Phil Hellmuth – The WSOP Legend

Posted by Craig on September 16, 2008

Whether you love or hate Phil Hellmuth you can not deny that he might just be the best player in the history of the WSOP. If he is not the best he at least is on the short list of players that would include Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Stu Unger and Chip Reese. Phil has one thing on all these guys or anyone you can think of , he has more bracelets. In 2007 Phil set the record that he already shared with Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson, by winning his eleventh bracelet. Phil has made more then five million dollars at the World Series of Poker alone and you can’t take that away from him.

The first bracelet came in 1989 and still is Phil’s biggest cash at the World Series of Poker. In 1989 Phil won the $10,000 No Limit Hold’ em Main Event, and took home $755,000. That seems like nothing compared to the fact that the Main Event winner these days can make more then $10,000,000. You need to realize that in those days the Main Event was filled with top professional players, although the field was no where near the size of today’s events. In 1989 Phil was only 24 years old and his first bracelet didn’t come easy, he had to defeat Johnny Chan heads up to take the title. At the time Johnny was going for his third straight title and may have been the best poker player in the world. The two years following Phil’s breakthrough win, he didn’t manage to win a bracelet, but in 1992 he took home the $5000 Limit Holdem poker bracelet.

1993 was the year that Phil Hellmuth officially began the talk that he might be the best player in the poker world. He showed up at the 1993 World Series of Poker with two bracelets on his wrist and left when it was all said and done he left with five. He won three events in 1993 including the $1500 No Limit Hold’ em, $2,500 No Limit Hold ‘em and the $5,000 Limit Hold’ em. Hellmuth walked away from the 1993 World Series of Poker with more then $450,000 in earning and three coveted bracelets. For the three years following Phil’s breakthrough in 1993 he didn’t manage to win a single bracelet, but broke through again in 1997. In 1997 Hellmuth won the $3000 Pot Limit Hold’ em tournament taking home more then $200,000. Heading into 2001 Phil Hellmuth was a poker legend, he had six bracelets and was looking for more. More he would get winning in 2001 and two more in 2003. In 2006 he tied poker legends Chan and Brunson winning his tenth bracelet in the $1,000 No Limit Hold’ em Rebuy tournament. In 2007 Phil captured his second best single tournament earning at the World Series when he won over $630,000 in the $1,500 No Limit Hold’ em event, his record breaking eleventh bracelet.

“The Poker Brat”, is Phil Hellmuth’s nickname when he is sitting at the poker table. As the World Series of Poker gained exposure on television, so did Phil. Hellmuth. He became as popular for his antics at the poker as he was for his excellent play. Phil is known to speak his feelings when he is at the tables, if he thinks you made a bad play he is going to tell you about it, maybe more then once. If you are at a table with Phil and you hit an inside straight to beat his set, you better watch out. This persona has taken Hellmuth along ways, the public want to see him play. Most because of his unpredictable attitude, but some even watch to see a great poker player in action. Look past the commercials and the tirades at the table and you will find an excellent poker mind. “The Poker Brat” has his own style, unique to him and was created through years of experience. If you play like Phil, it will be like walking on a tight rope, you never know when you are going to fall. His passive and slow play opens himself up to get sucked out on, or to win pots with monster hands. Try it play like that and you will find you might get a little upset from time to time at the tables to.

Texas Hold’ em is Phil Hellmuth’s game, all eleven of his bracelets won playing it. He has won bracelets playing Pot Limit, Limit and No Limit Hold’ em, but has never won playing another form of poker. People who criticize Phil tend to look directly at this stat, and I guess if you want to bash the guy that’s about all you got. I am not one of these people, Hellmuth has mastered hold’ em and why not play it as much as you can. I think one day Phil will win a bracelet in say Omaha, Seven Card or maybe he’ll even win the HORSE one day.

No matter what you personally think of Phil Hellmuth you cannot deny the guy the fact that he may just be the best Texas Hold’ em player to ever live. Of course that is something that we will never know, but Hellmuth has won eleven bracelets playing Hold’ em. “The Poker Brat” will always have his critics, but if you ask around the top pros in the world you find they have great respect for his game. People will hate on Phil because of his exposure, much like the way people hate on Tiger Woods in golf, but it is not warranted. Hellmuth is still in his prime and who knows how many bracelets he will win in his life time, but you can be assured that he will try to win them all. Over Five Million Dollars in career World Series of Poker earnings, a record eleven bracelets and more then sixty cashes, Phil Hellmuth is a legend at the World Series of Poker.

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A Brief History of the World Series of Poker

Posted by James on September 5, 2008

$Binion\'s Horseshoe - The Original Home of the World Series of Poker$
Binion’s Horseshoe – The Original Home of the World Series of Poker

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) originally started back in 1968 as an invitational event at the Holiday Hotel and Casino in Reno, NV. The event was won by Crandell Addington. The World Series of Poker as we know it today started back in 1970 as a set of cash games that drew the best Poker players in the world together to compete for the title of WSOP. Binion’s Horseshoe in Las Vegas, NV was the venue for this new World Series of Poker. The champion was determined by a vote and Johnny Moss emerged as the winner. For his win, Moss received a silver cup.

The next year, the champion was determined by a freezeout tournament and Johnny Moss again emerged the victor. 1973 saw the introduction of the first preliminary WSOP tournament. Bill Boyd won the Five Card Stud event for a grand prize of $20,000. Every year through 2003, the event was held at Binions. Many champions emerged victorious throughout the years including Doyle Brunson, Stu Unger, “Amarillo Slim” Preston, Johnny Chan, and Phil Hellmuth.

The Main Event was not the only poker tournament held at the World Series of Poker. Over the years bracelet events have been held in all forms of poker including Seven Card Stud, Pot Limit Omaha, H.O.R.S.E. and Lowball. Some games that have come and gone over the years include Five Card Stud, Five Card Draw, Ace to Five Draw, Match Play, Mixed Doubles, and Women’s Seven Card Stud.

The Rio – Home of the World Series of Poker

In 2004, Harrah’s Entertainment purchased the Horseshoe and the rights to the World Series of Poker. The event was then moved to the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino with the last two days played at Binions downtown. 2004 was the last year that any portion of the WSOP was held at Binions. Since then, the even has been held at the Rio. 2004 also saw Chris Moneymaker parlay an online satellite into a world title. Since then, the popularity of poker has exploded and ushered in the current Poker Boom.

By the time of the 2006 World Series of Poker, the fields had grown to such epic size that the Main Event was view much like a lottery. A new event was created to showcase the elite of the poker world and try and bring back some of the old school luster of the World Series of Poker. This event was the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. event. Chip Reese emerged as the first champion of the event and since then the event has showcased the best of the poker world.

The Main Event is still the World Championship of Poker. Each year thousands of players make the journey out to Vegas to try and put their name in the record books. This year’s World Champion is still to be determined. Harrah’s decided to delay the final table until November to allow for increased coverage of the event. The “November Nine” will reconvene on November 9^th and play down to the final two. Those players will return on November 10^th to play for the title and the $9 Million top prize.