From: greatbrit <pwestley@pacbell.net>
Newsgroups: rec.gambling.poker
Subject: WSOP 2003, Day 13:  and the whiner is...
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2003 17:20:20 -0700

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