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"I’m playing the best poker of my life.”
Phil Hellmuth has said it time and again, but this year he might have been right. He won his tenth bracelet, tying him with Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson for the record. He made an Omaha final table and two other hold’em final tables. With eight cashes, he led the Series. The poker of his life? This time, he may be right.
Who better than Phil Hellmuth at the peak of his powers to start off ESPN’s coverage of the World Series Main Event? Less than two weeks after the completion of the tournament, ESPN got their first two episodes on the air with little apparent difficulty, with Hellmuth and Mike Matusow featured throughout the evening. Two surefire recipes for entertaining television.
Hellmuth found himself sitting with fellow pro Randy Jensen and a collection of unfamiliar faces and the fireworks started right away. He was dealt Jacks against Jensen’s queens and managed to get away with minimal damage despite the flop coming nine-high. He then got dealt kings against another player’s aces and managed to lose less than 1,000. Phil was beside himself over his minimal losses, but they were still losses. He needed to build his stack.
Unfortunately, ESPN’s newest feature ‘Championship Moments’ reminiscence of his 1989 victory was as close as he’d get. Phil was shown winning a four-way pot, but even that left him with little more than 4,000. Finally, the moment came where Phil needed to try to double up. It came against amateur Hamid Hakami.
Hellmuth moved in pre-flop with As-Qc and Hakami called with pocket sevens. Phil, trying to be a newer, more mature Phil, tightened his face in anticipation of what ultimately was a poor flop; 2d-9d-3d. Phil needed an ace or a queen without a diamond hitting. It didn’t happen.
The turn was 8s, the river 10s. Phil got in a parting jab on Hakami before shaking hands with all and leaving the table. It was a quiet exit for a guy we’ve come to expect loud from. Still, he had one hell of a series; one of the best of his career.
Gary Wise
gary@wisehandpoker.com
