My Close Haircut at the 2002 World Series of Poker

I knew the ramifications of what I was saying. I knew that the public would perceive my statement as "sour grapes." Oh well, I said it anyway. I just didn't think it would come to this! While I was helping Gabe Kaplan with his ESPN commentary during the last day of the World Series of Poker (WSOP), I put my foot in my mouth, way down in my mouth. Robert Varkonyi had just lost $400,000 of his remaining $640,000 with 9-9 vs. Julian Gardner's A-A (all in before the flop) on the first hand of final-table action. So, I just opened my mouth and blurted it out. It seemed to be a pretty safe thing to say, especially at that time, and I wasn't very impressed with Robert's play, anyway. So, I said, "If Robert Varkonyi wins the World Series of Poker, I'll shave my head." The executive producer – sensing some possible added drama – said, "Repeat what you just said." I felt like backing off, but I thought, "What are the chances that this comment will make the final ESPN cut to make me look bad?" So, I repeated the statement for the ESPN commentary.

The players then were told what I said, at which time I looked at Robert, and he seemed to bristle a bit. I thought, "Oh no, I may have lit a fire under him!" I don't know if that was the case or not, but I do know that he began to play better than anyone else in the field from that moment forward. He did manage to hold off an ace or a king when John Shipley moved all in with A-K vs. Robert's J-J, but he pretty much dominated final-table play after that. He was all in only one other time, when he put in $1 million before the flop with J-J vs. Shipley's A-J. After that pot, Robert steadily increased his chip lead until he had a stranglehold on the rest of the players.

With four players left and the blinds at $15,000-$30,000, Robert opened for $100,000 with Q-10 (the same hand that he busted me out with against my A K in a memorable pot – for me – two days earlier). When Scott Gray moved all in for $250,000 more, Robert called, saying, "This is Phil's favorite hand (a reference to the beat he put on me), so I call." With a flop of Q-Q-8, it really was my favorite hand! The turn card was a 9 and the river brought an ace, both of which hit Scott's A-9, but it wasn't enough to beat three queens.

They were down to three players, and after a 15-minute "TV timeout," Julian Gardner opened the pot for $100,000 from the button. Ralph Perry raised, making it $300,000 to go from the small blind, and Robert moved all in ($4 million!) from the big blind. Julian flashed his hand to me when he folded it – 10-10. Ralph decided to call with his J-J, and Robert had A-A! It was one of the most exciting (and "cold-blooded") hands in WSOP history. In two hands, Robert had eliminated two players and now faced Julian with $5 million in chips to Julian's $1.3 million in chips.

After only 10 more minutes, the blinds were up to $20,000-$40,000 when the following hand came up: Robert made it only $80,000 to go from the button with Q-10 (that hand again!), and Julian called from the big blind with J 8. The flop came down Q 4 4. Julian checked, and Robert bet a relatively small $50,000. Julian then decided to move all in for $900,000 total (an $850,000 raise), and Robert announced, "I call." The hands were then flipped faceup, and the turn card was a 10. With $2 million in the pot, Tournament Director Matt Savage, who did a great job throughout the entire WSOP, now announced, "Julian needs a club or a 9." Well, not exactly, Matt. What about the last card that was a club but still didn't win the pot for Julian? Yes, the 10 on the river that immortalized Robert's Q-10 by giving him a full house (tens full of queens), which beat Julian's jack-high flush with a final board of Q 4 4 10 10. What a great last card; they both made a hand! Immediately after they turned the 10 on the river, the crowd started chanting, "Shave Phil's head, shave Phil's head …"

Of course, Becky Behnen made sure that someone had some barber's equipment on hand, and I am a man of my word. I would have loved to have avoided the head shave, but I certainly deserved what I had coming, and I knew it! Robert, then Becky Behnen, Andy Glazer, the Devilfish, and others took turns shaving my head in front of a roomful of spectators, press, and cameras. Although the "sideshow" spectacle of having my head shaved by Robert (who was very gracious, as he tried to let me out of having my head shaved) in front of more than 1,000 people was apparently very entertaining for those watching, it was Robert's day. He played magnificent poker while he dominated the final table. Congratulations to Robert Varkonyi, the 2002 world champion of poker.

Editor's note: You can play low-limit hold'em ($4-$8) with Phil Hellmuth Jr. at UltimateBet.com on table "PhilHellmuth." To read more Hand of the Week columns or to learn more about Phil, go to PhilHellmuth.com.