Feb
28
by Jake
At 7:04am on June 7, 2010 Phil “The Unabomber” Laak, set a new world record for the most hours of poker played in a single sitting after 115 hours. Setting a world record and having a record officially verified by the Guinness Book of World Records are two different things however and Unabomber Poker is proud to announce that Phil Laak has now been officially named the new and current holder for the record of 'Longest marathon playing poker by an individual'.
Attaining the Guinness World Record required meeting stringent standards and providing proof and verification of certain facts that included: witnesses, media coverage following the event, video evidence, drug tests administered by a doctor on site, log books detailing dealer’s names and times, Guinness Book of World Records log books detailing the record breaker’s activity and rest times among other things.
Taking place at the luxurious Bellagio Poker Room in Las Vegas, Laak started playing at 12:04pm on June 2, 2010 and broke the previous world record by 36 hours and 15 minutes when he stopped at 7:04am on June 7, 2010.
"I was shooting for 80 hours all along and eventually it came. The obvious next step was to honor the moment by making the most of it. A gambling degenerate by trade this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to see what my inner vampire was really made of,” stated Laak. “Well we sure found out! It was loads of fun and of course impossible without my crew. This has been one of the most wonderful journeys I’ve ever taken, touchingly human and beautiful on so many levels. Thanks to everyone who shared in this amazing ride.”
Since breaking the record Laak has continued his storied and colorful career by winning a World Series of Poker Europe bracelet for the ₤2,500 buy-in Six-Handed No-Limit Hold’em championship. Laak’s first WSOP bracelet followed a serious all-terrain vehicle accident that left Laak hospitalized with a broken elbow and other injuries and saw him win the tournament while wearing a cast.
You can check out a video recap of Phil Laak breaking the poker endurance record, or check out all the poker endurance challenge blogs on Unabomber for a complete review of how the momunmental event went down.