Phil Hellmuth reveals all in Reddit AMA
The Poker Brat opened up about his recent earnings, who he’s dressing up as for this year’s World Series of Poker Main Event entrance and why he eats a beef sandwich like a “drunk baboonâ€.
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Phil Hellmuth braved the haters and revealed all on a variety of different areas of his life during last night’s Reddit ‘Ask Me Anything’ (AMA) poker thread. The 17-time WSOP bracelet winner left no question unanswered as he was open and honest about controversial moments in his career.
The Poker Brat, who recently joined Octopi Poker, was answering under the banner of their site on Reddit just like players such as Stephen Chidwick and Daniel Negreanu and was quickly flooded with questions about his personal life, the time he’s spent at the poker felt and even his eating habits.
Revealing several new nuggets of information, Hellmuth wasn’t afraid to speak his mind on a variety of subjects. We’ve selected some of the best questions and The Poker Brat’s responses to them.
How poker has changed through the decades
Q: How has poker changed from the 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s? What was each decade like?
Phil Hellmuth: “80s - I could run over the fields with aggression. 90s - poker was still smaller, and everyone knew everyone. It was a tight-knit community. 2000s - massive explosion! Millions of new folks entered our game. Strategies started ‘crazy 4-bets’ but by 2009 those guys were all busted. 2010s - GTO and everyone selling strategies that were bad! Yummy! 2020s - solver tools help, but you still need reading.”
Q: Looking back with 20/20 hindsight where do you rate your poker abilities / knowledge on a scale of 1-10 against your peers at the following ages?
Phil Hellmuth: “20s - abilities and knowledge 9, but I was way ahead on strategy! 30s - 10 but a step behind in mixed games. 40s - 10 but a small step behind in mixed games. 50s - 10 out of 10 (so good they don’t even comprehend it). 60s - TBD. I hope to show them what I can do in June/July.”
Q: What's your favourite televised moment/hand, your biggest learning moment that was televised and who is currently your favourite poker player?
Phil Hellmuth: “1.) Favourite moment - winning WSOPE Main Event. I was playing so street that Antonio Esfandiari was flummoxed in the booth! 2.) Unclear. Probably something about bluffing and when to slow down and when to stop! 3.) I like a lot of the guys!”
Q: Why did you eat that sandwich like that?
Phil Hellmuth: “It started in the pandemic. I took my mask off, but didn’t want to leave the mask off for long. So I took a huge bite!! I was shocked later when I watched the show back and they made a big deal out of my huge bite. Then it felt like they filmed me every single time I ate. And those videos went viral. Sometimes I did eat the meat out of the sandwich and that became a thing! Later I found out there are channels on YouTube that feature folks that eat food. I guess I should start my own channel.”
Hellmuth lets WSOP cosplay costume out of the bag
Q: With better modelling, resources and analysis in 2026, what are some “poker rules” that you employ now that you would have disagreed with or were not even on your radar in 1989?
Phil Hellmuth: “I’m not sure I have any rules! Other than I try not to bluff it all off. Also, if my table is aggro, then I play super tight!”
Q: Where can we get more shirtless pictures/videos of you doing yoga/meditation?
Phil Hellmuth: “Please! No more shirtless pictures!! ESPN did that, but in 2005 I didn’t mind. At age 61, no more shirtless photos!”
Q: Online tracking shows that you've lost $956,040 over all the live-streamed games you've played in over the past 20 years. Why do you think you have such a tough time beating live-streamed cash games?
Phil Hellmuth: “Online tracking is WAY off! How insulting!! I won 22 out of 23 sessions of filming from 2013 to 2020, including being the biggest winner in ‘Rob’s Game’ for like $400,000! I did have some losses the past few years, but more wins than losses.”
Q: What was the absolute peak of the poker boom?
Phil Hellmuth: “I believe the All-In Musical would have worked. The songs were world class, the story was interesting, but the timing was the nut low. It was impossible to raise money that summer.”
"I try to avoid flips"
Q: What was your coolest/funniest side bet?
Phil Hellmuth: “I have had some great side bets!! Huck Seed and I bet on a bunch of random stuff. Like would Bobby Hurley last three years in the NBA! He would have, except for a motorcycle accident! Huck bet me on golf, pool, his weight! The worst was when I bet him $15,000 a month that he would weigh less than 180 pounds! He collected for 3-5 years! I finally bought him out for $70,000. How does a 6’6’’ man maintain that weight? Sigh...”
Q: How did the Chris Moneymaker win and the ensuing poker boom change your life?
Phil Hellmuth: “Chris Moneymaker won $175,000 the last two days filming with me! It is a sore subject for me right now! Moneymaker contributed in a huge way to the poker boom, which led to me becoming famous and eventually wealthy. I don’t mind the fame, I’m used to it, just be nice to everyone at all times (except occasionally at the poker tables!!). The poker boom has been very, very good to me!”
Q: In your opinion what mistakes do most pros make in MTTs that you do not?
Phil Hellmuth: “I do try to avoid flips as often as I can. I do try to fold JJ or QQ pre-flop for 25 big blinds. Or fold JJ and QQ when I ‘feel I am beat’ — white magic! Reading ability separates me from the crowd. Each generation of learning is different. I felt it was awful in 2004-2010, awful in 2010-2015, really bad from 2015 to 2018. I think GTO was really bad! Solvers are the first thing that make sense to me.”
Q: Have you thought about your next entrance costume?
Phil Hellmuth: “Superman! July 3rd. Son Nick as Batman, Jungleman and son Phillip TBD. Chris Washburn as Deadpool.”
This summer, Phil Hellmuth will be at the centre of the poker world once again, facing his Kryptonite — sandwiches involving bread — and chasing his record-extending 18th WSOP gold bracelet. It’s been 10 years since he last did an AMA, but the response to the latest Reddit session might mean he’s back on sooner rather than later.
