Probably no one who shows any interest in professional poker at all will be able to avoid the name Phil Hellmuth. To be honest the U.S. American does his part to be omni-present in the media and has been named Poker Brat for his sometimes rude behaviour at the table. He knows how to market his image and even used his less than flattering nick name to his advantage – he is known for wearing an ice hockey jersey with the number 99 and his nick Poker Brat on the back, the front is covered with a huge Ultimate Bet Logo. He has been the figure head of Ultimate Bet for a long time now and stayed with the controversial poker room despite the so called Superuser Scandal (as explained in our blog post How Secure is Online Poker?) and various other inconsistencies.
Nearly 45 and still in puberty
Phil Hellmuth will turn 45 on July 16, 2009, and yet still displays childish and ill-mannered behaviour that at times would put adolescents to shame. He ascended to fame by winning the WSOP Main Event in 1989 at the age of 24 (the youngest player to win this title until Peter Eastgate in 2008) and to infamy for his insulting and over the top tirades at the poker table. He doesn’t only insult other players, for example by calling them idiots, but sometimes even the card dealers. According to him he is “the best Hold’em tournament player in the world” and “if luck weren’t involved, I guess I’d win every [tournament]”. This arrogance leads to him being viewed as common enemy by some players and the audience and you will sometimes hear taunting after he lost a big hand. This in turn aggravates Phil and so he and the rest of the world sometimes find themselves spurring each other on.
Due to his sometimes rude behaviour and many curse words (on several occasions more than 50% of his words had to be bleeped in TV when he went on a rampage) he also earned another nickname: Hellmouth. Many people claim that nowadays Phil manages to time his outbreaks perfectly and there is always a camera around when he goes on another rant. Others think that he indeed is convinced that he is the best poker player (or at least better than anyone at the table) and thus has a hard time losing. Especially if his opponent is not one of the big names or plays a different or unconventional style.
You may think what you want about his fits of rage and his arrogance – it is a fact that Phil Hellmuth is a poker icon and one of the most famous poker players in the world. And definitely one of the most successful. He has ended up in the money at the WSOP more often than anyone else, ended up at the final table at the WSOP more often than any other player and has a record number of 11 WSOP bracelets so it comes as no surprise that he is a member in the Poker Hall of Fame.
TV directors of all poker related TV broadcasts love him because he guarantees entertainment and controversy. It is said that away from the table the father of two is actually a likeable person. He is involved in various charitable foundations and puts a lot of emphasis on family values. Accordingly he once answered a question about his favourite celebrity “Any celebrity that keeps their family number 1.”
Success at the table and away from it
Phil holds various WSOP records (see above) and is said to have won more than $10 million in poker tournaments so far. Additionally he writes articles for poker magazines, is the author of several books, co-operates with Oakley on special, signed sun glasses, has started his very own clothing company (fittingly named Poker Brat Clothing Company – this man surely knows how to maximise marketing) and has various endorsement deals including his debated connection with the somewhat shady Ultimate Bet.
According to Phil he could earn as much as $400 million next to playing poker. At least that’s what he claimed in an ESPN interview. Even taking into consideration his usual exaggeration you can be sure that he would not end up poor if he indeed decided to quit playing poker all of a sudden. But anyone who knows him couldn’t imagine him quitting the game he loves so much that it sometimes seems to eat him up inside. And if he ever quits then expect it to be with a loud bang! After all we are talking about Phil Hellmuth, Poker Brat by name, Poker Brat by nature.