A ten-time bracelet winner in the World Series of Poker, Phil Hellmuth was the youngest WSOP Main Event Champion at only 24-years-old. He knocked out Johnny Chan for the title. Nicknamed the “poker brat†because of his emotional attitude at the poker table, no one can deny that. Some of his more notable boasts are: “If luck weren't involved, I guess I'd win every one," and "I've revolutionized the way to play Texas Hold'em." He has also been heard stating that “I can dodge bullets, baby!" after laying down Ace King to an opponents pocket Aces. He also is sometimes referred to as "Hell Mouth", a play on his surname. His antics seem to play well for the TV cameras too, where it seems that the spotlight is never far away from him. He is probably the most visible professional poker player around.
Despite his attitude, his accomplishments are amazing. He is the winner of 10 WSOP gold bracelets sharing that accomplishment with only two other people on earth, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan. He says his life goal is to “become the greatest poker player of all timeâ€â€¦and he’s well on his way. He was voted by his peers, in 1996, to be the “best all-around tournament poker player in the world†He has racked up more than 50 tournament wins having won nearly $10 million in prize money. If there is any chink in his armor, it would have to be that all 10 of his WSOP bracelets came in Texas Hold’em events as apposed to 7 Card or Omaha.
Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Phil attended college at the University of Wisconsin for three years. After that, he dropped out to play poker full-time. He did not however, receive the support of his father -who holds an MBA, J.D. and a Ph.D. - who at one time equated the idea of becoming a professional poker player to a drug dealer. Since then, Phil has not only racked up an impressive list of poker wins, but has also begun to build an empire consisting of books, instructional videos, cell-phone games, video games and more.
Born in 1964, Phil now lives in Palo Alto, California, with his wife, Kathy, and their two kids. He can be found playing online at Ultimate Bet as part of their poker pro line-up.
Phil Hellmuth Fun Facts and Finishes
· Since 1989, he has won more tournaments than anyone else.
· He has five WPT top-ten finishes.
· He has 17 WSOP final table finishes.
· In 2006, took home nearly $1.2 million from WSOP events alone.
· In 2006, won his 10th WSOP gold bracelet.
· In 2001, took fifth place in the WSOP Championship Event.
· In 1989, won the WSOP Championship Main Event.
