|
Real Casinos > Poker Player Profiles > Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth
Phil
Hellmuth, born July 16, 1964 is one of the highly recognizable names in the
world of poker and that is no surprise.
Thanks to his young appearance and overall command of the game he became
the youngest player in history to win the World Series of Poker main event
against poker great Johnny Chan nonetheless who was going for a third straight
win in the tournament. He has made many notable boasts while playing poker
tournaments, usually after losing in a hand where he was a huge favorite to win
(or "bad beat"). Some televised examples include "If luck
weren't involved I guess I'd win every one", and "I've revolutionized
the way to play Texas Holdem". He
is sometimes referred to as "Hell Mouth" (a play on his surname).
While many players may not like Hellmuth's antics, producers of televised poker
tournaments certainly do, since there are rare times (especially during the
World Series of Poker) when a camera is not on him to capture a moment where he
speaks his mind. While many professional players, amateurs, and fans alike
consider his antics distasteful and abrasive at times, they respect his talent
for the game and his personality when he is away from the table. There are
several instances where he does do helpful things for poker and its
participants (fans and players alike). It can be contended that Hellmuth has
bad etiquette purposely, in order to gain attention and ratings.
There is no
doubt that Hellmuth does very well with the several publications he has written
and in his endorsements. A large part of that can be attributed to selling his
image as a "poker brat." He has participated in numerous charities
and events and also likes to voice his opinion in several segments during the
World Series of Poker and in World Poker Tour events. He has also been in
several podcasts related to poker, including Phil Gordon's covering the 2005
World Series of Poker.
Hellmuth
is involved in many endeavors away from the felt. He is the author of many
articles for Card Player Magazine and poker books, including Play Poker like the Pros, Bad Beats and Lucky Draws, and The Greatest Poker Hands ever Played. He
has made several instructional poker videos, including Phil Hellmuth's Million Dollar Poker Secrets. Hellmuth is also a
spokesperson for (and player at) Ultimate Bet an online poker room. More
recently, he has worked with Oakley to develop his signature series of poker
style sunglasses and he is currently working on a clothing line. In an online
interview with ESPN he estimated that he could earn anywhere up to $400 million
off the poker table.
|
