Top poker pro and host of Bravo’s Celebrity Poker Showdown, Phil Gordon, has announced he is leaving the show to explore other opportunities. Gordon’s reps confirmed this on Sunday.

In an official statement, Gordon said, “I no longer have any contracted obligations to the producers of Celebrity Poker Showdown, so I am ready to move on… After 42 episodes of Celebrity Poker, I just want to see people play in turn, bet more than $200 into a $5K pot, and know when they have the nuts. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than saying ‘Phil Hellmuth loses another big pot, and it looks like he’s ready to implode!’ on national television.”

Ironically, Hellmuth is reportedly in the running to replace Gordon in the host spot. Bravo reps refused to confirm, but in a recent interview with ALL IN, Hellmuth disclosed that he was in meetings with the Celebrity Poker people, adding, “Maybe, if the time considerations work, then it’s possible—it’s possible—that I’ll get involved.”

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