Poker Legend Phil Hellmuth on High-Stakes Decision-Making and Backing Athoz
The 17-time World Series of Poker champion discusses what he looks for in high-growth companies, the discipline behind his 25-year advisory career, and why he’s backing Athoz.
Phil Hellmuth is best known as the most decorated tournament player in World Series of Poker history. But beyond the poker table, Hellmuth has spent more than two decades in venture investing and business advisory, bringing decades of experience in high-stakes decision-making, relationship-building, and competition to the companies he supports.
Among those companies is Athoz, the Athlete Intelligence System helping professional franchises and collegiate sports organizations connect their data, uncover insights, and make faster, more informed decisions.
Hellmuth serves as an investor and advisor to Athoz, continuing a close partnership with CEO and co-founder Robert de Wolff that began with SEQL, the sports technology platform acquired by Fastbreak AI in November 2024.
In this conversation, Hellmuth discusses his approach to life and business, what he looks for in high-performing companies, and why surrounding yourself with the right people is essential to long-term success.
Why Phil Hellmuth Is Backing Athoz
Hellmuth’s investment in Athoz builds directly on an established track record with CEO and co-founder Robert de Wolff.
Hellmuth was an early backer of SEQL, a sports technology company co-founded by de Wolff that connected rising athletes with opportunities, resources, and leading sports brands including Adidas, Gatorade, and the Jr. NBA. Following SEQL’s acquisition by Fastbreak AI in late 2024, Hellmuth committed to Athoz as both an investor and strategic advisor.
"I also help Rob de Wolff of Athoz," Hellmuth explains. "A lot of these world-class entrepreneurs are seeing value in me."
For Hellmuth, backing Athoz goes well beyond writing a check. It means opening doors across his personal network and serving as an active sounding board for leadership navigating the pressures of scaling enterprise technology.
"It's a very lonely life, and every founder will tell me that they're lonely," Hellmuth says.
Having an experienced investor and advisor in their corner gives executive teams an objective perspective, steady encouragement, and strategic access when high-stakes decisions matter most.
"Surround Yourself with Winners Who Tell You the Truth"
Hellmuth began expanding his business advisory work in 1999, motivated in part by a desire to build long-term equity while spending more time with his family rather than constantly traveling for tournaments. Since receiving his first formal advisory position around 2015, he has advised more than 35 companies across technology, consumer products, and sports.
Throughout that career, Hellmuth has developed an operating philosophy centered on discipline, relationships, and surrounding himself with people who challenge him to improve.
"It's very important to surround yourself with great people and people that will tell you the truth," he explains. "Being with great people that will call you out is very important."
It's a principle that extends directly to his advice for athletes and executives alike:
"Surround yourself with winners."
Growth stalls when leaders insulate themselves with agreeable answers; it accelerates when they build teams committed to objective feedback and high standards.
The Athoz Athlete Intelligence System
That emphasis on discipline, reliable data, and better decisions aligns directly with what Athoz is building.
Co-founded by Robert de Wolff and CTO Paul Dorney, the Athoz Athlete Intelligence System connects fragmented athlete and organizational data across performance, medical, wellness, recovery, strength, and scouting systems into a centralized intelligence layer. Instead of sports science, medical, and coaching staffs operating in separate silos, Athoz uses AI to give athletic departments real-time visibility across the entire organization.
Hellmuth also sees the connection between technology, health, and his own performance. Discussing Athoz, he notes:
"You know, Athoz, kind of optimizing this is going to be wonderful for me. I can't wait to use it."
While elite competitors recognize the individual value of data optimization, Athoz delivers that clarity at the enterprise level—giving professional sports teams and collegiate athletic departments the unified visibility they need to stay ahead.
For Hellmuth, winning at the table or in business comes down to the same fundamentals: discipline, trusted relationships, objective information, and the people you surround yourself with. His backing of Athoz adds another experienced voice to the growing group of investors and advisors supporting the platform.
Learn more about the Athoz Athlete Intelligence System at athoz.ai.