Phil Hellmuth Sr., according to PokerNews, passed away after a nine-month battle with cancer.

He was a fixture at the University of Wisconsin, with a resume that included a PhD, and an MBA. But his son, Phil Hellmuth Jr., took a slightly different path, opting for poker over academia.

In his autobiography, Poker Brat, Hellmuth Jr. recalled telling his parents about dropping out to play poker. “I was the son who had to go to college, who had to get good grades. I was the son he had tried desperately to mold and shape.”

Despite their differences, Hellmuth Sr. eventually supported his son’s career choice, even accompanying him to the 1989 WSOP. He didn’t watch his son play, but he was there every day, offering support in his own way. When Hellmuth Jr. won the WSOP Main Event he sought out his father first. According to PokerNews, it was a moment that brought their story full circle.