Party Poker Blog

Today's Phil Hellmuth ESPN chat

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SportsNation Buzzmaster: Helloooooooooooo! Phil Hellmuth will be here shortly!

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Hello! I'm not going to be hyping all my
products this time so if you want to buy anything just go to
www.philhellmuth.com!

Tony, Las Vegas, NV: Is it true that you are launching a Poker Fantasy
Camp? What are the details?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Absolutely true. That is going to be Aug.
18-20 .. with the emphasis on 19th-20th. It will called Camp Hellmuth
and will be held at Ceaser's Palace. You probably need to sign up
through www.philhellmuth.com. It's a done deal and should be lots of
fun.

jim (dallas): Did you like the format of the HeadsUp Championship?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Perfect!!! Of course I thought it was
perfect because I won! It might be better if we had seedings so I don't
have to play Men The Master Nuygen in the first round next time.

Makito Birmingham, Alabama: Does you fame make it harder or easier to
win?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Being famous offers a lot of other
opportunities but then you get busy with those other opportunities. If
you are not careful, you win less by virtue of playing less.

jon (nyc): Howdo you feel about Paul Phillips recent blog entry about
you?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Personally, I like Paul Phillips. I think
he is good for poker and he and I had a nice match at the Heads Up. It
was very calm and peaceful. He showed a lot of class in our match.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: At the party on Friday night she showed up
in a Phil Hellmuth hockey jersey before the draw. He also wore it while
we played .

Pete (Melbourne FLA): How was it fliming with the mattador? Do you
expect another season of TILT? The crimelord quote was hilarious. Are
you going to do more acting?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: I really love acting. We are looking at a
new reality show right now that we may do. I will not quit playing
poker to act though. I really like Michael Madsen. He and I are going
to go out sometime and drink tequila straight up! That's how he likes
to drink it.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: But we shot until 11:30 at night in
Toronto. We shot all day one day and half of the day on Day 2.

Josh Kansas City, MO: Do you think players should be given a play clock
to make a decision or do you think it hurts the game?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Right now the players have taken it into
their own hands to call clocks when people are too slow. It's an
alarming trend in poker that people are taking 3-4 minutes for a lot of
routine decisions. The other day somebody kept calling a clock and I
said it was justified. I also don't mind somebody calling clock on me,
esp. if it do it twice in a row. So this problem will resolve itself.

Jim (Euclid, OH): Where can I get a Hellmuth hockey jersey?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Since you asked, you can go to
flopgear.com.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: I will have my own clothing line out by
August and as soon as next week there will be links on my website.
T-shirts and hats.

Irving (Santa Barbara, CA): Ive recently been trying to make a move to
bigger games (NL 1000, 2000). However, Ive been told that this is where
the most collusion takes place. What are your thought about this and
cheating altogether in poker?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Everybody always says that when you get to
the high stakes games there is a lot of cheating. I've heard that my
whole career. That's what people who don't know any better say. I know
the guys who play 1000, 2000 and it's not collusion it's just you are
facing the best cash game players in the game today. Phil Ivey has
destroyed them at the highest level. With collusion, he would never
have done what he was able to do.

Sip (Chicago, IL): Who do you think will win the NCAA tourney?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: My favorite to win the NCAA POKER
Tournamant is Phil Hellmuth (since he already did it.) LOL ... but
Illinois looks tough. But wouldn't surprise me if North Carolina won.
Roy Williams is hungry and due.

Rich Long Island, NY: What hurt the pride more--getting beat by Annie
Duke or the Matador.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: LOL .. getting beat by the Matador,
although it hurt, it didn't cost me anything!

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: So draw your own conclusions ..

Kev (NYC): How's your Yoga going?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: I've done yoga once in my life .. but I
have been meditating more and more. And, for the first time in a year
and a half, I started working out. Right before I won the Heads Up. I
WILL BE WORKING OUT A LOT THIS YEAR!

Dom: Chicago, IL: When you leave a tournament or get busted out, how do
you stop yourself from thinking about poker. How do you relax yourself,
and focus on the positives?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Stop! Never! Seriously though, I do try to
count my blessings when I have been eliminated and I feel like my
bloessings are off the chart .. Phil says thank you to the powers to be
and to the universe.

Dave (Chicago): Hi Phil: ESPN's coverage of the Tourament of Champions
at the WSOP this year did not exactly show you in a good light. How did
you feel about it when you saw it? More broadly, how accurate is TV
coverage of poker tournys in order to understand how a match
progresses?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: I sat on the couch with my wife and sons
and watched it. My sons were rolling their eyes saying ''Dad, what's
wrong with you?'' You don't often here me swear on TV ... act badly,
yes, but not swear .. what can I tell you. I got 0 and she got $2
million. I felt like she had all the cards that day.

Scott (Las Vegas): What do you think of your chances at this years
World Series of Poker? How tough will it be go through over 5,000
players with a target on your head?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: It's only an extra day or two of play. I
absolutely must, I absolutely have to, I absolutely will find a way to
win another WSOP Championship event.

John (Lebanon, ME): Hi Phil. What types of things do you look for when
the other players are being dealt and looking at their hole cards?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: I kind of just keep my eyes wide open.
Sometimes people unadvertendly jump and you can sense it.

Kev (NYC): Do you still consider yourself the "Poker Brat"?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: ABSOLUTELY!

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: It's not a moniker that I was proud of for
many years, but it seems to have made me an extra ten bails of money.

Cthal, NE: Phil, will you be playing in the upcoming WPT (Party Poker
Millions) event next week?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: No, I'm skipping that. I'm going to be
playing March 20 at the Rio Hotel and Casino in the WSOP circuit event
(which will be shown on ESPN in July I think)

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: March 20 I am doing a $25,000 night in Las
Vegas (I know it sounds crazy that I'm playing a tournament and event,
but I committed to the event well in advance so I'm going to be playing
all day while also doing this event for a major bank) Recently I have
raised by rates to $50,000/day. I'm trying to price myself out of the
market because I travel too much. But the phone is still ringing.

Wes, MD: You don't have to answer if you don't want, but curious what
an average night at a cash came nets phil hellmuth?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Last night at Ultimatebet.com I lost about
$7700.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: But these days I don't play as many cash
games. That's why I like playing on the internet.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: In fact, right after this chat ends, I'll
be playing for an hour at ultimatebet.com.

andrew (California): In the movie about you, who plays you? Pauly
SHore?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: The script has been written. Ashton Kutcher
said no. Leo DiCaprio said no. Tobey McGuire said no. The movie ends
when I am 24. But we have a major star who has basically committed to
playing me and he is right in the league of the three I mentioned. But
I'm not sure if he gave his verbal committment or not so I can't say
his name.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: The name will be The Madison Kid. They hope
to shoot in July of this year. But it hasn't been greenlit yet.

Chops ((ATL)): Aside from the $7700 last night, do you have more
success in Internet cash games than live?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: No. In the live cash games, my winning
perc. has been phenomenal the last two years. I only play when I've
been eliminated from a tourney and am on the road anyway. I seem to
just kill them because I really look forward to the games. Whereas with
the internet, I feel like the stakes are lower than I normally play,
even UB80-160 is small in comparison. However, I have a friend who won
$500,000 this year already on the internet so maybe I need to
reexamine! But in the end, my No. 1 priority is my family and health.
My No. 2 is trying to become the best poker player of all time. No. 3
is all these business ventures I have been blessed with .. books, DVDs,
the movie, cell phone game, fantasy camp, and many many other great
things like this. And my weekly syndicated column called Hellmuth's
Hold 'Em!

Carl: Las Vegas, NV: Phil, who do you think is the SECOND best player
out there?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: I always say Johnny Chan. But Daniel
Negraneu has had a great poker tournament run over the last year and a
half. My hat is off to him.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Tell Danny Boy that Phil is back!

Dean, Derry NH: What is your UB screen name?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: PhilHellmuth

Egg (Detroit): Phil, who is your toughest competition....is there a guy
out there that just always seems to have your number?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Interestingly, in the NBC Heads Up
Tournament I faced 2-3 people along the way who have had my number and
I wanted to even the score with anyway. There are people that don't
respect my play or whatever, and I always like to show them who I
really am. Until they play with me for a period of time, it's easy to
not respect me. But when you play with me for awhile, you will respect
me. Those people had my number but I got to play them and it was
perfect. Before one match, I told my wife whether he beats me or not,
after today, he will look at me in a different light.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Winning them all was even sweeter.

weinman (ATL): In the real WSOP, would you have called the matador's
all in with trip kings and the str8 flush draw? You were second in
chips with a marginal hand.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: No way! If it were the real WSOP I may have
had to move all in on the flop. I flopped top pair and a straight flush
draw. However, after the King paired, I would not have called all in
most times.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: This year I have been calling people when
they move all in on me.. so don't try to bluff me!!

Kev (NYC): What separates the good from the great?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Reading ability. Feel for the game. If you
read someone perfectly, you should be able to develop a strategy to win
a lot of poker tournaments. Also, it takes some guts to act on that
information. Sometimes you read someone as being weak but you still
have to push your chips in to bluff them.

Ken (Richmond, VA): Phil, you're a great guy. I don't care what Norman
Chad says about you.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: LOL! I love Norman Chad, my parents don't
love Norman Chad. In fact, they are still mad at him. But I love Norman
Chad. He has helped turn me into the bad boy of poker.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Norman calls me on my BS, although he calls
me on BS when it doesn't even exist. That what's my parents hate.

scott (boston): phil, what did you think of that guy on ub last night
that was ragging on you a lot at the end?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Everytime I play at ulimatebet is about the
only time the public has access to me. Not only that, they have
anonymous access. So quite naturally I take a lot of BS from people
that are jealous or dislike my personal or dislike how I act out (I.e.
poker brat) But I don't begrudge them. This is a normal, natural
function of life. However, I can have their chat banned with one email.

Scot (Miami): Who would you consider your role model? John McEnroe?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: LOL! I met John McEnroe and we hit if off
really well. But the only role model I really have is my father who
managed to keep my mother and us five kids at the top of his priority
list. It is important for me to put family first (with all of these
great opportunities out there in life, I struggle to give my family the
most possible time. But I still feel good about the balance in my life)

Zac (Texas): Hey Phil, HUGE fan, Big congrats on your win at the Golden
Nugget. Can you talk a little bit about what your next book is going to
entail?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: The next poker strategy book will have some
Heads Up (one on one) strategy! My next book .. Phil Hellmuth's Texas
Hold Em .. is basically like Play Poker Like the Pros .. expect I have
a kick ass chapter on how to win tournaments. It's only $6.50. That one
chapter makes it worth buying. Any other book plans have been on hold
for awhile. I'm just too busy with everything in life to write another
book in the next few months. I will always go back to writing books
because I love it. But I'm not sure I'll have another book out until
late '06 or mid '07.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: However, if I do write another strategy
book, that is something I can finish in 50-60 days of intense writing.

Carl: Las Vegas, NV: I bet on Howard Lederer to win the WSOP (your odds
were too small). What's your record like against Howard?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: We faced off in 1995 .. came down to us at
the Hall of Fame championship event. I beat him that time. I respect
Howard and I think he is a great poker player.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: One of the things that pissed me off is it
seemed like people forgot who I am. I have been busy and not playing
tournaments. But I was disrespected by the odds at the Heads Up .. I
was 20th on the odds sheet and it pissed me off. Who else has 9 hold
'em championships? Isn't that evidence enough I can play heads up? I
hope some of you made some money betting on me.

Zac (Texas): One more question Phil, what are your thoughts on part of
the WSOP being at the Rio this year? Do you welcome the change in
venues?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Yes. All things must change (except the
Masters .. but they did change that when they lengthend it) I love the
Rio. I finshed second in 2000 and finished 2nd in the Tournament of
Champions at the Rio. I have also won tournaments at Rio, including
once against Johnny Chan. The last two years I have had lots of
business stuff during the WSOP. I did all kinds of interviews, flew out
of town for other events, etc. But this year I'm focusing on bracelets
10.11, 12. No. 10 would set off an avalance of press. I'm am devoting
all my time and energy to winning bracelet 10 this year. I hope my
licence plate goes from 9poker9 to poker12 (representing 12 national
championship) I'm thinking big in '05! I won bracelet in 2001, two in
2003, and I'm hoping for 3 in 2005! I've won 8 of my 9 bracelets in odd
years! It's 2005 baby! I'm on the board and I'm ready to roll!

Tom (MIZZOU): Who is the hottest female celeb according to you?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: LOL! Lindsay Lohan is a little young for
me, but she's beautiful.

joe (new york): phil, what do you really think of sam grizzle?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Going back for a second .. Amber of Rob and
Amber is amazingly beautiful in person. I get along with Sam, I really
do. I always have. He can be a destructive talker in a game whereas I
just get pissed off when I lose a pot. Sam can get destructive when
he's tired. But in general, people like him. He's a very funny guy. If
you take him too seriously, he will get under your skin. Just laugh
with him.

Fordo (Indiana): Hey Phil, do you enjoy the WSOP more now than the good
ol' days when only the pros showed up?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: I love it now! What's not to like? The
prize pools are bigger! There are more people there. I feel like
everytime I walk in the room, there are a ton of eyes on me. Even the
greatest players don't play with me often because of my isolation. I
don't live in Vegas, although I have a house there. I live in N.
California and I try to make my family No. 1. I might fly in just for
one big event and fly home as soon as I'm eliminated. The World Series
is like a reunion for me. I want to try and be there most of the whole
six weeks. Because it's summer, I think I can have my wife and kids
with me.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: I like to have a lot of fun in life ...
last year I went to the Super Bowl, Orange Bowl, etc. I love going to
big events. I sat with Andy Roddick's coach and trainer here in San
Jose. I threw a VIP Grammy party where I met Wyclef Jean and some other
rappers. I'm having a lot of fun right now. I like to enjoy myself.

Matt (Rochester, NY): Do you make the majority of your money during
live games, online, or through your countless endorsements?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Endorsements. I supported myself but until
2002 I was never really paid any money outside of being a pro poker
player. I've been lucky in real estate and the stock market. But in
2002 I got big endorsement streams coming in from all kinds of
different projects. My clothing line alone, who knows how much money I
will make from that. I'm very blessed and lucky to have them. But
through my endoresements and such, I could make about $400 million. In
poker, $1-2 million a year is OK.

Nick: Naples Florida: What kind of wheels does the poker brat roll on?

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: Nothing too sick. I'm in a Lexus LS400
painted gold with the licence plate 9poker9. I tried to buy a $175,000
car recently .. a Lamborghini .. but my wife vetoed that (way back when
I had a midnight blue Porsche with a whale tail but I lost my license
because of speeding tickets. The Lamborghini scared my wife) Sometime
in 2006 or sooner I will have a Lamborghin or more likely a Rolls
Royce.

Prince (Pittsburgh): Get the 2-door Bentley I saw it at the car show,
it's sick!

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: That's a good idea.. except I have two
kids.

Wayne (Grosse Pointe, MI): Clothing line? Have you seen yourself
dressed? I don't think Ralph Lauren is lossing sleep.

SportsNation Phil Hellmuth: LOL .. fair enough. But I've been paid lots
of money to dress this way! When you see what the line looks like, you
may lose some skepticism! I AM THE BAD BOY OF POKER; I AM THE POKER
BRAT .. I AM THE MAN IN BLACK!

Thanks for the questions ... I'll be back at ESPN.com soon for another
chat!