Brava

December 2011

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live in a man's world Phil Hellmuth The hometown poker champ shows his hand By Meagan Parrish Phil Hellmuth is a man of many faces. His poker face is the most famous, of course. Having bagged 11 World Series of Poker cham- pionship bracelets, the Madison native is one of the world's most decorated and highest-grossing players. Then there is, well, his bratty side. Known for taunting competi- tors and throwing the occasional tantrum after a loss, Hellmuth has also made a name as the game's wild card, a reputation he's used to his advantage by creating a merchandise line branded with the name "Poker Brat." But Hellmuth also has a softer side. At a time when the scandals of many sports players make headlines, Hellmuth has maintained a comparably down-to-earth lifestyle. Married for over 20 years and the proud father of two grown boys, he is also a busy philan- thropist who has worked with numerous charities to help raise $17 million (to date) for causes ranging from humanitarian work in Africa to local health care. This month Hellmuth is returning to his hometown to host Phil Hellmuth's Hold'em with HospiceCare Celebrity Poker Event, which supports the Agrace HospiceCare's mission to provide care to families with life-limiting conditions. Sitting at a poker table in Madison he'll once again show why the bad boy of poker is a pretty standup guy after all. In your early 20s you dropped out of UW-Madison to pursue poker full time. Where did you find games back then? My first game was at the Memorial Union. It was pretty under- ground back in the 80s, but the poker climate was just heating up so that you could play in Madison five days a week. Since then, you've moved to California and have become one of the game's stars. But you've also developed the reputation of being a poker brat. How much of that is for entertainment? Friends or the people I play with [always say] they love playing with me. What you see on TV is the frustration—the moment of me playing for two or three days and then someone doing something so stupid I can't handle it. But I think I've been miscast. I've never cheated on my wife, I don't do drugs, but somehow I'm the bad boy! You've helped raise money for organizations such as Ante Up For Africa, Eva's Heroes, Agrace HospiceCare and more. What inspired you to become so involved with charity work? I started emceeing corporate events. I would just have the micro- phone and talk for hours straight, making people laugh and adding energy to the event. Then I started doing it for charities and was told my presence helped bring in money, so that made me feel good. Quick Questions with Hellmuth Favorite spot in Madison to visit? I love going to Himal Chuli and to Players Sports Bar. Do you play poker with your sons? Yes, my son Phillip won the family tournament last Christmas. I finished third. 28 BRAVA Magazine December 2011 If you weren't a poker player, what would you be? Maybe an author or a promoter. Where do you keep your 11 championship bracelets? I've given them all away to family. I only keep the first one I won in 1989. What hand should you always fold with? There's no hand you should always fold with. I could give you list of 30 hands that you should fold with 99 percent of the time, but then you're not giving your reading abilities a chance. And there's just so many [charities that need help]. I haven't really specialized on one [cause]. I do have my own thoughts about what I'd do with my own foundation, but I've delayed that because I want to support other charities. What would you do with your own foundation? My heart goes to U.S. kids that are homeless. Whether you feel their parents are responsible or not, everyone can agree that a child in the U.S. who's homeless deserves and needs help. On Dec. 17 you'll be hosting your Hold'em with HospiceCare event, where you'll be offering tips to the crowd and sitting down to play. Are you going to take it easy on the people sitting at your table? Absolutely not. You don't want to play basketball with Michael Jordan just to see him miss every shot so you can win. You want to see him at his best. You're considered a living legend of poker. When you play now, do you still feel like you have something to prove or can you just relax and have fun? You do feel like you have something to prove. Even though I have every championship in poker, some still say I can't adjust for the modern era. If I don't win a bracelet in the next three years, I'm probably going to hear about it from critics. People in this world are very results oriented, and that's OK. I like to win. •••

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