What do you get if you invite two of the world’s best poker players, and half a dozen players who bring the game of poker life better than most in the world? A table full of nutcases. The latest cash game to catch fire was screened on PokerGO and saw Phil Hellmuth and Jeff Gross the sharks in a game that featured stars of popular culture and business such as Steve Aoki, Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins and Shopify owner Daniel Weinand among others.
Hellmuth Downs the Nuts
As play got underway with all the players starting on $10,000 in chips and playing No Limit Hold’em at blinds of $50/$100, The action was called on the night by PokerGO host Remko Rinkema and special guest co-commentator Joey Ingram. YouTube legend and cash game player Ingram, whose own online rep is huge, was delighted to be bringing the exploits of Steve Aoki, Jeff Gross, Phil Hellmuth, Ninja, Nate Hill and both Jo and Daniel Weinand to life.
The event was sponsored by Nutcase, which launched as the night ticked into May 1st as a new cashew nutmilk-based drink. It was clearly a hit at the poker table as the players were ‘cracking’ open chocolate nutmilk cans and getting a protein and flavor fix between hands at the felt.
Nutcase drew the poker legend and business investor Phil Hellmuth into the mix, along with Tyler Blevins, a.k.a. Ninja, the best-known Fortnite player in the world. With the Poker Brat and Fortnite legend both co-founders and facing off at the felt for the first time since Ninja ‘sucked out’ on Hellmuth and went viral, it was all go on the PokerGO Stream.
To kick off the action, Hellmuth himself said that whoever won the first hand should drink a can of Nutcase chocolate in one hit. Raising it up, The Poker Brat got successive folds and faced the drink himself.
“If anyone can be trusted with food or beverages at the table, it is the man himself, Phil Hellmuth.” Remko Rinkema said, possibly referencing the infamous roast Beef Sandwich destruction on WSOP Stream in 2022.
True enough, Hellmuth got the job done and enjoyed the drink before settling back into the action.
Early Action Sees Gross Beat
The two poker professionals at the felt – and two halves of a formidable investment team in over a dozen businesses – clashed early. Jeff Gross held 
and check-called a chunky river bet of $3,000 into a pot of nearly $9,000 from Phil Hellmuth on a board of 
but Gross was incorrect to do so, The Poker Brat having 
.
There was husband and wife action – not like that – when Joelle Weinand, the founder of Nutcase and her husband, Shopify founder Daniel clashed in a big pot. There was a few thousand dollars in the pot by the turn of a board showing 
and Daniel bet $500 with the flopped straight of 
. Joelle thought about it for precisely a second before hero-folding 
. Good save? Daniel showed his good lady only the jack!
Early on, Ninja was all-in with 
on a board of 
. Nate Hill had bet $700 with only for Ninja to shove for $1,800 total. Hill let it go, and after just over two hours of action, Daniel Weinand (+$14,125) and Phil Hellmuth (+$12,375) were the two players who were considerably up on the night.
Hellmuth and Ninja Chop ‘Em Up
“Help me, Phil! I’m just a DJ!”
Into the home straight, Hellmuth walked into a beautiful situation when his pocket sixes found a set on a board of 
against Daniel Weinand’s 
. The river saved Weinand a little, but that pot still bumped The Poker Brat’s stack to above $27,000 on the night.
A healthy debate broke out about the wearing of masks at the poker table, as a barrier to others reading tells. Hellmuth said he only meant to say Ike Haxton not wearing a mask at the final table was appropriate. Ninja went further, saying that if you remove everything that gives people an unfair advantage, the game of poker will improve.
“If you’re talking about making it as competitive as possible, I’d say no [sun]glasses, no masks, no hats!”
Nate Hill and Jeff Gross – in shades – and Phil Hellmuth in a hat were listening with interest.
Steve Aoki had a horrible situation when he four-bet with [K] and faced an all-in from Nate Hill with 
.
“Help me, Phil! I’m just a DJ!” Aoki said, before eventually making an amazing fold.
Late on, there was still time for another monster clash between Hellmuth and Gross. Jeff Gross four-bet with and Hellmuth was in the cage with 
. The two good friends and fellow investors were sizing each other up and The Poker Brat was clearly in a tough spot. He asked how much Jeff had to his name (another $10,000 behind) and then Hellmuth showed Ninja the hand.
“I’ll take another Moscow Mule,” Gross quipped. “I’m a PLO bomb pot double-pat kinda guy. I will tell you exactly what you have after you tell me. You had jacks earlier and you’re a pip higher than that.”
Gross was spot on.
“I have a bad feeling that I’m going to fold and you’re going to show me ace-queen.” Hellmuth replied.
“This is the Nutcase hand of the night!” Ninja said.
“You have red queens.” Gross said.
“He’s called it exactly!” Rinkema said in the booth. Somehow, Hellmuth made the fold and showed his red queens, prompting Jeff Gross to go crazy with delight at picking the exact hand. Hellmuth got to see the pocket aces and was able to smile at last.
As the final hand played out, Daniel Weinand caught two pair against Jeff Gross’s middle pair on the flop and that was enough to make Weinand a little extra. The biggest winner on the night was Nate Hill, who ended up with $17,025 of profit, while Weinand (+$11,950), Phil Hellmuth (+$10,175), Ninja (+$6,350), Jo Weinand (+$5,250) and Jeff Gross (+$4,075) all closed out in the black too. Steve Aoki was the biggest loser, down $5,125 on the night but everyone had so much fun it didn’t look like it mattered.
With Ninja loving poker once again and bringing a lot to the table in addition to his Nutcase drinks, his and Hellmuth’s partnership may yet stretch into the summer World Series of Poker.
We’re here for it.
Watch all the action at it played out on PokerGO’s YouTube channel right here:
