Jun
6
by Taylor Kent
It's now overtime at Bellagio.
On Wednesday, June 2, 2010, Phil Laak sat down at a $10/$20 No-Limit Hold'em table at the Bellagio poker room in Las Vegas. His goal was to set a new world record for the longest individual poker playing endurance marathon in history, and then to pass that number by continuing to play for 80 hours - and now, 83 hours in, his session is officially in overtime and there's no sign of him stopping.
A proud Jennifer Tilly congratulates Phil on setting a new world record.
Phil's girlfriend Jennifer Tilly was on hand for the record-breaking moment. The former WSOP ladies' event champion's happiness and pride in Phil's accomplishment were evident as she held him close and the two smiled warmly for the cameras.
Joy Miller of BluffMagazine.com interviews Phil right after he breaks the record.
All sorts of poker media were on hand to capture the moment and interview the man of the hour. Card Player, PokerNews and Bluff were all there to document poker history, as were numerous photographers and videographers.
Old friends celebrate a unique accomplishment.
While Phil played he was joined by a number of notable poker pros, including Scotty Nguyen, Andrew Robl, and his good friend Antonio Esfandiari. It was Antonio who helped to turn the session profitable just before Phil passed Paul Zimbler's unofficial world record time of 78 hours and 45 minutes, when he lost some $20,000 in a single pot by running into Phil's pocket aces.
A toast.
Phil continued to play while doing his interviews, but once they were complete the entire table paused to raise a glass of champagne and toast this unique moment in poker. Then Phil got right back down to the task at hand: thoroughly crushing the previous record by shooting for a new mark of 90 hours. He continues to post on Twitter, and the live stream is still running as well, so you can follow him and see just how far into overtime he can go.
Congratulations, Phil!
Jun
5
by Taylor Kent
Phil Laak, the new poker endurance world record holder
After keeping up with Phil’s exploits last night via the live stream, I dropped by Bellagio again this morning and didn’t know what to expect as I walked into the room. There’s no doubt that 72 hours is a long time to stay awake, much less to do something that requires the kind of concentration that playing poker does. Would I find Phil slumping and struggling to make it? Or would he be the same Phil Laak I talked to yesterday, pushing the limits of the human body while maintaining a mental orbit just slightly outside the zone the rest of us occupy?
Turns out it was the latter. Phil was very animated, standing up often and chatting with the table during the hands he was playing even more than he usually does. Part of that was because standing up makes it easier for him to fight off fatigue, as he explained to me yesterday, but part of it was surely because of the crowd gathered around the table in anticipation. Like many top poker pros, Phil draws energy from having an audience around him - and at this point energy was in short enough supply that having 20 or 30 people gathered in the small high-limit area of the Bellagio’s poker room was like having a critical recharge for a drained battery.
As the record time grew closer the sense of anticipation in the room was palpable. And when there were ten seconds remaining, the entire room began counting down. Phil’s sense of accomplishment was evident - he raised his arms in the air, fists clenched in a champion’s pose, and he had a huge grin plastered to his face. “There’s a new sicko in town!” he exclaimed as the official Guinness world record mark came and went, and the room broke into applause. The crowd that had gathered began snapping pictures, and the other players at the table pulled out their cell phones and began doing the same.
The record breaks - and the room celebrates
So, the record of 72 hours and 2 minutes has fallen. As for what the number attached to the new record will be, that’s still up in the air - Phil is still going strong with his 80-hour goal firmly in his sights.
Jun
5
by Taylor Kent
As we've mentioned before, Phil's world record attempt is part of an effort to raise money for Camp Sunshine, a charity that does great work for children with life-threatening illnesses. But Phil's not just limiting himself to playing poker to raise money for the Sunshine kids - he's taking on prop bets for the charity, too. Check out this video of him taking a challenge to do 30 push-ups for a $1,000 donation to Camp Sunshine - at nearly 59 hours into the record attempt, no less!
It's hard enough for most people to do 30 push-ups on a full night of sleep. Sleep-deprived Phil Laak added another two at the end for good measure. Does this guy have heart or what?
Jun
5
by Taylor Kent
If you’ve ever wanted to get your hands on a Phil Laak hoodie, your options have been pretty limited:
1.) Stalk Phil, wait for him to take his hoodie off, and then gank it while his attention is elsewhere. This is dangerous because Phil has ninja-like awareness and reflexes; even if you think you’re going to get away with it, you won’t.
2.) Beat him up and take his hoodie. Bad idea. Phil was a Golden Gloves champion back in 1972, and this is a ticket to learning that fact the hard way.
3.) Trick him into taking on a timed prop bet with his hoodie on the line, and then distract him by asking a question that requires him to start solving an equation on a blackboard. Much less dangerous than the previous two options, but Phil’s brain is lightning-quick and he might solve the problem faster than you think.
Now there’s a much easier, much safer way to get your Phil Laak hoodie - and get it signed, no less. All you have to is sign up for a new Unabomber Poker account with the promo code “FreeHoodie” and earn 2500 Frequent Player Points prior to July 5th. Do that and Phil will sign a hoodie and ship it your way - and the offer is good anywhere in the world, not just in the US.