Posts Tagged ‘Phil Hellmuth’

Daniel Negreanu reveals why he chose PokerStars over FTP, UB and Party

Sunday, August 10th, 2014

It seems like Daniel Negreanu has been the face of PokerStars forever. So it’s hard to remember him representing a different online poker site at any point in time. However, going back to 2004, Kid Poker was actually involved in his own poker room called FullContactPoker.

Some players today may recognize this site because it’s where Negreanu writes all of his blog posts from. But back then, it was a full-fledged internet poker room that mainly attracted Americans.

Negreanu helped FullContactPoker quickly experience success by undertaking a massive promotional effort. This included doing up to 50 radio interviews a day across the United States and Canada, plus getting the word out through other channels. His poker site showed such promise that one company even wanted to buy him out for $170 million.

However, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) came about at the end of 2006, thus throwing the US-friendly poker market into disarray. This forced Negreanu to quickly find something else to do with FullContactPoker. So he ended up signing a deal with PokerStars and moving his player base there.

While this and the $170 million deal are interesting enough, the selection process used by Negreanu to pick PokerStars is a story in itself. Here’s a look at what he told iGaming.org about why he ended up choosing Stars:

Signing with PokerStars was as simple as this, there were several sites interested in having my services including UltimateBet, Full Tilt Poker and PartyPoker. For me it came down to integrity and which site I trusted the most, had the best software and the best vision for the future. It wasn’t about the highest bidder for me; it was about who’s the biggest, who’s the best, and who’s going to be the biggest in the future.”

I believed in PokerStars from the start, as the company was built by a group of IBM professionals. They weren’t some random poker-playing dudes who wanted to be businessmen. Full Tilt was off the mark; I wasn’t going to sign with them, because I didn’t trust the infrastructure even back then. If I was going to attach my name to something, game security, integrity, and longevity were most important.

Given that Party Poker’s player base has dropped considerably, Full Tilt had to close before being bought by Stars, and UB Poker went completely under never to resurface again, PokerStars definitely proved to be the right choice. Furthermore, it appears as if Negreanu is about as good at reading business deals as he is with poker opponents.

Dumpster Joe picked over Christian Harder for Poker Night in America

Thursday, July 31st, 2014

With over $3 million in live poker tournament winnings, and having been a regular at Maryland Live! Casino, Christian “Charder” Harder seemed like a natural fit for Poker Night in America. He quickly applied to be on the show after hearing that PNIA was filming an episode at his home casino. But rather than reserve their last spot for Harder, the producers opted for a different direction: “Dumpster Joe.”

Appropriately named for the fact that he drives a dump truck, Joe is a local amateur who wanted his shot at the big time. And he got this chance, if only at the expense of established pros like Harder. Charder tweeted, “Not a big enough poker personality to play Poker Night in America at my home casino @MarylandLive #salty”

Although Harder sounds bitter in the tweet, he comes across as pretty understanding in a recent Washington Post blog. He commended Dumpster Joe being on the show by saying:

They were looking more for guys who aren’t professional poker players who want to play with professional poker players. I guess they wanted some new blood. He is a huge character. He owns a dump truck company and some restaurants. He is going to be great for TV.

Harder is definitely on track with his assessment of Dumpster Joe, who has a good amateur-on-TV personality and caused a stir after bluffing Phil Hellmuth out of a pot with 3 high. Aside from the fact that Joe was good for TV, he also fits the traditional style of PNIA, where a lucky amateur or two gets a chance to rub elbows with famed poker pros. So don’t expect the show’s producers to give up on this interesting dynamic any time soon.

Why didn’t Phil Hellmuth play in 2014 WSOP Big One for One Drop?

Wednesday, July 9th, 2014

After busting out of the Main Event, Phil Hellmuth’s 2014 WSOP is over with. And while it might not have been his most profitable one, the Poker Brat did cash seven times and make two final tables. Still, most people aren’t thinking much about Hellmuth’s performance, but rather asking why he didn’t play in the 2014 Big One for One Drop.

The reason why is because the 49-year-old is only two years removed from a banner campaign where he won two gold bracelets and finished fourth in the 2012 Big One ($2,645,333). So it’s not like he’s lacking for money or reputation among backers.

While speaking to PokerListings, Hellmuth explained that “it was silly” that he didn’t play in the 2014 Big One. Leading up to the event, he had raised the money by asking friends like Charles Barkley and Matt Kenseth for backing. Hellmuth ultimately raised the $1 million buy-in that he needed and went to the Rio to play.

However, he discovered that the “one guy he didn’t know” hadn’t sent the remaining $130k that was needed for the buy-in. Rather than picking up the phone and calling one of his other friends, he chose not to take action and thus stay out of the tournament.

Looking back on it, Hellmuth seems to feel like it was a mistake not to play. And he felt like he would’ve played really well in the event too. As Hellmuth bragged, “I have this amazing knack or ability to get down there in these events. A lot of this stuff makes sense to me, I know how to fold tens and jacks and queens and hands like that.”

The 13-time bracelet winner concluded that he “made a mistake” by not playing and he never wants to let this happen again.

Greg Merson looking to promote Himself and Poker More

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014

As has been discussed many times over the past few months, Joe Hachem thinks that poker has a problem, and it starts with WSOP Main Event champs and younger pros. Greg Merson definitely saw Hachem’s rant and it’s forced the 2012 Main Event champ to rethink his views on everything from playing tournaments to interviews.

Bluff Magazine recently caught up with Merson and talked to him about what Hachem said. While the 26-year-old doesn’t feel like Hachem specifically targeted him, he did ask the Aussie about the comments. And Merson came to the conclusion that Hachem may have misunderstood how much he loves playing poker.

In the interview, which you can see below, Merson explains how he didn’t win the Main Event in an era where these champions are immediately sponsored and paid to play the tournament circuit. He adds that it’s not worth it to play in $3,500 and $5,000 events when there’s $2k – $3k in added travel costs.

Merson would much rather play live cash games, where he makes the most profits. However, he does indicate that he’s come around to the idea of playing in tourneys and promoting the game more. Merson also discusses how he spent time with Phil Hellmuth, “picking his brain” about self promotion.

Another point that Merson’s come around to is doing more interviews, even though they may not pay off immediately. The young poker pro now realizes that doing interviews and more promotional work can pay dividends in the future – both for himself and for the game in general. He also states the importance of signing autographs and taking pictures with poker fans when asked.

You can expect to see more of Merson on the tournament circuit in the near future. Aside from everything that we’ve discussed so far, he also says that it’s harder for good pros to get in big cash games these days. So he’d like to play more tournaments this summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWiZAXqYl-8

Phil Hellmuth gives away 11 of his WSOP Bracelets

Thursday, April 10th, 2014

In a day and age where WSOP champs are pawning their gold bracelets off or donating them to charity (Peter Eastgate), Phil Hellmuth is an exception to the norm. The Poker Brat recently tweeted about giving away 11 out of his record 13 WSOP bracelets, as you can see below:

PIC: bye bye WSOP Bracelet #13. Gave #WSOPBracelet13 to my best friend @Chamath. Gave 10 to family, 1 to bestie

WSOP Bracelets: 1 & 12 me, 2 wifey, 3 4 mom dad, 5 sister Ann, 6 bro/law John, 7 8 sons Phillip Nick, 9 10 11 bro Dave sis’s Kerry Molly

I don’t really know a whole lot about Hellmuth’s “sister Ann” or “bro/law John,” so we’ll just skip over that. But one interesting mention in the tweets is Chamath Palihapitiya, a former Facebook VP and current Golden State Warriors co-owner.

I’m not sure that anybody really knew who Hellmuth’s best friend was. After all, he doesn’t exactly pal around with anybody like Antonio Esfandiari and Phil Laak do. However, maybe Palihapitiya being his bestie explains why Hellmuth, a Wisconsin native, loves Golden State so much.

While the Poker Brat’s bracelet giveaway may warm some people’s hearts, Brad Booth definitely isn’t one of them. Still bitter over being a UB superuser victim, and angry over Hellmuth’s part ownership of the company, Booth tweeted the following:

@phil_hellmuth if only the respectable @chamath found out about your inner BullShit at UltimateBet he would never except it – U R A POS PH

Since being taken for $2 million through Russ Hamilton’s UB superuser scam, Booth has continued his downward spiral, owing others tons of money in the process. And one guy that he’s continually blamed in all of this is Hellmuth because the poker legend owned part of UB’s parent company.

Jason Mercier offers 3-1 Odds on WSOP Bracelet Prop Bet

Friday, May 24th, 2013

Jason Mercier is on an incredible heater in May thanks to his performance at the 2013 EPT Grand Final. He won a €2,000 Open Face Chinese Poker tournament ($62,940), placed seventh in the EPT Grand Final Main Event ($179,642), and took second in the €98,000 Super High Roller ($1,462,964).

Perhaps fueled by all of this recent success, Mercier has decided to make a risky prop bet. He announced through twitter that he’ll be taking 3-1 odds on if he can win a gold bracelet at the 2013 WSOP. Here’s the original tweet:

Looking for action at 3 to 1 on winning a bracelet this summer. Also willing to bet on myself vs almost anyone and lay small odds…

Mercier would later tweet that he won’t lay odds against Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey or Daniel Negreanu. But for everybody else that he’ll be taking action from, the minimum bet to get involved is $3,000, which, if successful, would earn the bettor $1,000 in profit.

It’s difficult to gauge exactly what Mercier’s chances are of winning a bracelet this year. He usually plays a pretty grueling schedule that includes 30+ tournaments over the course of the WSOP. So the volume is definitely there for him to win.

Mercier also has history on his side when it comes to this bet. In five full years of playing live poker tournaments, he’s managed to win two gold bracelets. Considering the 3-1 odds that he’s giving people to bet against him, this is definitely a good deal for the Florida native.

One more thing worth mentioning here is that Mercier is pretty well-versed in all poker disciplines. So he should be able to go deep in some of the more obscure poker variations that have smaller fields.

The 2013 WSOP kicks off on May 28th, and it’ll be interesting to see how Mercier fares in his bid to win this prop bet and a bracelet.

Author explains why Phil Hellmuth is Poker’s Phil Mickelson

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

With 41 PGA Tour victories and 4 Majors Championships, Phil Mickelson is one of the greatest golfers of all-time. With 12 WSOP gold bracelets, Phil Hellmuth is one of the best poker players in history. And author/mental coach Jared Tendler has found a way to link both of these greats.

Tendler, who co-wrote The Mental Game of Poker 2 with Barry Carter, described both Hellmuth and Mickelson as guys who are excellent at their respective games, but have issues when things aren’t going right.

He told PokerListings, “Hellmuth and Mickelson both have more mental game issues than Tiger and Ivey. Both Hellmuth and Mickelson are great champions, won a ton, but I don’t think they have the composure and consistency that Ivey and Tiger show.” He added, “That’s a testament to how good they are when they’re at their best but it’s almost more telling about how good they are at their worst.”

Tendler also drew a comparison between Phil Ivey and Tiger Woods by saying that they both bring a mental intensity and focus that no other player can match.

“Like Tiger and Mickelson at their best might actually be equal. But Tiger might be three shots better when they’re both at their worst,” said Tendler. “Ivey might be a full big bet better than Hellmuth, or Galfond or whoever when they’re at their worst.”

The author also explained one of the biggest concepts in his book, which is being “in the zone.” Tendler stated the following:

The zone is basically the peak of your mental performance. It’s the space in your own mind where everything just seems sort of easy and natural. You’re making very high-level decisions very easily.

If you’re a golfer your golf swing is working out and every shot’s going where you want it and you’re able to visualize the shot very easily.

In poker your reads are spot-on and you’re able to make correct decisions easily, sometimes to the point that you’re not even sure exactly why it’s right.

Seeing as how poker skills are determined by your drive to learn and ability to focus, it definitely sounds like Tendler’s book could be pretty helpful for players.

Michael Phelps competes in First Major Poker Tournament

Thursday, January 10th, 2013

Olympic great Michael Phelps continues his flirtation with the poker world after competing in the 2013 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event. This was actually Phelps’ first “major” live tournament and he admitted to being nervous about the experience.

However, the nerves quickly subsided and he got some big hands early on to remain in contention. Phelps would go on to survive the first day and make a strong run in the second day as well. Unfortunately, he was eliminated on the final level of Day 2 by Eddy Sabat.

The hand began with Sabat leading out with 4,800 chips, which Michael called. With the rest of the table having folded, the flop was dealt Ks-Qd-5d. Sabat bet another 6,200 and Phelps called before the dealer dealt a 6c turn card. Eddy checked here while the 18-time Olympic gold medalist bet out 8,000 chips; Sabat called and a Jc river card was dealt afterward.

This prompted Sabat to go all-in while Phelps called him and flipped over 6s-6h for a set. However, Sabat had him beat after completing a broadway straight on the river.

With Michael Phelps now eliminated, so too goes the biggest celebrity at the 2013 PCA Main Event. But with a solid performance in his first big poker tournament, it’s likely that we’ll see the best swimmer in history at other major events.

As for his entire poker career, Phelps spent a lot of time playing cash games in Las Vegas following the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. He became friends with poker greats like Doyle Brunson and Phil Hellmuth during this time while improving his live skills. Eventually, Phelps final tabled a 2008 Caesars Palace Classic side event and earned $5,213 for the finish. Now that he’s retired from swimming, we should see a few more strong tournament finishes from him.

Phil Hellmuth wins WSOPE Main Event

Friday, October 5th, 2012

Just yesterday, we discussed how Phil Hellmuth was leading the 2012 WSOPE Main Event final table. The truth is that we didn’t expect the Poker Brat to actually win – even with his experience and skill – because it seems like the final table chip leader is never a safe bet for some reason. But Hellmuth was able to finish the job and win the WSOPE Main Event along with €1,022,376 ($1.33 million).

The Poker Brat was quite humbled by his victory as he said, “I don’t say this often, but I am truly humbled by this. This is one of the most prestigious titles in poker and to get this one, it’s right up there with the (1989) World Championship.”

Hellmuth continued to reflect on the WSOPE win by saying, “I played the best poker of my life in this tournament. My game is constantly evolving. I tried some new things out that really worked this time. My game is never the same. You’ve got to constantly be improving, and that’s what I do.”

What’s truly impressive about Hellmuth is how he continues to make poker history, despite holding plenty of records already. His WSOPE victory makes him the only player to ever win both this tournament and the WSOP Main Event.

The Poker Brat also extended his gold bracelet record to 13, which means neither Doyle Brunson nor Johnny Chan will be catching him any time soon with their 10 bracelets. It’ll also be a long time before anybody even comes close to the 95 WSOP cashes that Hellmuth has accumulated in his career.

Once the 2012 WSOP Main Event concludes on October 30th, Phil will be adding a Player of the Year award to his lengthy list of accolades. All in all, this year was extremely kind to Hellmuth.

Phil Hellmuth in Position to win 2012 WSOPE Main Event

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

With $16,159,430 in live tournament winnings and a record 12 WSOP gold bracelets, it seems like Phil Hellmuth has won just about everything. But the reality is that there are titles the Poker Brat hasn’t won including the WSOPE Main Event. Interestingly enough, the Poker Brat is in a good position to add the 2012 WSOPE Main Event title to his decorated resume since he leads the final table with 3,434,000 chips.

But it’s worth mentioning that he leads by the slimmest of margins because Sergii Baranov is right behind him with 3,339,000 chips. The Ukrainian businessman is an amateur player who’s won two EPT side events in his career.

Joseph Cheong (1.966 million) is definitely a player of interest on this final table since he finished third place in the 2010 WSOP Main Event. Thanks to this $4,130,059 cash and plenty of other strong tournament finishes, Cheong has racked up $5,377,687 in career winnings.

Both Stephane Albertini (1.162m) and Christopher Brammer (851k) are certainly formidable players. Both of these poker pros have experienced considerable success on the live tournament circuit and will be looking to add their biggest career cashes.

One more player that should definitely be discussed here is Jason Mercier. Sure the Florida native has one of the smallest remaining chip stacks, but his experience definitely makes him someone to watch. It would be nice to see Mercier collect a big cash since he’s struggled in 2012 – or at least struggling for a guy who’s collected $7,912,297 in live tourneys.

With just one more day to go in the WSOPE Main Event, we’ll get to see the winner crowned tonight. Hellmuth would certainly provide a marquee winner, but both Cheong and Mercier are well-noted players as well.

2012 WSOPE Main Event Final Table

1. Phil Hellmuth – 3,434,000 chips
2. Sergii Baranov – 3,339,000
3. Joseph Cheong – 1,966,000
4. Stephane Albertini – 1,162,000
5. Christopher Brammer – 851,000
6. Stephane Girault – 664,000
7. Jason Mercier – 652,000
8. Paul Tedeschi – 543,000