World Series of Poker -- Dennis Phillips Quiets the CriticsSt. Louis Native Trying to Make a Second ‘November Nine’ |
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Dennis Phillips, sporting his trademark St. Louis Cardinals cap, was thrust into the spotlight last year when he carried the chip lead into the final table in the WSOP’s first attempt at a delayed final table. He was “the everyman” in a way that no one had been in poker since Chris Moneymaker.
Employed as an account manager for a commercial trucking company, his story resonated with many people as he quickly became one of most popular players of the November Nine.
But he came under sharp criticism after the final table, particularly for his infamous hand with A-K against Ivan Demidov’s A-Q that severely damaged his big stack.
Still, Phillips recovered and went on to finish in third place in the 2008 main event, collecting more than $4.5 million.
At the time, many people dismissed him as a one-hit wonder, a nice guy who would never again make a deep run in the main event.
Fast forward one year later. Today is day 6 of the 2009 main event. As of 4 p.m., just 124 players remain from a starting field of 6,494. One of those 124 competitors, with 1.4 million in chips, is Dennis Phillips. Defying the odds, he is making a second straight run at the main-event final table.
Phillips smiles when asked if he gets bothered by the criticism of his play last year.
“Let me tell you. I would love to have people say, ‘Oh, you’re at the final table and you made another bad play,’” said Phillips. “Do you question the play (against Demidov)? I question the play myself. I could’ve played it a lot of different ways. If that’s the only misplay I made to get that far, I’m tickled to death.”
With a laid-back attitude and a friendly demeanor, Phillips has proven to be a popular character. More than 300 supporters crowded the Penn & Teller theater last year, dressing in the Phillips garb of a white, long-sleeve, collared shirt and a red St. Louis Cardinals cap. Several of those supporters have already been seen on the rail in 2009, rooting him on.
When asked why he thinks he has such a loyal fan base, Phillips shrugs, not really sure how to answer the question.
“I just try to be myself. I was raised by two of the greatest parents in the world, and I just try to do things that would make them proud,” said Phillips. “I treat other people well. It’s really very simple.”
The Missouri poker player won his seat into last year’s main event thanks to a $200 satellite tournament that he won at a local casino. This year, in just his second WSOP main event ever, he has navigated through another 6,400-plus person field to put himself in legitimate contention to defy the odds and make the main-event final table for the second year in a row.
Of course, he’s not the only November Nine member making a run. Reigning champ Peter Eastgate is still alive, and eighth-place finisher Kelly Kim also cashed in the main event in 2009.
“This has been pretty awesome. I can’t stop smiling,” said Phillips. “I’m playing great poker, I think. I’m having a heck of a lot of fun, I’ve got a lot of supporters out here, and the tables I’ve been at have been awesome with really friendly guys.”
Phillips credits his success to his willingness to part with his cards, even when he thinks they might be good. He recalls a hand on day 1 when he flopped a set of fives on a 7-6-5 board with two clubs. With a bet and a raise in front of him, he looked at his cards, figured they might indeed be best, and threw them into the muck.
“Did I have the best hand? Yeah, I probably did. But was I going to risk all my chips on it? Not a chance,” said Phillips, who thought he could be up against anything from a monster draw to a straight to just a naked flush draw or overpair. “Unfortunately, I would’ve won it, but that’s the way you have to do it. You have to be willing to throw your cards away.”
With blinds rising and the field shrinking, Phillips may have passed the point where he can comfortably fold a set on the flop. And he knows that no matter how deep he finishes in this event, he’ll probably always have his detractors. But he’s playing well and having a good time doing it — and that’s good enough for him.
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