American poker player (born 1964)
Phillip Jerome Hellmuth Jr. (born July 16, 1964) is an
American professional poker player who has💵 won a record seventeen World Series of Poker
bracelets. He is the winner of the Main Event of the 1989💵 World Series of Poker
(WSOP)[4] and the Main Event of the 2012 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE), and he
💵 is a 2007 inductee of the WSOP's Poker Hall of Fame. He is widely regarded as one of
the greatest💵 tournament players of all time.[5][6]
Personal life [ edit ]
Hellmuth was
born in Madison, Wisconsin, and attended Madison West High School.[7]💵 He had trouble
with grades and friends during school and said at the time he was the "ugly duckling"
of💵 his family.[8] He moved on to the University of Wisconsin–Madison for three years,
where he dropped out to become a💵 full-time poker player.[9][10]
Since 1992, he has
lived in Palo Alto, California,[11] with his wife, Katherine Sanborn,[12] who is a
psychiatrist💵 at Stanford University, and their two sons, Phillip III and
Nicholas.[13]
Poker career [ edit ]
He is ranked 21st on the💵 all-time money list.[14]
He holds the records for most WSOP cashes (154)[15] and most WSOP final tables (64),
overtaking T.💵 J. Cloutier.
Hellmuth is known for usually taking his seat at poker
tournaments long after they begin.[16]
As of July 2024, his💵 live tournament winnings
exceedR$29,000,000.[17]
World Series of Poker [ edit ]
In the 1988 World Series of
Poker, Hellmuth had his first💵 in-the-money finish at theR$1,500 Seven Card Stud Split,
a fifth-place finish.[18] In the 1988 WSOP, he came in 33rd after💵 being eliminated by
eventual champion Johnny Chan.[19]
In 1989, the 24-year-old Hellmuth became the
youngest player to win the Main Event💵 of the WSOP by defeating the two-time defending
champion Johnny Chan in heads-up play;[20] Hellmuth's record was broken by Peter
💵 Eastgate (22) in 2008.[21]
As of September 2024, Hellmuth had won overR$15,000,000 at
the WSOP and ranked fourth on the WSOP💵 All Time Money List, behind Antonio Esfandiari,
Daniel Colman, and Daniel Negreanu.[22] Hellmuth also was fifth all time in number💵 of
times cashed in the WSOP Main Event with eight (1988, 1989, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2008,
2009, and 2024), placing💵 him behind Berry Johnston (ten), and Humberto Brenes, Doyle
Brunson, and Bobby Baldwin (nine).
Fourteen of Hellmuth's 17 bracelets have been💵 in
Texas hold'em, though he has had some success in non-hold'em events. As of the start of
the 2024 World💵 Series, 22 of Hellmuth's 52 final tables are for a variety of games,
including 2-7 Lowball, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo,💵 Seven Card Razz, and Omaha hold'em (Pot
Limit, Limit, and Hi-Lo), as well as mixed games like H.O.R.S.E and theR$50,000💵 Poker
Player's Championship; his first-ever WSOP final table (and first-ever WSOP cash) was
in Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo in 1988,💵 and his second-ever WSOP final table (and third-ever
WSOP cash) was in Pot Limit Omaha hold'em w/Rebuys in 1989. His💵 third-ever WSOP final
table (and fifth-ever WSOP cash) was his Main Event victory in 1989.) Of those 22
events, Hellmuth💵 has finished runner-up six times.[3]
World Series of Poker
bracelets[23] An "E" following a year denotes bracelet(s) won at the World💵 Series of
Poker Europe Year Tournament Prize (US$/EU€) 1989R$10,000 No Limit Hold'em World
ChampionshipR$755,000 1992R$5,000 Limit Hold'emR$168,000 1993R$1,500 No Limit
💵 Hold'emR$161,400 1993R$2,500 No Limit Hold'emR$173,000 1993R$5,000 Limit
Hold'emR$138,000 1997R$3,000 Pot Limit Hold'emR$204,000 2001R$2,000 No Limit
Hold'emR$316,550 2003R$2,500 Limit Hold'emR$171,400 2003R$3,000💵 No Limit
Hold'emR$410,860 2006R$1,000 No Limit Hold'em with rebuysR$631,863 2007R$1,500 No Limit
Hold'emR$637,254 2012R$2,500 Seven-Card RazzR$182,793 2012E €10,450 No Limit💵 Hold'em
Main Event €1,022,376 2024R$10,000 Seven-Card RazzR$271,105 2024R$5,000 No Limit
Hold'emR$485,082 2024R$1,500 No Limit 2-7 Lowball DrawR$84,851 2024R$10,000 Super Turbo
💵 Bounty No-Limit Hold'emR$803,818
At the 1993 World Series of Poker, Hellmuth became the
second player in WSOP history to win three💵 bracelets in one WSOP. (Walter "Puggy"
Pearson was the first to do so in 1973; one of those bracelets was💵 for winning the Main
Event.) Hellmuth's three victories came in three consecutive days. (Ted Forrest also
won three bracelets in💵 three consecutive days at the 1993 WSOP to become the third
player to win three bracelets in one WSOP.)
At the💵 1997 World Series of Poker, Hellmuth
won his 5th bracelet of the decade, the most of any player in the💵 1990s.
At the 2006
World Series of Poker, Hellmuth captured his 10th World Series of Poker bracelet in
theR$1,000 No Limit💵 Hold'em with rebuys event.[24] At the time, it tied him with Doyle
Brunson and Johnny Chan for most bracelets. At💵 the 2007 World Series of Poker, Hellmuth
won his record-breaking 11th bracelet in theR$1,500 No Limit Hold'em
Event.[25]
Hellmuth's sponsor arranged💵 for him to arrive at the 2007 WSOP Main Event in
a race car. Hellmuth lost control of the car💵 in the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
parking lot and hit a light fixture. He gave up the car💵 for a limo, arriving at the
Main Event two hours late.[26][27]
At the 2008 WSOP Main Event, Hellmuth verbally
abused another💵 player and received a one-round penalty.[28] After a private meeting
with WSOP Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, the penalty was overruled,[29] and💵 Hellmuth
finished the tournament in 45th place.[30]
In the 2011 World Series of Poker, Phil
finished second in three tournaments, in💵 the 2-7 Draw Lowball Championship, the Seven
Card Stud Hi-Low Split-8 or Better Championship, and The Poker Player's Championship
eight-game💵 mix.[31][32][33]
On June 11, 2012, Hellmuth won his 12th World Series of
Poker bracelet in theR$2,500 Seven-Card Razz event, defeating Don💵 Zewin and
earningR$182,793. Zewin had finished third to Chan and Hellmuth when Hellmuth won his
first bracelet in 1989. This💵 is the first bracelet Hellmuth has won in a non-hold'em
event, and made him the first player to win at💵 least one bracelet in each of the last
four decades, and only the third player in WSOP history to win💵 a bracelet in four
decades (Jay Heimowitz won 6 bracelets, spanning the 1970s through the 2000s, and Billy
Baxter won💵 7 bracelets, also spanning the 1970s through the 2000s). Hellmuth also
collectedR$2,645,333 for his fourth-place finish in theR$1,000,000 buy-in "Big💵 One for
One Drop" tournament, by far the largest single tournament cash of his career.
On
October 4, 2012, Hellmuth won💵 his 13th World Series of Poker bracelet in the €10,450
WSOPE No Limit Hold'em Main Event, earning €1,022,376 ($1,333,841) and💵 becoming the
first player to ever win both the WSOP and WSOPE Main Events.[6] This win also made
Hellmuth the💵 first player in WSOP history to win multiple bracelets in three decades
(1993 (3), 2003 (2), and 2012 (2)). Also,💵 Hellmuth finished runner-up in the WSOP
Player of the Year race for a record third time (2006, 2011, and 2012).
On💵 June 8,
2024, Hellmuth won his 14th World Series of Poker bracelet in theR$10,000 Seven-Card
Razz event, earningR$271,105.[34]
On July 11,💵 2024, Hellmuth won his 15th World Series
of Poker bracelet in theR$5,000 No-Limit Hold'em event, earningR$485,082.[35]
On
October 17, 2024, Hellmuth💵 won his 16th World Series of Poker bracelet in theR$1,500
No-Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw event, earningR$84,851.[36] With this victory, Hellmuth
💵 became the first player to win bracelets in five different decades.[37]
On July 2,
2024, Hellmuth won his 17th World Series💵 of Poker bracelet in theR$10,000 Super Turbo
Bounty No-Limit Hold'em event, earningR$803,818.[38]
World Poker Tour [ edit ]
Hellmuth
has cashed 19💵 times, made five final tables, and earned overR$1.5 million on the World
Poker Tour.[39] He finished in fourth place in💵 theR$3,000 No Limit Hold'em WPT Event at
the 49'er Gold Rush Bonanza in 2002,[40] in third place in theR$10,000 No💵 Limit Hold'em
Event at the World Poker Finals at Foxwoods in 2003,[41] in sixth place at the 2008
L.A. Poker💵 Classic,[42] in sixth place at the Bay 101 Shooting Star event in 2010,[43]
and second place in 2024 at the💵 Bicycle Casino.[44] In 2010. he was the television
bubble boy finishing seventh at theR$25,000 WPT World Championship.[45]
Other notable
tournaments [💵 edit ]
Hellmuth makes regular appearances on episodes of Poker After Dark
on PokerGO both as a player and as a💵 drop-in commentator. Hellmuth won his first Poker
After Dark tournament in the first episode of the third season, winningR$120,000.[46]
Hellmuth💵 returned two weeks later and claimed his second Poker After Dark title,
winning anotherR$120,000.[47] Hellmuth is the Season 3 champion💵 of Late Night
Poker.[48]
In 2000, he won the Poker EM 7-Card Stud Main Event in Austria. Phil
defeated 437 other💵 players to winR$106,250.[49] In 2005, Hellmuth won the first NBC
National Heads-Up Poker Championship.[50] He defeated Men Nguyen, Paul Phillips,💵 Huck
Seed, Lyle Berman and Antonio Esfandiari on the way to the final against Chris Ferguson
whom he defeated in💵 two out of three games. While trying to repeat in 2006, he lost in
the first round to Chip Reese.[51]💵 In 2007, Hellmuth did not play due to the PartyPoker
Premier League Poker, a British tournament in which he took💵 part. He won four out of
his six group matches and eventually finished third in the finals. Hellmuth took part
💵 in the 2008 National Heads-Up Poker Championship,[52] losing in the first round to Tom
Dwan. In 2013, Hellmuth finished in💵 second place, losing to Mike Matusow in the final
round and earningR$300,000.[53]
In July 2024, PokerGO announced a new series called
💵 High Stakes Duel which would follow a heads-up format of poker with the stakes doubling
every round and the loser💵 of the match having the first option to challenge for a
rematch. Hellmuth would face Antonio Esfandiari in Round 1💵 on July 31, 2024, with the
buy-in for each player beingR$50,000. Hellmuth defeated Esfandiari, and Esfandiari
immediately declared his intention💵 for a rematch. Round 2 was held on September 24,
2024, and would see each player buy-in forR$100,000. Hellmuth again💵 defeated
Esfandiari, and Round 3 would be set for October 21, 2024, when Esfandiari immediately
challenged for a rematch after💵 the loss. Round 3 saw the buy-in doubled toR$200,000,
and Hellmuth defeated Esfandiari for the third consecutive time. Following the💵 unique
rules of High Stakes Duel, Esfandiari was out of challenges and Hellmuth could cash out
hisR$400,000 in winnings or💵 progress through to Round 4. Hellmuth decided to cash out
theR$400,000 and announced in his winner's interview that he will💵 be ready for Season
2.
In 2024, Phil Hellmuth challenged Daniel Negreanu in High Stakes Duel II. The two
played three💵 rounds, and Hellmuth won all three and cashed out hisR$400,000.[54]
Following that victory, he returned for High Stakes Duel III.💵 In round 1, he faced
challenger Nick Wright of Fox Sports and wonR$100,000.[55] His seven-game winning
streak came to an💵 end after Tom Dwan challenged him in round 2 and defeated him
forR$200,000.[56] Phil Hellmuth defeated Dwan in round 3💵 forR$400,000.[57]
Other
activities [ edit ]
Hellmuth appeared in GSN's and PokerGo's cash game show, High
Stakes Poker.[58][59][60] He was involved with💵 creating the software for UltimateBet
and was formerly a member of Team UB.[61]
Hellmuth has made several instructional poker
videos, including💵 his Ultimate White To Black Belt Course and Phil Hellmuth's Million
Dollar Poker System.[62] He has written for Cardplayer magazine💵 and authored several
poker books including Play Poker like the Pros, Bad Beats and Lucky Draws, The Greatest
Poker Hands💵 ever Played, and Poker Brat. In May 2004 he partnered with Oasys Mobile to
create a mobile app called Texas💵 Hold'em by Phil Hellmuth.[63] In spring 2006, Hellmuth
replaced Phil Gordon as commentator on Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown.[64] Hellmuth
was💵 a poker coach on Fox Sports Network’s Best Damn Poker Show.[65]
In 2009, Hellmuth's
publishing company, Phil's House Publishing, published the💵 Stephen John and Marvin
Karlins book Deal Me In: 20 Of The World's Top Poker Players Share The Heartbreaking
and💵 Inspiring Stories of How They Turned Pro.[66]
Personality and controversy [ edit
]
Hellmuth is known for his "Poker Brat" personality,[67] especially💵 after taking bad
beats. In the first week of Poker After Dark on NBC, Hellmuth asked fellow pros Shawn
Sheikhan,💵 Steve Zolotow, Gus Hansen and Huck Seed to stop talking while it was his turn
to act on his hand💵 after Annie Duke raised him. They initially complied, but when
Hellmuth began to talk, he was mocked by Seed, who💵 said, "please be quiet so I can
talk," eliciting laughter from the other players. Hellmuth then threatened never to
play💵 on the show again and walked off the set. After the show's producers intervened,
Hellmuth returned and was eliminated a💵 few hands later by Sheikhan.[68] Duke remained
quiet while the drama played out, though in a later interview, she described💵 Hellmuth's
behavior as "one of the biggest overreactions I have ever seen."[69]
On Day 5 of the
2008 WSOP, Hellmuth folded💵 A♠ K♥ to Cristian Dragomir's bet on a flop of 9♣ 10♣ 7♠.
Asked by the table to show his💵 hand, Dragomir revealed that he had called Hellmuth's
pre-flop re-raise with 10♦ 4♦, a much weaker hand. Hellmuth proceeded to💵 call Dragomir
an "idiot," among other insults, and was eventually issued a warning by the floorperson
for continued berating of💵 another player. Other players, including his friend Mike
Matusow, advised him to stop. Nonetheless, he continued to verbally abuse Dragomir
💵 until he received a one-round penalty. The penalty was to be carried out at the
beginning of play the next💵 day.[28] After Hellmuth had a private meeting with WSOP
Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, Pollack overruled the floorperson's
penalty.[29]
Bibliography [ edit ]
#POSITIVITY:💵 You Are Always In The Right Place At
The Right Time (2024) ISBN 193654900X [70]
(2024) ISBN 193654900X Phil Hellmuth's Texas
💵 Hold 'Em (2005) ISBN 0-06-083460-9
(2005) ISBN 0-06-083460-9 Bad Beats and Lucky Draws:
Poker Strategies, Winning Hands, and Stories from the💵 Professional Poker Tour (2004)
ISBN 0-06-074083-3
(2004) ISBN 0-06-074083-3 Play Poker Like the Pros (2003) ISBN
0-06-000572-6
References [ edit ]
