Few people in the poker world would not know the name Phil Hellmuth. PokerBrat has been an integral and irreplaceable part of the poker world for almost 40 years, during which time he managed to win almost 30 million dollars in live tournaments. He collected the biggest successes mainly in the tournaments of the WSOP series, where he holds a probably unbeatable 17 bracelets. Phil himself is immodestly aware of his qualities, which he fully said in one of the interviews for Card Player magazine - do you agree with him?
This year the poker community is breaking all possible and impossible records, what do you think about the current poker ecosystem and where poker is going?
"I can state without hesitation that we are currently witnessing another poker boom. Right now, poker is the biggest and most massive it's ever been and I'm so glad to be a part of it! I believe that the pandemic contributed to this to a large extent, on the one hand it attracted a lot of new young players to the online world, but it also brought back a lot of "retired" players to the tables. Most of these players found their passion and love for poker again, got better, and found that there was now even more money rolling in, which only amplified this snowball effect.”
Growing trends are also clearly visible at the WSOP – when it started in 1988, the WSOP offered 12 bracelet events. Today there are more than 100 of them, and we are not talking about the online WSOP or WSOP Europe. What do you think?
"I wish there were fewer braqcelet events. A hundred is too much for me, not to mention that next year there will be around 150. I would also like to see the WSOP and its online version separated, as they are diametrically different events."
Phil after winning the 1989 WSOP Main Event
Now that there are so many bracelets, it is simply impossible to play all the bracelet events. How much did you want to play and how much did you manage to play this year?
"Honestly, I ended up playing 33 events this year, if I don't count the online ones. This number is very low for someone who hunts for bracelets, but at also my age (59 years old) I chose events wisely and took more days off."
You won one bracelet from these tournaments and you were also ITM 13 times, which is definitely not a bad number. Satisfied?
“I'm aware of two mistakes that cost me final tables, but many times I just wasn't on the right side of the variance. So it could have been even better, but overall I can't say I wasn't satisfied."
It's hard for anyone to break your records at the WSOP, but tell us if you still experience stress at all with so much experience and final tables.
"Sometimes I get stressed, but mostly when I'm tired or when I'm losing. I am not nervous at all about the game itself or the winnings. This year, the hardest for me mentally was the $10k H.O.R.S.E. event where we played for four hours in 11 players. I was tired, nervous, and started to convince myself that I was going to drop out. In the end, that's how it turned out, I was the one who ended the 4-hour wait for elimination."
Unbeatable 17th bracelet?
If you have already outlined challenging events, then the $10k One-day turbo event was definitely like that, in which you won the 17th bracelet after a night marathon. In this tournament, would you have liked the final table to be played the next day on the TV table, or did you feel an advantage during this marathon?
"Honestly, I really wanted to stop the game and finish it the next day, ideally on the TV table for the whole world to see. Phil Ivey was against it, arguing that it was a one-day event, and after a short exchange we laughed it off and played on. I ended up knocking him out in sixth place (laughs). I then asked the last four opponents if they wanted to rest and play the next day, but two of them said no. I think they regret it now.“
After a difficult night, you won the record bracelet, but immediately after that, instead of resting, you went to speak in memory of Doyle Brunson. Did the win add adrenaline to your blood?
"I could hardly walk at all, really, and I really felt like a zombie. But Doyle was a great person and my friend, I couldn't miss this memory and I was happy to share my experiences with him with others."
It's clear you've silenced a lot of haters with this win - are you happy they got what they deserved?
"Exactly! The tide turned after that win, and young and talented players like Shaun Deeb publicly called me the GOAT (Editor's note: G.O.A.T. stands for Greatest of all time). Many have realized that I am the best tournament player in the world right now. My results over the last 20 months are proof of that, but even so, many of the world's top players (not the very top) still don't admit it. Phil Ivey knows how good I am and that's why he always says - "Only the best know who the best are."
Which Phil do you think is the bigger legend - Ivey or Hellmuth?
In the past, you have stated several times that your dream is to become a billionaire. How are you doing outside of poker? It is known that you are the owner of a cardroom in Texas and also that you do consulting in several companies.
"I was a consultant in almost 20 different companies, I pass on myknow-how and in return I get a 2-3% share of the company. I work by connecting business owners with entrepreneurs, celebrities and billionaires who like to invest in various projects. In addition, I regularly participate in meetings and also take strategic calls where we discuss various strategies, plans and ideas. When I help companies, they tell their friends about me, and then I get more and more calls. I believe I will become a billionaire by the time I'm 76!”
Source: CardPlayer, PokerGO, ESPN, PokerNews
