The young -- and still humble -- Phil Hellmuth said this after his pocket nines held up against Johnny Chan's Ace-7 in the
final hand of the 1989 WSOP Main Event, making him the event's youngest champion at 24.
Hellmuth's body didn't quite keep up with his mouth on this insta-call against Barry Greenstein on High Stakes Poker.
8. "I was shocked. My wife was shocked."
This statement came after Hellmuth admitted he had lost $536,000 to a "lucky" Phil Ivey in a game of Chinese Poker. The two
had started playing for 1,000 a point, but eventually increased the betting to $2,000 a point. The loss also prompted
Hellmuth to donate money to charity, pay down part of his mortage and expound his poker philosophy.
7. "You know my heart is pure."
Sam Grizzle had the needle out in the 2003 WSOP Main Event and managed to get under Phil Hellmuth's skin several times.
After taking a big pot in which Hellmuth could not believed he could be called (Grizzle called Hellmuth's A-Q with K-J),
Grizzle talked about taking all of Hellmuth's chips away. Then he won another hand and that left Hellmuth muttering.
Hellmuth took a walk, came back and told Grizzle that he was just "grumpy," but "you know my heart is pure." This clip also
features Hellmuth meditating and telling himslef to not "be negative today."
6. "I haven't even looked at the money yet."
When Hellmuth won his 11th WSOP bracelet at the 2007 Series, he was so caught up in the moment that the prize money was the last thing on his mind.
5. Hellmuth crashes his promotional car
This video is a fantastic promotional piece, poking fun at Hellmuth for crashing an Ultimate Bet-sponsored NASCAR vehicle
with his face on the hood. Somehow, Hellmuth managed hit a post in the Rio parking lot head on. But he emerged from the
crash (wearing a NASCAR racing suit laden with advertising) relatively unscathed, and went on to play in the 2007 WSOP Main
Event.
4. "Another ******* second."
At the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions, Phil Hellmuth just lost it after finishing second to Annie Duke. As Duke stands at the table smiling in disbelief, saying "Oh my god, I won" while jumping up and down, Hellmuth went backstage to unleash a profanity-laced tirade. To his credit, Hellmuth hugged Duke before going backstage to vent.
3. "I can't use my reading abilities anymore?"
This could be the signature laugh-out-loud moment from NBC's Poker After Dark. Hellmuth loses his temper after his fellow player's "teasing" interfered with his ability to think through a decision, at which point he complains to the producer of the show and asks the question that gets the entire room laughing, much to his chagrin. This clip also features Hellmuth going after Shawn Sheikhan.
2. "I can dodge bullets, baby."
Hellmuth celebrates a great laydown in the 2005 WSOP Main Event by jumping up and yelling at his wife from the table:
"Honey, Honey, I was supposed to go broke on that hand, honey. Expect they forgot one thing, I can dodge bullets baby."
1. "The guy can't even spell poker."
This classic Hellmuth moment also comes from the 2005 WSOP Main Event, and is perhaps the most celebrated Hellmuth meltdown.
Jim Pittman went all-in with K-J against Hellmuth's A-K, and picked up a jack on the river, prompting the mother of all tirades. Words can't do this justice, so just watch the video and enjoy.
Vin Narayanan
Vin Narayanan is the managing editor at Casino City. When he's not writing or editing stories, he likes to play Chinese Poker, Badugi, Razz and any other "non-traditional" poker game. He also thinks blackjack is his best game and loves game theory.
Before joining Casino City, Vin covered (not all at the same time) sports, politics and elections, wars, technology, celebrities and the Census for USATODAY.com, USA WEEKEND and CNN.
A proud graduate of Michigan State University, Vin can be found on most nights and weekends trying to find a way to watch the Spartans while taking care of his infant daughter.
