Five Questions With Paul Phillips

A revealing interview with poker’s most unrecognizable superstar

Author: Eric Raskin

1. What do you consider the greatest bluff you ever pulled off?
I try not to remember my greatest bluffs for fear of being tempted to try anything similar; almost by definition, a great bluff is one that has a low probability of success. But it’s hard to forget my J-2 bluff against Phil Laak thanks to it being shown on the Travel Channel about a billion times since it happened.

2. Who’s the player you just can’t get a read on?
Phil Ivey. I’ve given up. Having apparently exhausted every avenue of analysis, I’m down to praying he’s not at my table.

3. If the Internet and blogging had been around since the dawn of time, what famous person’s blog would you most like to read?
I wouldn’t want to distract any of my heroes with “blogging responsibilities.” Better that they work on whatever made them interesting to me in the first place. Blogs: where time goes to die.

4. What relatively unknown poker player do you think is going to develop into a star?
I’ll go with Steven Hudak. During the 2005 WSOP, he showed up looking like he belonged in junior high school, sat in a short-handed $300/$600 mixed game, and played every game well and with total confidence. When I was 21, I couldn’t spell poker.

5. What hairstyle should we absolutely never expect to see from Paul Phillips?
I’m not much of a mohawk man, but never say never.