The Poker Brat

"The Poker Brat" they call him, Phil Hellmuth is perhaps best known worldwide for his caustic table image, known for making scathing remarks about his opponents’ skills and frequently acting out in the event of a bad-beat. it has also made him a favorite of poker television producers across the globe.

He learned the game of poker while he was a student at the University of Wisconsin, moving up from cash games at the student union to higher stakes poker with the professors and eventually dropping out of school to pursue a poker career, much to the chagrin of his academic father. Eventually, Hellmuth's father and the rest of his family came to see poker as a viable career choice for him.

"I expect great things to happen to me" Phil says. And they have. He is the first player ever to win 11 gold bracelets at the World Series of Poker, along with five top-ten finishes in World Poker Tour events.

While many professional players, amateurs, and fans alike consider his antics distasteful and abrasive at times, they respect his talent for the game and his personality when he is away from the table. In 1996 Hellmuth's professional poker playing peers voted him the best No-Limit Hold'em tournament player in the world, and while many professionals lament his antics at the table, there is no doubt he's earned their respect as a player and a person.

Regardless of his table image, one cannot escape Phil Hellmuth's track record. In addition to have won over $7,000,000 in lifetime tournament earnings, Phil has multiple endorsement deals, books, and merchandise, making him perhaps the best-known face in poker.

He wants to be known as the greatest poker player of all time and in his mind he's almost there. He has been one of the most successful players of the last twenty years. “Hellmuth” has become a bona fide trademark – representing to poker what Tiger Woods is to golf , Michael Jordan was to basketball and Roger Federer is to tennis. A true living legend he is for sure.

Some other famous quotes include: "If luck weren't involved, I guess I'd win every one" and "I've revolutionized the way to play Texas hold 'em".

Fun Facts

• He holds the distinction of being the youngest man to win the WSOP Main Event after beating two-time defending champion Johnny Chan in 1989 at just 24 years old.
• He holds the record for most bracelets won at the World Series of Poker , all in Texas hold'em, which is 11.
• Hellmuth also holds the record for most WSOP Cashes  and is tied with TJ Cloutier for most WSOP final tables
• In May 2004 Phil Helmuth partnered with Oasys Mobile for the release of Texas Hold'em with Phil Hellmuth, the industry's first true multiplayer mobile phone game.
• Phil's wife is a psychologist
• At the 2002 World Series, after getting knocked out by Robert Varkonyi, swore Varkonyi could shave his head if he won. Varkonyi did indeed win, and Hellmuth did indeed lose his hair.