Phil Hellmuth

“What gets lost is that half of poker is reading people. When you're reading well and you're making counterintuitive plays, a strictly math player will get scared and start making fewer moves, and then the person is even easier to read.”

“Prestigious events like the Main Event at the WSOP are marathon races. Fatigue is sure to set in.”

“I wanted to become good at golf because I saw a lot of really successful people being good at it - and I planned on being successful.”

“There are two ways that lack of sleep affects my play: I'll play too many hands and I'll lose the ability to effectively read my opponents.”

“Every poker player has ups and downs because luck is also involved. When a great poker player smashes, he's making the right moves and making the right reads and he's getting lucky.”

“No doubt about it, in order to win the WSOP Main Event, plenty of stamina is required.”

“Well, sometimes you've just got to go with your instincts.”

“If you are too into the fans and adoration and the world thinking you are the greatest, then you do not perform well.”

“There's more luck in poker. Getting good at golf requires a certain amount of physical aptitude. Both take a lot of patience. Both require knowing when to gamble - either with a big bluff or a high-risk shot. Both can be infuriating.”

“Poker is supposed to be fun.”

“We have hillbillies with third grade educations and 8th grade educations who have conquered the poker world. There is no telling why someone is great at reading other people. Some people just are.”

“Before you decide to play with live straddles in your home game, remember that this twist essentially doubles the size of the game. It's often used by players who have been losing and are trying to get lucky and win a big pot.”

“I bought a midnight blue Porsch with a whale tail when I was winning big one time in L.A. That car was fast, fast, fast!”

“All I want are titles and nothing less.”

“Players talk about pot odds all the time, especially when they try to justify a call that they made. Whenever I hear this line of reasoning, though, I can't help but wonder if they properly thought through the consequences of their call.”

“If you play professionally, you can expect to go broke at some point.”

“The real reason why I don't play in many big cash games is because I can't stomach the thought of losing $100,000 or more in any given session. If I play three consecutive days at the Bellagio, I might win two days but lose big on the third. Really, who needs the agony of losing that much money? Not me.”

“Without a doubt, the WSOP in Las Vegas is by far the most prestigious event in the poker world.”

“My favorite poker game is No Limit Texas Hold 'Em.”

“If you're going to just play with patience, you're going to be at the mercy of the cards.”