When I watch Phil Hellmuth in interviews, he seems like a decent guy and I start to like him.  When I watch Phil Hellmuth at the poker tables, I can’t stand him.  Why is there such a large gap between Phil Hellmuth, the person, and Phil Hellmuth, the poker player?
I was watching ESPN 2008 WSOP coverage last night and it exemplified the two sides of Hellmuth. On one hand, they’re interviewing him and he sounds like a decent guy talking poker among his interests. On the other, he’s in a hand and trying to belittle someone every time …read more

It’s become a tradition for Phil Hellmuth to make a late but attention grabbing entrance to the WSOP. That tradition is alive and well. Check out the video below. Hellmuth, who is now the ambassador of poker, made his entrance to the WSOP Main Event day 1c as Julius Caesar. He was carried to the door by four men while awkwardly laying on his side. Then entered the casino flanked by painted women throwing flower pedals on him.
I would call it a grand entrance but it looked more awkward than it did spectacular. I’m …read more

You know it’s weird that Phil Hellmuth appeared in a Full Tilt Poker video, but I guess he has a deal worked out with his sponsors to give him this freedom. In this video, the pros mainly talk about aggressive amateur play against them. Their main critique seems to be the amateurs are trying to pull their own moves against them in tournaments and picking the wrong spots to do so.
I understand where they’re coming from, but it comes across more as a whining video than it does poker tips. No Limit Poker is a wild game, …read more

Spoiler Below if you haven’t watched the video yet.
This is a very drawn out hand in which Chris Ferguson obviously has no clue as to what Jamie Gold has. He literally takes minutes to make the call, but only after flipping a coin to decide his own fate. I’m really not a fan of the whole flip a coin to decide my fate. If I’m going to make a play at the table, I want to be the reason why.
The side show while Ferguson is waiting to call is very interesting. Phil Hellmuth, Jamie, and eventually …read more

I had never heard of the 7 Duece prop until this edition of High Stakes Poker and I’ve got to say this twist to the game definitely made things a lot more interesting.  The video below is 42 minutes.  I didn’t plan on watching the whole thing, but it is a very good episode.
7-2 Prop Explanation
To add the 7Duece prop to your game, you have to get all players at the table to agree to pay a certain amount to whoever wins with 7-2.  The winner can win by bluff, best hand or however they take the pot.  In HST, …read more

I have never heard Phil Hellmuth admit to weak poker play on his behalf or even just shutting up when he’s been had.  Today’s video shows Sammy Farha running him over with Q6 of diamonds.  Farha flopped a queen and Hellmuth caught a jack.  Farha ends up talking Phil into a call which I thought was somewhat of a tell.  I may not have been able to sense it live, but on the video it obviously does become a situation where Hellmuth could have taken information had he been paying attention.
Farha bemoans the fact that Phil has shown weakness so …read more

Poker After Dark never quite leaves me satisfied serious poker is being played. It feels too forced, like the players are only playing because they’re getting a ridiculous amount of money (go figure). Anyways, in this hand Sammy gets mixed up with Phil Ivey and Ivey catches a lucky Queen on the river to make a full house. Both had great hands after the flop with Ivey hitting a set of sixes and Sammy with a made straight and potential flush (technically it was a potential straight flush but Ivey had the 6s so it couldn’t have …read more

If you’re having trouble racking up W’s in tournaments or money in the cash games, you might want to get back to the basics instead of keeping the kinks in your game.  I’m not much of a fan of Phil Hellmuth, but he gives strong fundamental advice to beginners that holds true no matter what.
Be patient and play premium hands.  That simple.   This might not be the recipe for exciting play or early huge chip stacks, but every time I’ve taken a step back and applied what I term the Phil Hellmuth method (although I’m sure others have instructed …read more

I ran across a pretty amusing poker column today, featuring heavily photoshopped images of famous poker pros and what they would look like and be doing if they didn’t get into poker:
If they never played poker
Daniel Negreanu in the Village People somehow seems quite appropriate.
As does Phil Hellmuth featured on a box of female douche.
I don’t know who had time to make all these, but they are definitely good for a chuckle or two.

This video makes me itch.