Phil Hellmuth Enters the Poker Hall of Fame
2007-07-06 23:33:50
By: Gene Bromberg
During his career Phil Hellmuth has had a variety of unique titles attached to his name. He's the youngest player to Win the WSOP Main Event. He's the Poker Brat. He's the first player to win 11 World Series Bracelets. And yesterday he added a new honorific to his extensive poker resume.
Hall of Famer.
Yesterday Phil and three-time bracelet winner Barbara Enright were elected to the Poker Hall of Fame. Enright is the first woman to be so honored, and she and Hellmuth join such poker luminaries as Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan and Stu Ungar.
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"The criteria and standards for induction into the Hall of Fame are high," said World Series of Poker commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. "A gambler must have played against top competition for high stakes, played well, and gained the respect of his or her peers, and stood the test of time. Barbara and Phil clearly meet these high standards, and we are delighted to welcome them into the Hall of Fame as the Class of 2007.
When he took his turn to speak to the assembled crowd, Phil was Phil. "You waited this long to put me in the Hall of Fame," he kidded. "I was supposed to be there in my twenties, my thirties!" He went on to thank a long list of friends and supporters, most notably his wife.
And Phil has had a very strong World Series, which includes winning that 11th bracelet and six cashes in total, and he might be in a position to add to the incredible accomplishments he's racked up the last seven weeks. "I'm not done yet," Phil said. "I'd like to have a nice long run in the Main Event. I'd like 24 bracelets."
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