 Name: Phil Laak Date of Birth: unknown Place of Birth: Dublin, Ireland Profile
Anyone who thinks poker is a sedentary pursuit has obviously never watched Phil “The Unabomber” Laak. Laak is known for his trademark hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses, but it is his “table manners” at this season’s World Poker Tour Invitational that suddenly has the poker world abuzz. In that episode, Laak alternately pulls the drawstring of his hood tight over his face, and throws the hood off altogether, revealing his bleached blond rock-star hair. In vivid contrast to fellow players he will eventually defeat (including consummate professionals Humberto Brenes and John Juanda, and rising star Antonio Esfandiari--his former roommate), he cannot seem to sit still. He hops and dances around the table, kneels beside the dealer to get the first peek at the turn cards, does push-ups, and thrashes on the floor after a miracle save. The next day, Laak’s behavior will be the topic of heated debate on World Poker Tour fan sites: many calling it “over-the-top” and “inappropriate” but others concurring with WPT commentator Mike Sexton that it will win both Laak and the game of poker millions of new fans.With no fewer than three final table appearances in season two of the WPT, Laak is clearly one of the emerging stars of the game. His earliest poker memory is playing poker on a camping trip with family friends at age 7. He remembers discovering that having money was “a good thing” – which at the time meant the ability to buy more chocolate bars. Laak played poker on Wednesday nights in college, but it wasn’t until 1999 or 2000 in New York City that he was first exposed to big bet poker.Despite the physical energy Laak (whose pastimes include judo, sky diving and scuba diving) brings to poker, he is a highly cerebral player who says he is driven by playing well, not by winning.Irish by nationality, Laak now divides his time between Los Angeles and San Francisco. He has a B.S. in mechanical engineering, and has worked as an engineer, a repo man, a data storage and transfer systems broker, a sports broker, and now describes himself as a “part-time poker degeneratum” who is also a real estate investor.For Laak, it is key not to become too involved in the outcome. “It is hard for me to see anything in poker as bad beats,” he says. “Christopher Reeves falling off his horse and ending up paralyzed – that is a bad beat. Runner flush is not a bad beat – that is just poker.” | 
Make us your Homepage
Bookmark this Page
Tell a Friend about us
Free Newsletter