Phil Hellmuth, 15-time bracelet winner and one of poker’s biggest personalities, joined the World Poker Tour in Season XVI as host of the WPT Raw Deal segment. Hellmuth filled the shoes of WPT commentator Tony Dunst, who joined the commentator booth next to Vince Van Patten to replace Mike Sexton. Never afraid to share his thoughts on a player or a hand, Hellmuth came in ready to jump into the fire that comes with the WPT Raw Deal. Now in his second season of hosting the WPT Raw Deal, Hellmuth has made a seamless transition into the role and made the segment all his own.
Hosted by Mel Gibson, Vince Vaughn, Andrew Garfield, and Gene Simmons, the WPT Foundation™ Presents Four Kings & An Ace Charity Poker Tournament brought together celebrities, professional athletes, music entertainers, World Poker Tour® talent and professionals, and donors on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016, to benefit Mending Kids.
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Hellmuth’s career accolades need no formal introduction and the 2007 Poker Hall of Fame inductee includes five WPT final tables on his sterling resume. The most recent of Hellmuth’s final table runs came in Season XVI when he finished runner-up to eventual Hublot WPT Player of the Year, Art Papazyan, at the WPT Legends of Poker earning $364,370.
- Vince Van Patten still stands as a cornerstone of the World Poker Tour. Vince Van Patten is wrapping up his 16th season as a commentator on the World Poker Tour - his first alongside new broadcast partner Tony Dunst - at the Aria this week.
- One night on a winning streak, he played until 7AM, when he finally had to throw in the cards to go to school. Vince continues to play poker every week with his buddies in a pot limit game in Beverly Hills. He has tried his hand at the World Series of Poker three times, and brings solid experience hosting televised sports and poker broadcasts to the World Poker Tour. Follow Vince Van Patten on Twitter.
Overall, Hellmuth has earned $1.56 million on the World Poker Tour. His largest WPT cash is his WPT Legends of Poker finish with other major results including a third-place finish in the Season II World Poker Finals at Foxwoods for $281,700, and sixth place in the Season VI L.A. Poker Classic won by Phil Ivey. Hellmuth owns 14 career WPT cashes and $1.56 million in lifetimes earnings.
Like Dunst, Hellmuth hails from Wisconsin. Hellmuth grew up in Madison and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison for three years before dropping out to attend to poker full-time. In 1992, Hellmuth moved to Palo Alto, CA where he resides with wife, Kathy and their two sons.
Hellmuth first came to prominence in the poker world in 1989 when he won the Main Event title at 24-years-old heads up versus Johnny Chan to become the youngest person at the time to win the prestigious event. Since then, Hellmuth has become the all-time leader in bracelets won and leads that race by five over Champions Club members Ivey, Doyle Brunson, and Chan.
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The latest bracelet win for Hellmuth came in 2018. Hellmuth topped a field of 452 players to win a $5,000 No Limit Hold’em event for $485,082. Hellmuth’s career earnings now tick over $22 million.
Outside of the WPT, Hellmuth has served as a commentator for many other events including the Main Event on ESPN. Hellmuth has also sat next to Dunst in the WPT commentating booth on a few occasions.
Hellmuth is an accomplished author of multiple poker books and has been interviewed for many others to describe famous hands and moments from his career.
The grand personality that made him a fan-favorite over the years can now be Sunday nights on FOX Sports Regional Networks as Hellmuth dishes out hot takes and prime poker analysis on the WPT Raw Deal.
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Success has come in many forms for the actor, producer, director, author, and former tennis player, Vincent Van Patten. The son of actor Dick Van Patten, Vince has thrived in all his endeavors through a winning combination of talent, ambition, and dedication.
As an actor, Vince launched his career at the age of 9, starring in a Colgate commercial. He went on to guest star in over three dozen classic television shows, including “Bonanza,” “High Chaparral,” and “Adam 12.” He also starred in such television specials as “The Bionic Boy,” “Gidget’s Summer Reunion,” and “Dirty Dozen III.”
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Graduating from television to film, Vince appeared in a number of movies alongside such major actors as Kurt Russell and Charles Bronson. Prior to that, he starred in and co-produced the feature film, “The Break,” playing the role of Nick, a washed up tennis pro whose bookie (Martin Sheen) forgives his gambling debts in exchange for coaching his 17-year old son. Vince wrote and directed another feature film, “The Flunky,” starring Farrah Fawcett, Dean Stockwell, and Vince’s brother, James Van Patten.
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For his work, he was awarded the prestigious award of Best Director at the Port Hueneme International Film Festival in 2000. Vince and his brother have also written a screenplay about a young poker player entitled “California Kid” which is currently with Universal Studios. Vince also co-authored the fictional poker novel, “The Picasso Flop,” with Robert Randisi, which hit shelves in February of 2007.
Beyond his achievements in the entertainment industry, Vince is a remarkably talented tennis player who competed professionally through the mid-1980s. At his peak he ranked 25th in the world, scoring wins over almost every major player including John McEnroe.
Vince’s passion for poker started at the young age of 13, when his father taught him how to play poker at the LA Tennis Club. Soon Vince was playing in side games in between tennis matches. By the time he turned 16, Vince had accumulated enough skill to play in his Dad’s poker game. One night on a winning streak, he played until 7AM, when he finally had to throw in the cards to go to school. Vince continues to play poker every week with his buddies in a pot limit game in Beverly Hills. He has tried his hand at the World Series of Poker three times, and brings solid experience hosting televised sports and poker broadcasts to the World Poker Tour.