Phil Hellmuth’s WSOP Entrance Most Talked About Poker Stunt Yet
Phil Hellmuth's grand WSOP entrance at this year's Main Event has become one of the most talked about spectacles in recent memory. And for good reason. The 11-time WSOP bracelet winner made his way to the world's most prestigious poker tournament in a performance fit for a king. Or at least an emperor.
"This was my biggest entrance yet and with 11 WSOP bracelets under my belt, I think it's pretty fitting, to be honest," stated Phil Hellmuth (pictured left with two of his Roman concubines).
Dressed as Julius Caesar, Hellmuth made his way to the Rio protected by Roman guards and surrounded by muses throwing rose petals, all of whom were outfitted only in body paint. The over-the-top entrance was in keeping with UltimateBet's 2009 WSOP theme. Celebrating its 10th anniversary dealing cards online, the online poker site invited poker players to join its empire in Vegas and compete for a $10 million Main Event bonus.
Poker publications, gambling blogs and traditional media outlets including USA Today continue to report on and talk about Hellmuth's impressive entrance that featured a cast of over 100.
Hellmuth's grand entrances have become as traditional as the World Series of Poker itself. Last year, Phil Hellmuth made his way to the Main Event of the WSOP dressed in military garb, accompanied by a troop of attractive, scantily dressed female soldiers. The entrance was in keeping with UltimateBet's 2008 UB Army theme, a promotion that helped UltimateBet build one of the strongest online poker communities in the industry.
This year's entrance was also arguably more successful than the 2007 fiasco in which Hellmuth crashed an UltimateBet racecar outside of the Rio. While the accident caused tens of thousands of dollars in damages to the car, Hellmuth escaped unharmed.
Photos of Phil Hellmuth's 2009 World Series of Poker entrance can be viewed at the UltimateBet poker blog.
