History in the Making!

After fighting hard in Las Vegas for more than one month in the World Series of Poker, and making it into the money in six tournaments, with three final tables, I won my coveted 10th bracelet. The money wasn't bad, either, as it was $630,000 for first place. But, honestly, I would have paid at least that much (assuming that I had it!) to win another WSOP bracelet and tie Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson for the all-time lead. Fortunately for me, they paid me the money along with the bracelet. Winning WSOP bracelets and other history-making poker tournaments is the reason why I play the game. In fact, my passion for the game and my level of play are at a new high.



After a tough second-place finish earlier in the WSOP, I believe that many in the poker world thought I would not get back to a final table. After all, the fields are pretty massive, and it isn't easy to make it all the way to the final nine. But I came back, finally beating more than 700 other players in the $1,000 buy-in no-limit hold'em (rebuys) event to claim my 10th WSOP title. That tournament began on a Sunday, and I told my mother and father, "I don't think I have enough gas in the tank to win this thing. I have played until midnight or later in so many of these tournaments, under intense pressure, for 30 days now. If I win it, it will be purely by gutting it out." My mother then pretended to be a gas pump, and somehow it inspired me; she is a spiritual woman. I do not think that I would have won this event without my father watching all day long on day two and day three, and without my mother's inspiring presence. Thanks, folks!

At the final table, I caught a huge break when I lucked out to win the following pot: With the blinds at $8,000-$16,000, I called with the K 5, and the flop was K Q 9. Elio Cabrera checked, Juha Helppi bet $45,000, and I made it $145,000 to go. Then, Cabrera moved all in instantly! Helppi studied awhile and folded, and I asked for a chip count. It turned out that Cabrera had only $135,000 more, and I knew from day two that he can play a little crazy: He moved all in on me on day two with 4-2, I called with A-3, and lost that pot. So, I was thinking that my top pair could beat any drawing hand that Cabrera might have, like the Q 10, or something similar. Plus, it was only $135,000 more to call in a pot that was already more than $500,000. So, I called.



Cabrera showed J-10 for a made straight! I could win only with perfect-perfect on the next two cards. As I stood there watching, I was resigned to losing the pot, even when the 2 came on the turn to give me a flush draw. But, boom, there was the 7 on the end, and I had completed a diamond flush for the $650,000 pot. Wow! I was so shocked that I actually fell on the floor, and looked up at my wife and said, "Honey, I cannot believe it!" I then took the microphone and praised Cabrera and the way he played that pot.



Another key hand came up when Helppi raised it to $90,000 to go, and I moved all in with 5-5 for $480,000 more. Helppi decided to call with the A 6, and for the first time in more than two days, I was all in and called. In poker parlance, it was a coin flip, meaning that it was about fifty-fifty. The flop came down K J 5. I had flopped a set, but Helppi had a flush draw. The next card was the Q to complete Helppi's flush, and he jumped about three feet into the air. I sat pretty still, preparing to shake Helppi's hand and congratulate him on his victory. In fact, Helppi played great poker for three straight days. But I knew that I had 10 outs in the deck (three kings, three queens, three jacks, and one 5) that would win it for me. I also knew, as did Helppi, that he had 34 winning cards. The river was the Q, and I scooped the $1.2 million pot with a full house, and made a little jump of my own. The queen of hearts, for my mother who inspired me; the queen of hearts for my sister in Italy, to whom I will give the bracelet; the queen of hearts, for my wife, standing by my side when I won.



About 10 hands later, I raised it to $80,000 to go – with the blinds at $15,000-$30,000 – with K-K, and Juha began to study. I thought, "Juha, please move all in! Phil, whatever you do here, do not move a muscle or say a word that could give away the strength of your hand." Juha then announced, "I'm all in." I then jumped out of my seat, throwing over my kings while I said, "I call." Juha had raised it by more than $1 million with his A-10, so now we had more than $2.2 million in the pot, and he had another chance to win the title, as he had me covered. The place was electric, loud, and crazy as people shouted, "Ace," or, "No ace," as ESPN filmed it and a report was sent out over the Internet. When the board came down Q-8-2-2-7,I won the pot, and John Bonetti and Mike "The Mouth" Matusow were shaking me violently to huge cheers, but I did not move a muscle; it was too early to celebrate, as Juha had $290,000 in chips left.



When I picked up A-J to Juha's A-9, I limped in from the button, and he moved all in. I jumped out of my seat again as I called, and when the final board read Q-8-3-K-6, it was over! I fell on the floor out of relief and disbelief. It had been so long in coming that I was relieved, as much as anything else. And then I began to celebrate, with my parents, my wife, and my oldest son, Phillip. I ran around the room giving high-fives, and patiently posed for pictures for 45 minutes (they did bring me some Dom to drink during the process). In fact, UltimateBet.com bought 30 bottles of Dom Perignon for the audience! What a night for me, one that I'll never forget!