Did Phil Hellmuth's Sex Ban Lead to 1989 WSOP Main Event Glory?
Table Of Contents
If you're looking for poker strategy advice on tackling the World Series of Poker you can't go wrong asking 16-time bracelet-winner Phil Hellmuth.
It's been a hell of a World Series of Poker for Hellmuth. After winning a record 16th WSOP bracelet he put his name firmly back into contention as the best poker player of all time.
It's now been 32 years since his WSOP Main Event victory in 1989, and with the 2021 WSOP Main Event kicking off this week it's highly likely he'll be looking for a deep run to boost his POY credentials.
However, there was one secret to his success back in 1989, one that not many people know about.
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Abstinence is the Key
In his autobiography 'Poker Brat', Hellmuth details that in the year leading up to the 1989 World Series of Poker, he abstained from sex. That's right, he believed that not having sex would in some way lead to WSOP glory.
"I had made up my mind that part of my having a shot at winning the 1989 WSOP would be abstinence. I felt, if I could avoid sex, then I would win the Main Event. If I did have sex, then that would hurt, or cripple my chances of winning. God knows how or why I thought this way, and I'm not saying that it makes sense. I'm just saying that I believed it, and thus I respected it."
Hellmuth says that while on a poker cruise in late April 1989 he even turned down sex from a "beautiful woman" in order to keep his abstinence streak intact for the WSOP the following month.
Read More: Phil Hellmuth Wins Record 16th World Series of Poker (WSOP) Gold Bracelet
So Did it Work?
Hellmuth did indeed win the 1989 WSOP Main Event, but how much of his success can be attributed to his sex ban over the course of 1988-89 is unclear. What is true that the following year, just 13 months after winning the WSOP Main Event, he met his now-wife Kathy with whom he has two sons.
Other Poker Superstitions
Hellmuth isn't the only poker player, or even WSOP Main Event champion, who has had superstitions while playing at the poker table. Martin Jacobson revealed in an interview last year that he's very superstitious about one particular aspect of poker table talk.
"I try not to be superstitious," Jacobson told PokerNews' Tiffany Michelle. "There are a bunch of little things. You're not supposed to say thank you when people wish you good luck. So sometimes in my mind, I'm like...obviously it doesn't matter!
"When people tell you good luck, your natural response is to say thank you. But I'm going to try and ignore it and stay positive!"
Check out this article on what you can and can't control in poker, and why it matters!
In this Series
- 1 WSOP 2021 Schedule: 88 WSOP Bracelet Events, Sept. 30 - Nov. 23
- 2 WSOP 2021: Best Events to Play on a Budget
- 3 WSOP 2021 Main Event Satellites From $80 Hit GGPoker
- 4 WSOP 2021: Former Champ Chris Moneymaker Set to Miss This Year's WSOP
- 5 WSOP 2021: COVID-19 Vaccination Required for Players, Update on Staff
- 6 WSOP 2021: Best Hotels in Las Vegas
- 7 WSOP 2021: Try These 5 Hidden Gem Las Vegas Restaurants
- 8 World Series of Poker 2024: Read Phil Ivey's Top WSOP Tips
- 9 WSOP 2021: 8 Things Poker Players Should Definitely Bring to the WSOP - and 2 You Shouldn't!
- 10 How to Enter the WSOP 2021 Freezeout Events
- 11 Is It Worth Playing Cash Games During the WSOP?
- 12 What Game Should You Pick in Dealer’s Choice?
- 13 What We've Learned from the First Week of the 2021 WSOP
- 14 Hands That Helped GGPoker Ambassador Jason Koon Win 1st WSOP Gold Bracelet
- 15 GGPoker Successfully Brings Online Flip & Go Concept to Live 2021 WSOP
- 16 Jason Koon, Connor Drinan Lead 2021 WSOP Player of the Year Race
- 17 Anthony Zinno in Exclusive One-Player Club Following Fourth WSOP Title
- 18 Looking Back At The Illustrious History of the Poker Players Championship
- 19 Phil Hellmuth Blows Up AGAIN; Rails Against WSOP POY Rules
- 20 Poker Fan Loses Job, Twitch Streamer Gifts Him WSOP Main Event Package
- 21 WSOP 2021: Are the Fields Tougher or Softer than Recent Years?
- 22 Doyle Brunson Treats Crowd to Surprise WSOP Return on Halloween
- 23 Spooktastic: Best & Worst Halloween Costumes from the 2021 WSOP
- 24 Phil Ivey NFT Launch Party a True 'What Happens in Vegas' Night
- 25 Poker Community Buys Man Facing Terminal Cancer into WSOP Main Event
- 26 Everything You Need to Know About the 2021 WSOP Main Event
- 27 WSOP Temporarily Goes on Lockdown Over Suspect's "Suspicious Item"
- 28 Did Phil Hellmuth's Sex Ban Lead to 1989 WSOP Main Event Glory?
- 29 Doyle Brunson Arrives; Defending Champ Salas Busts Before 1st Break of 2021 WSOP Main Event
- 30 Aces Cracked Leaves Kevin Campbell as the 2021 WSOP Main Event Bubble
- 31 Quads Vs. Quads Sends Chang Liu Home Near WSOP Main Event Bubble
- 32 The Muck: Mike "The Mouth" Matusow Wants to End Max Late Reg
- 33 Doyle Brunson Proves He Still Has it Despite WSOP Main Event Exit
- 34 Phil "Gandalf" Hellmuth Makes Grand Entrance in 2021 WSOP Main Event
- 35 Chris Moneymaker Makes Late Decision to Play WSOP Main Event
- 36 Who is GGPoker Ambassador and YouTube Vlogger 'Greg Goes All In?'
- 37 The Muck: Poker Twitter Debates Potential Angle-Shooting in WSOP Main Event
- 38 Nick Rigby Plays the 2-3 "Dirty Diaper" in 2021 WSOP Main Event
- 39 Is Josh Arieh Running Away with WSOP Player of the Year?
- 40 'Wedding Crashers' & 'Old School' Star Vince Vaughn to Join WSOP's Move to Strip in 2022
- 41 Eli Elezra Selected as 2021 Poker Hall of Fame Inductee
- 42 Master of Ceremonies Vince Vaughn Suffers Bad Beat in His First WSOP Tournament
- 43 Players Implement Covid Contract During WSOP $250K Super High Roller
- 44 How Much Money Did Players at the WSOP Main Event Final Table Really Make?
- 45 Phil Hellmuth Breaks WSOP Single Series Final Table Record
- 46 Daniel Negreanu's Most Mind-Boggling WSOP Stat at the Rio
- 47 Josh Arieh a Surprising 2021 WSOP Player of the Year Winner
