Phil Hellmuth
Phil Hellmuth, or 'Poker Brat' to his friends, is confident he can become the greatest poker player of all time. He's already well on his way...
Legends 1 February 2006
"His notoriety is more likely due to his perceived inability to gracefully handle adversity and defeat""If there weren't luck involved, I guess I'd win every one," says Phil Hellmuth, with the modesty for which he is famous.
Phil “Poker Brat” Hellmuth is one of the most recognizable figures in poker and many fans have strong opinions of him, both negative and positive. His accomplishments are highly respected in the poker world and he has won more than 50 tournaments, including winning an amazing 10 World Series of Poker bracelets. One of these bracelets was for winning the main event in 1989 when he was only 24-years-old, making him the youngest World Champion in history.
However, his notoriety is more likely due to his perceived inability to gracefully handle adversity and defeat. He is sometimes referred to as 'Hell Mouth' due to his habit of throwing tantrums when opponents outdraw him.
Whether they find his style flamboyant, charismatic or obnoxious, many people enjoy watching him play on TV to see what he is going to do next - and he rarely disappoints. His tight/aggressive style of play is considered to be somewhat reckless by some but the fact that he has reached the final table at 34 different WSOP events proves that a fierce approach serves him well.
He says: "I deal with people from the heart. I talk to them straight up…So that's the way I am, and then there's that 1% of the time when I'm just berating my poker opponent, or throwing myself on the ground in frustration, and that's when the press catches me."
25/04/07
Phil Hellmuth won a record-breaking 11th WSOP bracelet in 2007, one more than Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan