About Phil Hellmuth

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

Phil Hellmuth recent tournament placings

Place Winnings Tournament
436 $25,027 2009 WSOP, Event 57 - $10,000 No-Limit Hold'em World Championship
24 $26,823 2009 WSOP, Event 56 - $5,000 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em
14 $11,347 2009 WSOP, Event 48 - $1,500 Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo
17 $8,019 2009 WSOP, Event 38 - $2,000 Limit Hold'em
113 $3,231 2009 WSOP, Event 34 - $1,500 No-Limit Hold'em
29 $12,761 2009 WSOP, Event 11 - $2,000 No-Limit Hold'em
6 $75,000 Special 2009, NBC National Heads-Up Championship
93 $21,620 WPT - Season 7, Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic
12 £6,188 2008 WSOPE, Event 2, H.O.R.S.E.
45 $154,400 2008 WSOP, Event 54, Main Event No-Limit Hold'em
3 $93,168 2008 WSOP, Event 51, H.O.R.S.E.
33 $2,895 2008 WSOP, Event 47, Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Eight-or-Better
71 $6,604 2008 WSOP, Event 32, No-Limit Hold'em
8 $100,292 2008 WSOP, Event 28, Pot-Limit Omaha w/re-buys
6 $229,820 WPT - Season 6, L.A. Poker Classic
95 $4,840 2007 WSOP, Event 52, No-Limit Hold'em w/Re-Buys
31 $13,344 2007 WSOP, Event 45, No-Limit Hold'em / Six Handed
25 $7,761 2007 WSOP, Event 34, Limit Hold'em
6 $76,464 2007 WSOP, Event 28, No-Limit Hold'em
1 $637,254 2007 WSOP, Event 15, No-Limit Hold’em
18 $123,760 Season 5, WPT World Championship
3 $53,945 2006 WSOP, Event 45, No-Limit Hold'em
44 $5,498 2006 WSOP, Event 41, No-Limit Hold'em
1 $631,863 2006 WSOP, Event 34, No-Limit Hold'em w/re-buys
44 $8,340 2006 WSOP, Event 30, No-Limit Hold'em- Short handed 6/table
6 $48,576 2006 WSOP, Event 24, Omaha Hi-low Split
2 $423,893 2006 WSOP, Event 9, No-Limit Hold'em
13 $10,309 2006 WSOP, Event 7 Limit Hold'em
67 $7,578 2006 WSOP, Event 2, No-Limit Hold'em
10 $5,080 2005 World Series of Poker, Event 19, $1,500 Pot-limit Omaha
42 $4,200 2005 World Series of Poker, Event 4, $1,500 Limit Hold'em
24 $15,905 2005 World Series of Poker, Event 2, $1,500 No-limit Hold'em
3 $0 World Poker Tour - Specials, WPT Poker by the Book
7 $34,880 WSOP - 2004, Event 25, Pot-Limit Hold'em
3 $281,700 World Poker Tour - Season 2, World Poker Finals
1 $410,860 2003 WSOP , Event 32, No-Limit Hold'em
1 $171,400 2003 WSOP , Event 12, Limit Hold'em
12 $3,160 2003 WSOP , $2,000 H.O.R.S.E.
4 $34,000 World Poker Tour - Season 1, Gold Rush
2 $17,000 WSOP - 2002, $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em - Gold Bracelet Matchplay
1 $316,550 WSOP - 2001, Event 5, No-Limit Hold'em
1 $204,000 1997 WSOP , Event 15, Pot-Limit Hold'em
1 $138,000 1993 WSOP, Event 9, Limit Hold'em
1 $161,400 1993 WSOP, Event 8, No-Limit Hold'em
1 $173,000 1993 WSOP, Event 7, No-Limit Hold'em
2 $72,500 1993 WSOP, $5,000 Deuce-to-Seven Draw
1 $755,000 1989 WSOP , Event 14, World Championship No-Limit Texas Hold'em
5 $15,450 WSOP - 1988, Event 6, Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo
9 $5,715 1992 WSOP , Event 2, No-Limit Hold'em
8 $6,700 1992 WSOP , Event 11, Pot-Limit Hold'em
6 $12,375 WSOP - 1996, $2,500 Omaha Eight-or-Better
4 $29,250 WSOP - 2000, $2,500 Pot-Limit Omaha
15 $1,850 WSOP - 2001, Event 16, Limit Ace to Five Draw
5 $32,500 WSOP - 1990, Event 13, No-Limit Hold'em
8 $70,625 2005 World Series of Poker, Event 27, $5,000 Pot-Limit Omaha
12 $9,210 WSOP - 1999, Event 7, No-Limit Hold'em
6 $19,555 WSOP - 2001, Event 10, Limit Hold'em
8 $3,640 WSOP - 2002, Event 6, Limit Omaha
5 $25,300 1989 WSOP , Event 4, Pot-Limit Omaha with Rebuys
2 $84,000 1992 WSOP , Event 4, Limit Hold'em
4 $26,500 1992 WSOP , Event 18, No-Limit Deuce to Seven Lowball
16 $3,870 WSOP - 1998, Event 5, Pot-Limit Omaha
6 $16,450 WSOP - 2000, Event 10, Pot-Limit Hold'em
2 $103,785 WSOP - 2001, Event 23, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo
3 $15,800 2003 WSOP , Event 16, Pot-Limit Omaha
2 $93,900 WSOP - 1994, Event 4, No-Limit Hold'em
5 $20,925 WSOP - 1999, Event 9, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo
15 $4,910 WSOP - 2001, Event 14, Pot-Limit Omaha
13 $2,985 1989 WSOP , Event 9, Limit Ace-to-Five Draw
1 $188,000 1992 WSOP , Event 8, Limit Hold'em
6 $15,040 2003 WSOP , Event 26, Limit Hold'em
14 $4,080 WSOP - 1998, Event 8, Limit Omaha Hi-Lo
9 $4,685 WSOP - 2001, Event 7, Limit Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo
5 $303,705 WSOP - 2001, World Series of Poker Main Event - 2001

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Phil Hellmuth in the Media

Interviews

Blogs

News

Player analysis

5.9/10

Aggressiveness
7
Looseness
7
Limit
6
No-Limit
7
Side Games
3
Steam Control
2
Against Strong Players
5
Against Weak Players
8
Tournaments
7
Short-Handed
7

Player analysis

Phil may go down as the pioneer in a method of playing a lot of hands and making small bets and raises that keep opponents in the pot, the theory being that he will make better decisions than they do on subsequent streets.

This strategy guarantees large fluctuations and has a lot to say for it against weak opposition. This method would not work as well in a cash game where there is no rush to build up a chip stack and by virtue of playing too many pots opponents can easily take the betting lead away.

In a tournament, the extra fear of going bust can keep your opponents at bay and the bad players are confused by what looks like mass hysteria to them. When Phil has his banter and his A-game working, he not only can control the table, but he can mesmerize the entire room.

Players who have been successful adopting a similar style are Gus Hansen, Layne Flack, Antonio Esfandiari, Alan Goehring, and to a small degree Daniel Negreanu.

Phil has assured me that he is a much better player than I give him credit for. He feels he has enough technical skill to win at higher limits, but when he has tried in the past, he often gotten derailed by his lack of self-control.

Amusing Anecdote

I first played with Phil in a No-Limit side game in Los Angeles in 1992. I didn’t pay attention to tournament poker back then, but I had heard that he was a cocky kid who had won a big tournament. He was playing fast and loose and showing his hands and needling people whenever he outplayed them.

Well, I was pretty cocky too. Phil opened for a raise, I re-raised and Phil called. After the flop, I bet, Phil raised and I re-raised him all-in. He thought for a while, showed me top pair and then folded. I showed him Deuce-Three off-suit which bore no relation to the flop.

Phil stood up and said, “Nice play buddy, but that’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done. Do you realize that giving me that kind of information is going to cost you all of your money? It’s because of players like you that I make millions of dollars a year playing poker.”

Analysis brought to you by Barry Greenstein

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