Phil Hellmuth talks about his relationships with other players

Not long ago, Phil Hellmuth was in the media spotlight for his controversial views on the use of face masks in live tournaments. He singled out Isaac Haxton, who was just named PGT Player of the Year after playing (and winning) with a chinstrap all season long >.

Via Social Network X (Twitter), Hellmuth decided to share his thoughts on the topic. Haxton, for example, has no qualms about denouncing that masks should be banned.

This is what @JustinBonomo told meX @ikepoker has always had a gold record. Justin said Ike’s winning percentage has been the same as his for the past two years. @RealKidPoker scoffed at the claim and said: “Justin is wrong, Ike has had the best two years of his life… pic.twitter.com/2CWxGQxEvX

— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) 2 March 8, 2024

Not to be outdone, Haxton decided to answer that there are many people who need to wear such items for health reasons. Those who are sick may need special care due to infection with COVID-19 or other respiratory diseases The disease can pose significant risks. There are some experts, like Mike Matusow, who support Helmuth. Others, like David Lappin, express their disapproval of Haxton support.

I don’t care what Phil says, but PNews, reporting this like a legitimate discussion point, is just ugly.

Many people need to be careful to avoid contracting COVID-19 and other respiratory infections for medical reasons. A mask ban will prevent them from participating in live poker events. https://t.co/Dwd8NP222l

– Isaac Haxton (@ikepoker) February 7, 2024

This latest controversy took up much of Hellmuth’s interview with international media PokerOrg given. But apart from talking about the issue Beyond that, Phil didn’t hesitate to talk about his relationships with many of his classic rivals. As always, Hellmuth made sure to drop plenty of memorable lines and didn’t hesitate when talking about other pros

Phil Hellmuth on Daniel Negreanu

This may be one of the greatest rivalries in history. It’s like the “Federer vs. Nadal” of poker. Not only did they cross paths countless times at the poker table, but they both represented one of the most glorious eras in the history of the sport. When Hellmuth was asked about Daniel Negranu, he answered politely without hesitation, although he always had more to say.

“Daniel is one of the most talented poker players in the world.” . I mean, he’s one of the top five most talented players in history, and we could even argue if he’s higher than the top five. He has a great ability to read his opponents and has achieved a lot with this. Sometimes he comes to me and says, “Hey, you should learn this, you should learn that.” No, I don’t have to learn anything. “

Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth have been rivals for decades.

“I know Dan ​​iel loves me deep down, he really loves me, and i think he wants me to love me well. “Things, he’s always cheering me on. But it’s a little weird because he also wants to be thought of as number one, as the best, and the only way to be the best is to climb on my shoulders and bring me down. That’s That’s why I’ve been subjected to his relentless attacks on my playing style for decades.

“He’s trying to take away my legacy, he’s trying to take away my greatness, from a poker standpoint, This makes me very angry. “He’s the one who criticizes me more than anyone, but I know he loves me and that’s why we always laugh when we meet. I just respect him and think the love between us has reached its peak. Daniel is very Talent, and I think if he stays on the right path, he’s going to continue to win. I think he’s definitely on the right path at the moment.”

Phil Hellmuth on Doug Polk

I told him, “Doug, if you’re honest, you’re going to be great.” He didn’t say he was a liar, but he manipulated the truth. Doug Polk was great, he was great at spreading the news and people wanted to hear what he had to say, but then he attacked a lot of us and we said, ‘We can’t stand this.'” He Take him seriously because he exaggerates here, he exaggerates there, he always exaggerates. “So when he says something, you have to get angry.

Doug Polk is a highly respected player in his environment, but he is not afraid of controversy.

If he only told the truth, he would become great. The power of truth is very powerful. Doug deserves a little bit of what I’m saying right now, and he knows it. He’s crossed the line a few times and I think there’s still hope for him. ”

Phil Hellmuth on Shaun Deeb

“Shaun Deeb is a very interesting guy. When we were talking about the player who has won the most bracelets, he once told me that he basically wouldn’t do it for too long; he had to win. I knew that when I was younger Thinking, “Wow, where did that come from? “I think unfortunately there are things that affect some people’s life expectancy that oftentimes we don’t really have control over, even though there are things we do have control over. I think his latest weight loss challenge is going to be life-changing and I feel for him Very happy.

He is my competition but I am very happy for him and I love having him around. I think his results put him on the main stage but he is so disgusting that no one Sign him. He had a lot of opportunities to work with sponsors, but he always pointed the finger at someone else. Sean decided to make himself the one who was constantly pointing fingers. The problem is, when you start blaming everyone around the world, You inevitably point the finger at innocent people.

Now that he has a chance to change things, I told him “You want sponsors, but no one wants to hire someone who is going to spread negativity around the world.” I wish Sean the best, I like him very much , I think maybe he and I are the two best tournament players in the world right now. Sean is great and funny. I always laugh when I’m with him. ”

Phil Hellmuth on Johnny Chen

“A few years ago, he saw me doing an interview about positivity, and he called me and said, ‘Phil, I just want to tell you, I’m very proud of you. .’ That’s the thing about him, he never compliments me, he hasn’t complimented me in 20 years, so when he does, it means a lot to me.

Johnny Chan and Phil Hellmuth were great rivals in their prime.

He and I fought hard. He, Doyle and I Racing to be the one with the most bracelets. I think one time we won six bracelets in one year. He won two, Doyle won two, I won two. The next year we won five. That It’s unbelievable. It’s like there’s us, and then there’s the rest of us, and we just keep winning, winning.

What I really appreciate about Johnny is when I won my 11th bracelet, he- We had a 10-point tie – Doyle joined me on stage to congratulate me. It was a very meaningful moment for me to be left alone by these two geniuses.

“A funny story : We once participated in a tournament and reached the final heads-up. “At four o’clock in the morning, he told me we should split the price. We split it based on how many chips each person had. I think I took $53,000 and he took $42,000. I remember walking down the ladder and seeing him… he had Bet $42,000 on roulette!”