In this week’s installments of December’s Poker Series, Controversy in Poker, we have compiled some of the best stories about one of the game’s most controversial players. Phil Hellmuth, the Poker Brat, has a long list of offences, so let’s get back to them.
During the 2007 World Series of Poker Main Event, Phil Hellmuth’s sponsor, UltimateBet, arranged for the poker pro to arrive in an UltimateBet racecar, escorted by 11 UltimateBet models (one for each of Hellmuth’s 11 World Series of Poker bracelets). However, Hellmuth lost control of the vehicle in the parking lot and crashed it into a concrete light fixture. After the accident, Hellmuth showed up at the event in a limo, met his escorts, and made his grand appearance two hours later. Poker Brat or entitled celebrity?
On Day 5 of the 2008 World Series of Poker, Phil Hellmuth folded a hand to poker pro Christian Dragomir. Asked by the table to show his hand, Dragomir revealed that he had called Hellmuth’s pre-flop re-raise with a 10,4. Hellmuth berated his opponent, calling him an “idiot,” and was eventually issued a warning by the floorperson for his abusive behaviour. He was issued a one-round penalty to be played out at the beginning of the following day. However, overnight, Hellmuth met privately with World Series of Poker commissioner Jeffrey Pollack, who overruled the floorperson’s decision. Ultimately, Hellmuth finished the tournament in 45th place while Dragomir finished in 29th.
Another incident took place on 20 December 2008 while Phil Hellmuth was playing $200/$400 heads-up limit Hold’em on UltimateBet. Apparently, there was a software glitch and a $5,599 pot was awarded to Hellmuth even though he had the worst hand. This event became a considerable poker controversy in the online forums due to Hellmuth’s later comments about the hand, including “you want to play or what?” and “I play U limit, right now.” In addition, Hellmuth commented that he had experienced such errors a hundred times in his online career, which directly contradicted UltimateBet’s official statement that no other cases such as this had ever occurred.
So, is Phil Hellmuth really a Poker Brat, or has he just developed a controversial reputation due to a few misunderstood situations? There is no doubt, at least, that Hellmuth is one of the most controversial poker players out there.
