Shaniac on Hellmuth

[Kurn]

Ran across this somehow after following a link on FTP. Most interesting take on Hellmuth's behavior I've read yet. Not to mention the fact that the rest of Shane's blog is thoughtful and literate.

It was my first time playing with Hellmuth, and he made a distinct impression on me. I realized for the first time that his schtick--usually unpleasant, often intolerable, always intriguing--is a tightly crafted routine that effectively accomplishes everything Hellmuth is seeking. His presence intimidates opponents, succeeds in flustering them and also in prying from them information they would otherwise protect.

He consumes the entire table's attention, all the energy from the rail around him, and transforms the tournament into the Phil Hellmuth Show. The coast is clear for his small probe bets and undersized bluffs, and he has space to work with his famous reads. He also knows how to make a big call when someone like me overplays trips, aware of Hellmuth's supposed aversion to making big calls.

Hellmuth plays his role perfectly, and I believe his act is the result of some amount of insecurity combined with the fact that no limit tournaments are really the thing that Hellmuth does best, and probably better than anyone else. When you consider Hellmuth's behavior in the context of a savant, his obnoxious, impersonal attitude becomes understandable, almost forgivable

Here's the link to the whole entry, from his 12/06 archive:



I suspect I'll add this blog to my poker reading list. Sure beats a lot of the crap out there in the blogoshpere.