About Phil Hellmuth

Name	Phil Hellmuth
Current Residence	Palo Alto Calif.
Born	Jul. 16, 1964
Birth Place	Madison Wis.

As famous for his antics at the poker table and bad beat tirades as he is for his incredible record as a tournament player, Phil Hellmuth Jr. will always be known as the Poker Brat.

A living legend, Hellmuth joined Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson in 2006 as one of only three poker players in history with ten WSOP bracelets to their names. But what separates Hellmuth from even this legendary pack is that all of his WSOP wins have come in Texas Hold'em events - that and a record 11th bracelet in No-Limit Hold'em won by the Poker Brat at the 2007 Series.

He also holds the distinction of being the youngest man to win the WSOP Main Event after beating two-time defending champion Johnny Chan in 1989 at just 24 years old.

Born on July 16, 1964 in Madison, Wisconsin, the first of five children, Hellmuth is the son of an assistant dean and professor at the University of Wisconsin who holds an M.B.A., J.D. and Ph.D.

Growing up with five siblings, Hellmuth played a number of different board games with his brothers and sisters and was always competitive, feeling like he had to win because he was the oldest.

Hellmuth was raised in a middle-class Madison neighborhood. The entire family shared just one bathroom, where his mother had posted a sign on the mirror that read, "You are what you think. You become what you think. What you think becomes reality." Hellmuth said he read that sign every time he brushed his teeth or took a shower and was inspired by his mother's belief that he and his siblings could all achieve great things in life.

He learned the game of poker while he was a student at the University of Wisconsin, moving up from cash games at the student union to higher stakes poker with the professors and eventually dropping out of school to play professionally, much to the chagrin of his academic father.

After the win at the 1989 WSOP, Hellmuth spent the next decade and a half accumulating more tournament victories than any other professional poker player before him. In addition to the ten WSOP bracelets, he has more than 50 tournament titles, five World Poker Tour top-ten finishes and has amassed tournament winnings in excess of $8.8 million.

Eventually, Hellmuth's father and the rest of his family came to see poker as a viable career choice for him. He promised to buy his father a new Mercedes if he won the WSOP Main Event in 1989 and convinced him to fly out to Las Vegas to watch the finals. When he beat Chan to take the title, he delivered on his promise and his father never bothered him about playing poker again.

Hellmuth claims they got on even better terms after he married an M.D. and graduate of the University of Chicago, his father's alma mater.

While Hellmuth's reputation for having a huge ego and a less than professional attitude when he loses has earned him the "Poker Brat" nickname, it has also made him a favorite of poker television producers across the globe.

He once boasted that if luck weren't involved, he'd win every pot he played; told opponents, "I can dodge bullets, baby!" during the 2005 WSOP Main Event after laying down A-K to pocket aces; and even accused another player of not being able to spell poker after taking a bad beat.

Hellmuth is often compared to tennis star John McEnroe because of his antics, and the cameras are always on him at televised tournaments because you never know when the Poker Brat's next tirade is coming.

The Brat claims his temper tantrums only last a few minutes and in interviews following his public rants he is often calm and rational. He says it drives him crazy when opponents make mistakes only to be saved by the luck of the cards, and he can't control himself. While many find it entertaining and good for poker ratings, Hellmuth claims none of it is intentional.

The one knock on Hellmuth is that he may not play cash games as well as other top pros. Hellmuth disputes the charge, claiming he simply doesn't play in as many cash games in order to pursue other business interests and spend time with his family.

In his defense, his business interests are many. Hellmuth writes for poker magazines and has penned a number of best-selling poker books including Play Poker like the Pros and Bad Beats and Lucky Draws.

A screenplay based on his life story has been optioned and an autobiography is also planned. Hellmuth has interests in an online poker Web site and has taken part in a number of instructional poker videos. He is working with Oakley to develop his own line of poker-style sunglasses, is planning the launch of a clothing line and has several endorsement deals on the go as well.

Hellmuth lives in Palo Alto, California with his wife, a psychiatrist at Stanford University, and two sons. He is a dedicated family man who often remarks that the athletes, movie stars and other poker players he admires most are the ones who can balance family and work.

He is one of the best poker players in the world - just ask him. But seriously, in 1996 Hellmuth's professional poker playing peers voted him the best No-Limit Hold'em tournament player in the world, and while many professionals lament his antics at the table, there is no doubt he's earned their respect as a player and a person.

Hellmuth has said he wants to be known as the greatest poker player of all time. In his own mind, he's already almost there.

Trivia

• Youngest ever winner of the WSOP Main Event (1989)
• Author of Play Poker Like the Pros
• Sponsored by UltimateBet.com
• Currently holding the record for most WSOP gold bracelets with 11 tournament wins
• Almost $9 million in career tournament winnings
• Holds the record for most final table cashes at the WSOP
• Was inaugurated into the Poker Hall of Fame in 2007