If you don’t know who he is already, Phil Hellmuth is a name you might hear a bit more of this week.
Hellmuth has just arrived at the 2021 World Series of Poker and is one of the biggest names on the circuit. He’s a magician around the felt, which is why he arrived to play poker in a wizard’s outfit this year. The high jinx are all well and good now, but the Poker Brat will soon be doing battle for the big prize; the $7m main event.
Hellmuth is big news in the poker world; think Tom Brady in NFL or Landon Donovan in soccer. Hellmuth is a superstar, one of the greatest poker players ever, and a very rich man indeed. He has 16 WSOP bracelets to his name and has reached the final table 64 times. Throw in a casual 165 money finishes, and you can understand why he is such a rich man.
Where Did He Come From?
Hellmuth was born in 1964 in Madison, Wisconsin, and had a troubled childhood. Grades were not good, and he had few friends; he’s described himself as the family’s Ugly Duckling. He went to the University of Wisconsin–Madison for three years before dropping out to play poker full time. He earned his first money finish in the 1988 WSOP, coming 33rd before being eliminated by the eventual winner, Johnny Chan. In 1989, he became the youngest player to win the Main Event, securing $755,000 in the process. He was elected to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2007 and is still a regular on the circuit. His most recent win came this month when he took $84,000 in the $1,500 No Limit 2-7 Lowball Draw.
How Much Is He Worth?
Hellmuth is thought to be worth more than $20m, although his live tournament earnings are believed to be more than $24m. He does have several endorsement deals with hotels, poker machines, and other products, such as apps. He has his own poker app, Hellmuth’ Hold’em, which is based on the popular variant Texas Hold’em. He has also released a book, Play poker Like The Pros, which has helped cement his income.
He also owns several companies, one being a real estate company, and another his clothing range, PokerBrat.com. He is a regular on the speaking circuit, giving motivational speeches and doing public appearances. He has missed out on chances to increase his wealth; he is believed to have turned down the opportunity to invest in Bitcoin when it was at $90, which would have multiplied his wealth many times over. His interest in crypto has been raised recently, as he announced
Does He Live a Lavish Lifestyle?
As a man of means, you’d expect Hellmuth to live lavish. He is known to frequent the penthouse suites of the Aria in Las Vegas and has spoken in the past about owning a Cadillac and a penthouse. He did live in Vegas on Bel Air Drive, which he recently sold for almost $500,000. The poker legend now lives in a comfortable but not decadent home in Palo Alto, California.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like our piece on another poker celebrity of sorts, Molly Bloom.
