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Name: Phil Hellmuth
Born: July 16, 1964
Birth Place: Madison, Wisconsin
Current Residence: Palo Alto, California
Known for his bad boy rants and occasional antics and stunts at the poker table, Phil Hellmuth also boasts of an incredible winning record as a mainstay player in major poker events. Be that as it may, his outbursts stand out, and this is the reason why he is known in gaming circuits as the “Poker Brat.” Despite these broadsides, Phil Hellmuth is hailed as a living legend of poker enthusiasts and casino gamblers.
He made it to the elite triad of poker players with 10 WSOP bracelets joining Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan. But what makes Hellmuth stand out from the rest of the crop is that all of his WSOP triumphs were in just one event – Texas Hold’em. In addition to the 10 WSOP bracelets from this event, Hellmuth also got another bracelet for his win in the No-Limit Hold’em during the 2007 Series. Hellmuth is also the youngest player to ever win a main event of the WSOP, and this was achieved by the Poker Brat in 1989 by beating Johnny Chan, who was then the defending champion.
Hellmuth started playing poker while studying at the University of Wisconsin. He gradually moved up the stakes ladder starting from the minor cash games at the University’s student union all the way up to high stakes poker with his professors. His passion for the game led him to drop out of school and concentrate on his budding career in professional poker. On top of the 10 WSOP bracelets, there are over 50 poker tournament titles and 5 top-10 finishes in World Poker tucked under his belt. He has also amassed total winnings of more than $8.8 million.
Because of his tantrums and inflated ego, Hellmuth is sometimes described as the John McEnroe of Poker, and this is obviously the main reason why he is known as the “Poker Brat.” He explains that he is so passionate when playing the game and his rants and outbursts only last for a few minutes. While his behavior may not sit well to some people, Hellmuth insists that there is no intention on his part to be combative or bellicose towards his opponents.
There is really only one thing that could be considered as a chink in his poker armor, which would be his inability to play cash games at par with the other notable personalities in professional poker. However, this is vehemently disputed by Hellmuth. He attributes his not so impressive record to his inability to play as much cash games as possible. He cites his business commitments and his family as the reasons why he had to take some time off from competitive poker events.
To his credit, he indeed has a lot of interests outside of the poker games. Hellmuth is a regular contributor to a number of poker magazines and author of several books and guides on poker and these include the best-selling Bad Beats and Lucky Draws and Play Poker Like the Pros.
Hellmuth doesn’t mince words when it comes to his goals as a professional poker player. He wants to be recognized as the best that has ever played the game. And he may be well on his way to becoming one if we go by the sentiment of his peers in the poker circuit. He was recently adjudged by fellow poker players as the best in the world when it comes to No-Limit Hold’em events. And while some may not be impressed by his antics and tirades on the poker table, he is still one of the most respected and recognizable personalities on and off the poker table.
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