 hands, VPIP 62%, $206.60 bb/100) Phil Hellmuth Jr. — +$58,975 (1,611 hands, VPIP 38.3%) DJ Washburn — +$29,025 Erick Lindgren — +$22,400 Mike “The Mouth” Matusow — +$2,650 Phillip “P3” Hellmuth III — -$6,600 (885 hands) Nick Hellmuth — -$9,200 Randy “3Coin” Sadler — -$35,900 (986 hands) Xuan Liu — -$41,000 (825 hands) Shaun Deeb — -$111,925 (288 hands, VPIP 36.8%) “Texas” Mike Moncek — -$225,700 (359 hands, VPIP 69.6%, 34% 3-bet, -$1,257.40 bb/100) Key Moments and Hands of the Season Over 32 episodes, viewers saw many bright moments and emotional hands. Here are just a few: In the first episode, Jungleman faced off against Hellmuth’s son. In episodes 3 and 4, Phillip Hellmuth III received some “tough poker lessons.” In episode 6, both Phil Hellmuth and his son lost large sums. In episode 10, Jungleman made a heroic call against Xuan Liu in the biggest pot of the season. In episode 15, Texas Mike suffered huge losses, while Jennifer Tilly dominated the table. In episode 25, Kelly Lucas pulled off a dramatic slowroll against Phil Hellmuth, sparking a storm of emotions. In episode 26, Xuan Liu made a full house and knocked Phil Hellmuth out of a big hand. In episode 27, Jungleman defeated the Poker Brat (Phil Hellmuth’s nickname). In episodes 30 and 31, Jennifer Tilly continued to dominate, winning hand after hand. In episode 32, Shaun Deeb played an $82,000 pot against Jennifer Tilly and also slowrolled Phil Hellmuth in style. Each episode offered viewers not only poker battles but also live conversation, jokes, and emotional reactions to good and bad decisions, creating the atmosphere of a true home game. Statistics and Conclusions from the Season In the first season of Hellmuth’s Home Game, 24 players participated, each contributing to the show’s dynamic. The stats on hands played, VPIP, and bb/100 help evaluate the playing styles: Jennifer Tilly and Dan “Jungleman” Cates showed high aggression and effectiveness. Texas Mike Moncek was an example of how excessive aggression and frequent hand participation can lead to big losses. Phil Hellmuth, despite playing the most hands, showed stable and profitable play. Many participants, including Hellmuth’s sons, ended up in the red, highlighting the difficulty of playing against experienced pros. The show became a platform to showcase different strategies and approaches to cash games, and allowed viewers to see that even poker stars can face setbacks and make mistakes. What This Means for PPPoker Club Players For PPPoker club members, the results of the first season of Hellmuth’s Home Game offer several practical lessons. First, even world-class professionals make mistakes and can end up deep in the red over a short period—especially if they play too aggressively or fail to adapt to their opponents’ styles. This is a reminder of the importance of discipline, hand selection, and emotional control. Second, the VPIP and bb/100 stats clearly show that success in cash games comes not just from playing lots of hands, but from choosing the right spots for aggression. Players who picked their moments and didn’t overplay marginal hands ended up with better financial results. Finally, the show’s format with live conversation and hand discussion is a great example of how you can learn from others’ mistakes and successes. By analyzing such games, PPPoker club members can adopt successful strategies, learn bankroll management, and better understand opponents’ psychology in cash games.