Phil Laak
Phil "The Unabomber " Laak ( born September 8, 1972 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish poker player. He lives in San Francisco, California.
Early life
He spent his childhood in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He has a university degree at the University of Massachusetts and worked as engineer. An old roommate and good friend is the professional poker player Antonio Esfandiari.
Poker career
Laak won the World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational event in February 2004. Since then he has reached two more final tables in 2005 at the Battle of Champions and the Five Diamond World Poker Classic. In the World Series of Poker 2005 he was second behind Johnny Chan at the $ 2,500 Pot Limit Hold'em tournament.
Laak played with even in the seasons 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of High Stakes Poker TV format.
When NBC's Poker After Dark Laak won the weekly rate of $ 120,000. There he defeated poker greats like Doyle Brunson, Antonio Esfandiari, Jennifer Harman and Erik Seidel.
Until the beginning of 2007, Phil Laak earned $ 1,200,000 in total about poker events.
On June 5, 2010 Laak presented in Las Vegas at a new world record: In the Bellagio hotel-casino he played more than 79 hours at a poker. He outplayed both to address the officially stipulated in the Guinness Book of World Records record of 72 hours and two minutes and recognized in the poker world unofficial record of 78 hours and 45 minutes. But the 37 -year-old Laak announced its intention to keep playing until he had reached the 90 hour mark. After he played poker 115 hours at a stretch, he broke off the project. So Phil Laak is now the world record holder in this category.
In 2010 he won the WSOPE £ 2.650 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em tournament which earned him his first bracelet and £ 170.802.
Nickname and personality
Laak was known as the Unabomber because of his hooded sweater that gave him Gus Hansen, and a pair of sunglasses that he wears at the poker table. He has been known to pull his hood so far in the face, no face is visible. Other characteristics of his style, for example, that he goes behind the dealer to see the first which card comes next, or makes itself already ready to go when he goes all-in, no matter what hand he hits. For these things Laak is loved by poker fans, but also criticized by poker players, as they perceive it as unprofessional.
His girlfriend is the actress Jennifer Tilly. She won in 2005, the bracelet of the WSOP ladies tournament. Since it is called "The Unabombshell ". Since May 7, 2007, he was seen at the American pay-per- view channels MOJO HD in the eight-part television series I bet you with his best friend Antonio Esfandiari in which to complete the two crazy bets against each other. Also in the film comedy All in - all or nothing from the year 2008 he had a cameo as Esfandiari as a poker player, his wife played a supporting role.