Phil Hellmuth’s pain: his father, who accompanied him for 34 years at the WSOP, passed away – CodigoPoker

Phil Hellmuth

Hellmuth chose social media to say goodbye and share with his followers an extensive family story, full of memories and admiration. He said that despite the illness, his father felt practically no pain during the last four months and that the family had nine months to say goodbye to him, as he remained lucid until the end.

“He left peacefully while sleeping,” Hellmuth wrote. And he immediately highlighted what he considers one of the great gifts of those last months: “It was a gift to be able to say goodbye to him during these last nine months.”

The Poker Brat described his father as a man of strong values, someone the whole family could trust. “He had perfect ethics and morals; he was honest, honorable, and completely trustworthy,” he said. And he used a comparison that sums up the image he had of him: “Dad was like a great oak; he was solid, stable, and had deep roots.”

But he also wanted to emphasize that behind that calm personality was an extremely prepared man. His father had an MBA, a law degree, and a doctorate, as well as a huge passion for history. For decades he had significant involvement with the University of Wisconsin, although, according to Hellmuth, he never used his achievements to boast.

In fact, only after his death did Hellmuth himself begin to learn some details about the scope of his work. For two decades he was president of the board of the University of Wisconsin credit union, and his name is engraved on the institution’s building. When Hellmuth once asked him about that recognition, he received an answer that now takes on another meaning: “It’s nothing, the current board president has his name on the building.”

Hellmuth’s Father.

That humility was one of the traits the player highlighted the most. “It’s curious that only now I understand how humble he really was,” he wrote.

Hellmuth’s father who was there through good times and bad

Among all the memories, there was one especially significant for the poker world. Hellmuth said his father accompanied him for 34 consecutive years at the WSOP. And he was present at the moment that changed his son’s life forever: when he won the WSOP Main Event in 1989, at just 24 years old, defeating Johnny Chan.

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At that time, becoming a professional poker player was not an easy decision to explain. Hellmuth recalled that many viewed that profession with great distrust. “At that time, most thought being a professional poker player was like being a drug dealer,” he said.

But his father decided to stand by his side. “He showed up for me in a HUGE way,” Hellmuth wrote in capital letters, who still today remembers that his father traveled to Las Vegas to accompany him during that decisive moment.

That support lasted for decades. He was not only the father who was present when glory arrived but also someone who accompanied the path that led Hellmuth to become one of the great figures in poker history.

A life far beyond poker

In his farewell, Hellmuth also wanted to share who his father was when he was not accompanying him in Las Vegas.

He was passionate about swimming. He practiced Masters Swimming for decades and, according to Hellmuth, swam more than 10,000 miles throughout his life, that is, about 16,000 kilometers. He even ranked among the top three swimmers in the world in his age category.

He also coached his daughter Ann and her Special Olympics team for 25 years.

And he enjoyed sports as much as his son. He was a fan of the Green Bay Packers and the University of Wisconsin football team. Hellmuth especially recalled a trip to the Packers’ Super Bowl in San Diego, where he took his father and both were even close to the field during Brett Favre’s return, who at that time played for the Minnesota Vikings.

“I love you, Dad,” Hellmuth wrote at the end of his message.

And he closed with a simple phrase, but probably the one that best sums up his entire tribute: “Rest in the peace you so deserve.”

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