Phil Helmuth has quite the reputation in the poker world. He was nicknamed “Poker Brat” for a reason and is known for some extreme statements. It’s not that big of a surprise that he believes he would be a good president in a recent interview for Card Player.

He agreed to talk to the magazine to mark the release of his autobiography. The name of the book? “Poker Brat: The Story of the World’s Greatest Poker Player”. Hardly a shocker, considering the reputation of Helmuth. To be fair, his success suggests he may have a point.

Stories From The Past

Surprisingly, Helmuth opens up and share some interesting stories about his childhood. The future poker champ was born in Wisconsin. He was part of a huge family and his fair share of struggles as a kid. It’s funny that he managed to win a local TV comedy contest. Helmuth was 5 at the time and earned a place in a play for a couple of years.

It’s interesting to note that Phil was a close friend with Saturday Night Live alumnus Chris Farley that died tragically. The pair were best friends in kindergarten and he’s the only person Helmuth taught his system.

How Was Poker Brat Born

It seems Helmuth wasn’t the best student at school and his father was hardly happy. But the poker pro showed character back then and went his own path. It’s interesting to hear that one of the most successful WSOP players of all time had to work in the corn fields when he lost his bankroll.

If you want to learn more about Helmuth’s poker career, his love for basketball and the Golden State Warriors, in particular, and other interesting links, we recommend you to read the whole interview here.