Phil Hellmuth
A well known pro poker player that would give a thumbs up to a UB bonus would be Phil Hellmuth, a UB spokesman famous in the poker world for his ridiculous table antics and multiple World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets. Hellmuth was the first of five children, born in 1964 in Wisconsin where he also attended university. Hellmuth married his wife, Kathy, and they moved to California where they have two sons.
You wouldn’t think it, but people are encouraged to earn their UB bonus when they find out that UB’s most prominent spokesman holds so many outstanding records. It’s just amazing to find out that he has earned bracelets in 11 WSOP events, winning the first one back in 1989 when he was just 24 years old. His most recent bracelet was won in 2007. He has the record for cashing the WSOP (75) and the most final tables with 41. His total WSOP winnings total $6.1 million which ranks him 9th on the WSOP All Time Money List. Many people are surprised when they find out that Hellmuth has still never won a World Poker Tour (WPT) event despite 3 final table appearances. He’s actually been able to cash 11 times in WPT tournaments and he has $691k in total winnings. All these records and cashes allowed him to be brought into the Poker Hall of Fame a few years ago in 2007.
It’s Hellmuth’s MTT poker success that caused him to become famous, but he is probably most well known for his antics and tantrums at the tables. Maybe his success has gone to his head a bit because he has a huge ego, and nothing upsets him more than a couple bad beats. In the past he’s directed his outbursts to those who benefit from his bad luck, calling them names and questioning their intelligence. In 2008 during WSOP he got a penalty because he wouldn’t stop abusing a player after he showed the table that he’d caused Hellmuth to fold a hand preflop with suited rags. His personality and countless shenanigans have earned him the honor of being called “The Poker Brat”.
It looks like Hellmuth is making good use of his unique nickname, however. He started a clothing line using the name Poker Brat, and if you want to get into his head, you can read his thoughts in the book titled Poker Brat. He’s the author of several books, actually, and he’s even made DVDs and a mobile phone game. He writes a newspaper column called “Hand of the Week” about interesting poker hands, and he blogs for both CardPlayer and UB. And then if you think about all the times he appears on TV at the tables and on reality shows, it’s clear that Hellmuth is cashing in at more than just playing cards.
You hear so much about getting a Full Tilt download or using a PokerStars bonus code, but UB deserves some of the online poker spotlight, too. Join Hellmuth at the tables and use a UB referral code if you haven’t already done so. With a lot of hard work and dedication, it’s possible to accomplish some of the things that Hellmuth has accomplished in his career. Be sure to read my first couple entries for more information about the benefits of playing at UB!