Phil Hellmuth Will Up His Reps to Win a WPT Title
Phil Hellmuth has quite the WPT record. But even with 13 WPT Main Tour cashes and four final table appearances, he's yet to get a title. He talked to PokerNews at the World Poker Tour Five Diamond World Poker Classic.
What comes to mind when you think about the WPT Five Diamond World Poker Classic?
[WPT Five Diamond] is a very important event for the poker world and one that I really want to win. To me, it’s definitely a top four WPT event that I wanted. I wanted the $25,000 Championship the most and I’ve wanted the Legends of Poker at the Bicycle Casino and the L.A. Poker Classic at Commerce Casino. Along with this one, I really want those as well.
What does the Bellagio signify to you?
Bellagio brings out the best. The best players and some of the best tournaments. The reason why is that it’s in Vegas. Everyone knows about this event way in advance and marks their calendars. Everybody respects this event, and it looks like we might set a record.
What would it mean to you to win a WPT title?
I’m writing my autobiography right now and I’m noticing that I’ve done a lot. I mean, I’m looking, and I think I would have won Player of the Year at the World Series five or six or seven times now. It’s crazy. But then after the WSOP, I shut it down.
I played WPT Choctaw, but this is really the only major event I’ve played since the WSOP Main Event. I’m not giving myself enough reps. So the WPT, because my life is so full, and I’m so balanced, in the WPT, I’m not really playing like a professional poker player. Winning a WPT is something that I have to do. I have to start giving myself more reps because I feel like I might win six or seven eventually.
You speak about more reps, do you feel it’s just a matter of time before you win a WPT title?
I think I play only two or three WPTs per year. It’s just not many when you’ve got guys out there who play 15 or 20 a year. It’s a big disadvantage as far as owning WPT titles when you just don’t play as many, but I plan on stepping up my WPT schedule a little bit more.
Winning a WPT is something that I have to do. I have to start giving myself more reps because I feel like I might win six or seven eventually.
Again, I’m writing my autobiography and it looks to me like when I have a bad World Series — I think players, cashes and abilities are on a sine wave. No matter what we do, no matter how we influence, we’re on a sine wave.
If you happen to be playing at the time of year when you’re peaking and it’s a random occurrence, then it’s going to be really good. For me, if I have a bad June and July, that determines a large part of my year, but I need to add some other events like WPTs in case I’m near the top of the sine wave.
Lead image courtesy of Flickr/World Poker Tour
