The Poker Brat

A biography of Phil Hellmuth, Jr. by Damian M. Moorman, Dayton2Vegas.com

Phil Hellmuth, Jr. was born on July 16, 1964, in Madison, Wisconsin. He left school at Madison-Wisconsin as a junior to pursue poker professionally. The poker world would never be the same.

Phil Hellmuth, Jr. is regarded by many as the greatest No-limit Hold’em player of all-time. He has won the most World Series of Poker tournaments ever. Hellmuth’s eleven wins, equaling eleven bracelets, all have come in Hold’em as well. Hellmuth prides himself on outplaying his opponents, which many times follow with him berating their play.

“He (Hellmuth) is the greatest tournament No-limit Hold’em player ever,” said Johnny Chan. This is a powerful statement from a player who many people also consider to be one of the all-time greats. Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson are tied for the second most WSOP bracelets with ten each.

Hellmuth has earned quite a reputation as the bad boy of poker. He is referred to as the “poker brat”, but Phil doesn’t mind. He has used this image to make money and he has done it very well. Hellmuth has found financial success outside of poker in many different ways. He has a website, PhilHellmuth.com, which sells just about every kind of merchandise you could imagine. Hellmuth’s site sells T-shirts, poker chip sets, DVDs, hats, and more. You can even sign up for his newsletter, The Two Nine Times, a name referring to his winning hand at the 1989 Main Event. He has also written a New York Times’ best-selling book called "Play Poker like the Pros," among other poker instructional books. Hellmuth endorses the online poker site Ultimate Bet through television commercials and magazine ads. Hellmuth also owns many shares in companies including CardPlayer magazine.

Phil Hellmuth will be the first one to tell you how well he has done on and off the table. He has provided ESPN with some of the best shots and entertaining clips over the past few years. Whether you are one of the people who loves him or one that hates him, he remains one of the most popular names in the business.

In his personal life, Phil Hellmuth is a very down-to-earth guy. He is married and has two sons, Phillip and Nicholas. He currently resides in Palo Alto, California. Hellmuth's financial success has given him the opportunity to donate lots of money to numerous charities. Many of the other top professionals say that he is very difficult to play with on the table but is a genuinely nice guy and a loyal friend.

Hellmuth is also a member of the poker hall of fame. Hellmuth became the youngest player ever to win the WSOP Main Event when he defeated two-time winner Johnny Chan. Hellmuth still holds that record today along with most cashes, most final tables, and most bracelets. Hellmuth has won $5,604,386 at the WSOP over the years and is ranked seventh on the All-time Money List. All of these records help distinguish Phil Hellmuth, Jr. as the greatest ever to play No-limit Hold’em tournaments.