Cardrunners have published an extract from eleven times bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth’s new book, ‘Deal me in’, which reveals the Pokerbrat’s set of life goals.
Brash, egotistical and obnoxious are just some of the words snipers use to describe Phil Hellmuth. Despite holding the world record for number of WSOP bracelets, Hellmuth’s arrogance, chastising of other players on the green felt and craving of the media spotlight haven’t exactly endeared him to many people. Even though his successes indicate he’s one of the greatest No-Limit tournament players to grace the poker world, deficits in online Limit cash games have spurred on the critics. Being the face of disgraced website Ultimate Bet, notorious for a cheating scandal which saw super-users steal thousands at nosebleed stakes, doesn’t help either.
Whether Hellmuth really is the spoilt, self-centred teenager he sometimes behaves like deep down is debatable. In interviews he’s quick to reassure people that his behaviour is all part of his ‘badboy’ poker image, part of ‘brand’ Hellmuth. He recently set up a site, www.pokerbrat.com, which sells a whole host of poker paraphernalia.
Hellmuth’s new book features extracts written from 20 poker pros (in memory of the 20 years its been since Phil triumphed in the 1989 Main Event), including Phil Ivey and Tom Dwan. They document the highs and lows of being a poker pro, offering snippets of advice on the way. Community site Cardrunners published an extract where Hellmuth notes the ‘life ambitions’ he conjured up when nineteen.
‘1. Win the “Big One” at the WSOP
2. Meet and marry a wonderful woman
3. Write a New York Times bestselling book
4. Buy a beautiful house
5. Buy a nice car
6. Win tons of big poker tournaments’
We can all respect Hellmuth’s dedication and ability to ‘fulfil’ his goals, as he claims, by 25. Critics will argue that publishing such a list, which includes shallow material desires such as number five, is another pathetic attempt of self-glorification.
Regardless, Hellmuth’s book should make for an intriguing read, not least because of the range of experiences shared by the pros. At $24.99 though, it may be worth sitting out for a bit and letting the dealer button pass round.