WSOP
2003 Day 13
And The Whiner Is...
Today
I watched the final table of the $2,500
Limit Holdem, it's hard to resist a table
that has Phil Hellmuth in attendance,
it's like watching McEnroe at Wimbledon,
you instantly want to root for the other
guy. In that respect Phil is great for
poker, he has the type of personality
that will keep the TV viewers coming back
for more. As you know by now he won, no
arguing here that he deserved it, but
I continue to be amazed by his antics.
If he lost a hand he'd start mumbling
or get up and pace around as if the heavens
had fallen and that there was some evil
plot against him, if he won a hand then
he would explain how well he'd played
it and grab the mike to talk about his
worthy opponent who he'd just outplayed.
Phil says he has ESP, he claims to have
premonitions of who will win events. He
also thinks the dealer has some influence
over his luck. Heads up they came back
from a break and he immediately lost about
7 hands in a row, he glared at the dealer
and started making comments about the
poor girl as if she wasn't there, asking
Matt why she was still dealing and when
her down would be over, even implying
that it was a little odd that he comes
back from break and doesn't win another
hand, as if he was somehow being cold
decked. Is it really possible that one
of the best players in the world can be
so superstitious and think the dealer
or the way the cards are shuffled can
set the forces of evil against him? I
used to really like Phil and kept forgiving
his tantrums because he kept saying he
was aware of his faults and was working
hard to minimize them, but then I see
this performance and his one at Lucky
Chances WPT and wonder just how hard he
is working on his image. But when all
is said and done it's none of my business
how he acts, there's no poker rule against
it, and there's no question he is a great
poker player.
After
that was over I played the 11 p.m. event,
was chip leader at the third level, and
out by the fourth. I've decided this event
is probably not right for me, I'm going
to stick to the single table satellites
for a while where the early play is more
suited to my conservative ways.
Bracelet day T-3.
Paul Westley
|
