I was watching Phil Hellmuth on PAD...

Rottersod · #1 03-23-2007, 01:56 PM

...the other night and was confused. For someone with so many WSOP bracelets and FT payouts over many years he acted as if he was a typical decent player but not one who is capable of making any kind of moves in a tourney style game. Was it an act? I've seen him play before but playing against many more players (and one's with much less experience than the table at PAD) and his small bet plays seem to work a good percentage of the time until he gets himself in trouble with a hand he thinks he can't lay down.

Is PAD the right format for small bet/raises when you want to play a lot of pots like Hellmuth was? Even with the blinds a healthy portion of his short stack he was still unwilling to move in and just take the pot so he could build up to a point where he could play. His lay down of AJ on a fairly innocuous flop, against only one other player, with only a few thousand more to his stack was an example of this type of mentality and I practically choked on my water as I watched him do this. Add to this that he had a $41k-3K prop bet with Bloch and for him to not try and double up or at least take down the hand there was really surprising.

I wonder how frustrated Matasuw felt when two of his big hands couldn't get paid off after Hellmuth mini bet and then stopped?

Bubble Bully · #2 03-24-2007, 08:45 PM

He needs to read GSIH.

pig4bill · #3 03-25-2007, 01:38 AM

Maybe he's just a lot better when he has a big chip stack.

Angrymoog · #4 03-25-2007, 05:18 PM

I think he does OK until he gets steamed, which he usually does on his own.

I believe phil's strength lies in playing against weak players in tournament formats.

Bubble Bully · #5 03-25-2007, 09:12 PM

Chip Reese claimed that Hellmuth has made it his goal for the next decade to become a better cash game player. I would like to see him make the transition and tear up HSP. I think that the poker watchig public will get tired of tourney and a lot more cash games will be televised. I get tired of ppl ganging up on him. He needs to 'up his game.'

johnnyrocket · #6 03-26-2007, 11:34 AM

he gets owned, his wins all stem from him playing ABC poker against fishies and gathering lots of chips, this is why when he has pros at the table you see him getting owned every time

relayerdave · #7 03-26-2007, 11:47 AM

On PAD, he played waaaay too many crappy hands oop...Ivey, otoh, did not...

Sofisdad · #8 03-26-2007, 12:40 PM

Is he not creative enough with his hands in a cash game?

pokerkoo · #9 03-30-2007, 07:57 PM

FYIW, and this is strictly my personal opinion, I do not think Phil is "good" for poker when he loses or is losing.

His whining and poor manners and sportsmanship just seems to encourage others to adopt his "style" when they take a "bad" beat.

BigSoonerFan · #10 03-31-2007, 11:06 AM

[ QUOTE ]
FYIW, and this is strictly my personal opinion, I do not think Phil is "good" for poker when he loses or is losing.

His whining and poor manners and sportsmanship just seems to encourage others to adopt his "style" when they take a "bad" beat.

[/ QUOTE ]

You'd think they'd get the spelling right.