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Poker player Phil Hellmuth must've held em when he should've folded em against NBA star David Lee ... 'cause the pro card shark tells TMZ Sports the NBA star CLEANED HIM OUT for over $32K at the tables last week.

Hellmuth -- a 13-time World Series Of Poker champion -- was in AZ when we asked him which pro athletes have what it takes to sit at the tables with the big dogs of the poker world.

Check out the clip -- Phil name checks notorious gamblers like Charles Barkley and Tony Parker but says it was an unusual suspect who hit his pockets the hardest.