Phil Hellmuth

People have a wide range of opinions and mixed emotions when asked about Phil Hellmuth, Jr.

Some who have only seen him on television or from a distance in poker tournaments think that he is immature and erratic. Some who have played against him have witnessed his childish behavior and think that it is overdramatic for a game that has become so well respected around the world.
On the other hand, fans who have asked for autographs or a few words of wisdom have been greeted with politeness and kindness. Friends can attest that Phil is a generous and compassionate man who is serious about changing his conduct and his image.

Others, whether they've met him or simply watched from afar, claim that he is one of the best.

Whatever the thoughts on Phil's behavior, it is impossible to dispute his extraordinary record of poker achievements. Longevity and dedication are integral pieces of his career, along with an unwavering drive to achieve success.

Born in 1964 in Madison, Wisconsin, Phil was the oldest of five children. His father was a university assistant dean with a number of academic achievements under his belt, and the expectations to follow in those footsteps were imposed upon Phil at an early age. He felt the pressure and excelled in school, finally enrolling to attend the University of Wisconsin.

Early in his college days, Phil was invited to play in a cash poker game at the student union. As the weeks and months passed, he continued to win the low-dollar games and sought higher stakes. He found them in a $100 buy-in game that included several professors and other upstanding members of the campus community. With consistent wins in those games, he was able to pay off all of the student loans that he had amassed to that point and build a bankroll of $20,000.

Phil took his cash and growing confidence to Las Vegas to play poker at the casinos. While there, he discovered that he enjoyed a variety of games, including blackjack, craps, and baccarat. However, over the course of about ten weekend trips to Vegas, he managed to lose his entire bankroll.

With a dent in his ego and no money, Phil returned to the college games in Wisconsin, where he successfully acquired enough money to return to Vegas and try again. That trip proved favorable as he won more than $10,000. He went back home to officially withdraw from school in his junior year, and his journey around the country in search of high-dollar poker tournaments began.

By the age of 24, Phil was playing in the World Series of Poker and placed fifth in a Seven-Card Stud Split event in 1988. But it was his 33rd place in the WSOP's No Limit Hold 'Em World Championship that set him on a course to hone his skills and do better the following year. He did so, and in 1989, he won his first WSOP bracelet in that same championship tournament and set himself up financially to pursue his poker career with a vengeance.

Phil's WSOP win was one of the most exciting moments for a number of reasons, the most important of which was the reuniting of Phil with his father. He had convinced his father to be in the audience while he played, and when he clinched the title, the pride in his father's eyes was enough to sustain Phil for many years and boost his confidence higher than it had ever been.

Over the course of the next fifteen years, Phil accumulated more tournament wins than any other professional poker player, including 9 WSOP bracelets out of 47 finishes in the money. He displayed an astounding grasp of all categories of tournament poker and claimed wins in a number of different games. In addition, he made his mark on the World Poker Tour, securing his place at the final tables of four tournaments in the show's first two seasons.

As fans of poker around the world discovered Phil through televised WSOP and WPT coverage, they also discovered his penchant for erratic behavior at the poker table. Though most people that play with Phil encounter a friendly, calm personality that exhibits nothing but skill and a love for the game, the times that Phil has fallen to the floor or responded to an opponent in a childish way have left more of an impression on audiences. He seems to get a kick out of the reaction of fans to his conduct, but maturation and comments from well-respected players have brought him to the realization that a more composed set of reactions is in order.

Phil's overall successes and longevity in tournament poker have yielded many benefits. Besides the success for which he always strove, he has found great financial stability in the perks of today's poker popularity. He has written several books and made several instructional videos to pass on some of the knowledge that he has acquired over the years, and he has secured an endorsement deal for a popular online gaming site.

What forty years of life has given to Phil is a deep appreciation of all that he has accomplished and the importance of the people in his life. He resides in Palo Alto, California with his wife, a doctor at Stanford University, and his two sons, and treasures all of his family bonds. He places the highest value on family, along with health and his personal successes. And that makes Phil a world-class person and professional poker player.