If poker is about anything, it is holding your nerve under the greatest psychological pressure. Dealing with the pressure in tournament poker when short stacked isn’t easy, especially at the World Series of Poker, where the poker world’s attention is focused on Las Vegas, Nevada each summer.
One man who has done that time and time again is the king of the WSOP and tournament poker crusher Phil Hellmuth Jr. The 17-time WSOP bracelet winner has won six more than anyone else in poker history and if anyone knows how to deal with the pressure of slipping to 15 bigs, it’s ‘The Poker Brat’.
Can Big Phil survive our 15 tough teasers and double-up or will we get the better of the brat and get him to fold? Let’s find out!
You’re on a long-haul flight and can only choose one TV Show or Movie to watch on repeat, which is your pick?
The American President.
If you were stranded on a desert island with one book for company, what would it be?
In The Bone: The Best Science Fiction of Gordon R. Dickson it’s a collection of Sci Fi short stories.
What’s the song you could listen to on repeat forever?
Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac
What’s your favourite place to play poker and why?
At the World Series of Poker… wherever is it held. Because I can win bracelets!!
If you were to be shot at dawn, what would be your last meal and drink?
A hot baked potato slathered with sour cream, cheddar cheese and butter with salmon, either poached with ranch dressing and steamed vegetables. Then the highest quality fatty tuna sushi, followed by Jelly Belly sours and some rocky road ice cream.
Where’s your favourite non-poker holiday destination?
Home! Home and wifey feels like a holiday for me! I was home like eight or nine months in 2024 and I’m happiest there with my kids and besties close by.
You can play poker every day for a year or play no poker for a whole 12 months – which do you choose?
Every day! I only get to play once a week these days, or less. I’m looking for more poker in 2025.
Who is the person you don’t have around anymore that you miss the most?
Luckily, both of my parents are still alive and I have contact with my friends.
Which person would you most like to meet but never have?
I have been blessed to meet and get good times with Elon Musk, all of the U.S. Presidents, Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Steph Curry, Federer, Tony Robbins, and I am struggling to think of someone that I would like to meet that I haven’t met!
When’s the last time life put you on tilt?
Maybe 25 years ago when my wife said, “I am not happy, I am leaving you because all of these years later, you are still a diamond in the rough.” That destroyed me!! I cried everyday but I fought hard to keep her.
I grew up quickly to keep her. In one year, I proved to her that there was some diamond there. I am proud that I have improved as a person every year since 2001. [We had] a lot of couples therapy and we figure things out together.
If you couldn’t play the WSOP Main Event next year, which family member would you put into the action in your place?
My son Phillip or my son Nick! Phillip played his first tourney at the PokerGO studio today, and he plays a lot now.
What’s your best poker skill?
Reading people, and my patience is important as well.
And your biggest leak?
It used to be overconfidence!
I’m not sure it is a leak, but it’s hard for me to play great four long days in a row.
If you could make one rule change to poker, what would it be?
Shorter days at WSOP. However, I must say that they got it right at WSOP Paradise! I hope they get it right at 2025 WSOP, but we will see.
You have just ten seconds with the person of your dreams… what do you say?
I would let them know what they mean to me.
Just when you think you’ve got the better of The Poker Brat, he hits the board and doubles his chips! With answers like these to the big questions, it’s a matter of time before Phil Hellmuth wins his 18th WSOP bracelet… you heard it here first!
