Phil Hellmuth just arrived, and in grand style too. Having (supposedly) wrecked the Ultimate Bet sports car, he stepped out of a limo moments ago wearing a NASCAR-style black racing suit with his name and that of his many sponsors splashed all over it. He was accompanied by a retinue of similarly dressed women (dressed similar to him and each other). There were eleven in all, a nod to his having won eleven bracelets. Hellmuth stood in the center of the hallway with his racing helmet tucked under one arm as hundreds of photographers and film crews captured his (ridiculous) image. I am trying to imagine some of the past champions like Johnny Moss or Jack Straus ever pulling such a stunt, and I just can’t.
While I have always admired Hellmuth’s boldness, laughing off the first several rounds of the most important poker tournament of the year as a way of proving what a master of the game he is, I am starting to question his sanity. What kind of many would voluntarily play poker in what amounts to a flashy mechanic’s outfit. “This is worse than Jeff Madsen having to play in a jester costume,” said a member of the media. “He did it because he lost a bet. Hellmuth is doing this because…” Her voice trailed off. Why was he doing this?
Well, mostly to foist his products onto the consumers of America. When he’s not selling them on the idea of playing online poker at Ultimate Bet, he’s pushing his books and DVDs on them, and now he’s got a new line of energy drink whose name I refuse to say lest you feel compelled to go buy some. Hellmuth doesn’t need any more money. What he needs is a few more people whose opinions he respects to tell him he’s an idiot. Somehow that message isn’t getting through to him.
