Poker Player - Phil "The Unabomber" Laak
Phil "The Unabomber" Laak is one of the more colourful personalities on the professional poker circuit, but his eccentric character should not detract from his evident poker playing skills!
Phil Laak has his roots in Ireland, being born in Dublin in 1972. He moved to Massachusetts and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. With a work history showing his aptitude for reading people and analysing situations, Phil was formerly a sports bet broker, a real estate investor and a stock market speculator! With these jobs encouraging his ability to make smart gambling decisions, he began playing poker in open tournaments in 1999.
Phil Laak's former roommate is Antonio Esfandiari, and this poker playing pair lived in the Bay Area for several years, travelling together to tournaments. He has now settled in San Francisco and Los Angeles however, and is fortunate to have the beautiful actress and poker player Jennifer Tilly as his girlfriend. The couple met during a tournament and in 2005, and Jennifer actually won herself a World Series of Poker bracelet, which she claims was "better than an Oscar".
But what of Phil Laak's unique and unconventional style? Phil is famous for his attire of a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses when playing. And during large hands, he will pull the drawstrings tight around his face, and hide behind his glasses. This peculiar look earned him the nickname "The Unabomber". His method of preparation is to use "higher order mental functioning". He claims, rather remarkably, that this higher thinking links him psychically to his opponents, giving him an advantage during the game. He is also known to be chatty at the table, and animated, treating the game of Poker as means of having fun, above all else. He has been seen to do press ups between hands, to thrash around on the floor, to dance around the poker tables, openly expressing his joys.
When asked about why he played poker, Phil basically gave the philosophy of his life: "All the decisions of my life are based on satisfying three primary functions: fun, freedom and fulfilment. Poker is a blend of them all."
Beyond all the antics and the mental or psychic agility however, is a player of very real skill. In February 2004, Phil Laak claimed the first prize of the World Poker Tour Invitational, worth $100,000. He also finished 6th in the 2003 World Poker Tour Legends of Poker No Limit Texas Hold'em main event, winning $54,075. In the 2003 Bellagio Five Diamond World Poker Classic, he finished 12th, winning $34,917. Even more recently, in 2005, Phil not only beat the PokerProbot, the best poker robot in the world, but also came second to Johnny Chan in the June World Series of Poker $2500 buy in Pot Limit Hold'em event.
To date his winnings are in excess of $500,000, he has a stunning poker playing girlfriend, earning her own nickname of "The Unabombshell" and displays an immense enjoyment of the sport. With life looking so good, Phil Laak shows no sign of slowing down, and is easily one of the most interesting and independent Poker players to look out for!
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