WSOP fans either love or hate Phil Hellmuth. There’s no middle ground with this guy even though his table manners have definitely improved in the last few years. Verbal outbursts, temper tamtrums, rants against fellow players, and outrageous self promotion stunts are fewer and without the intensity that earned him the “Poker Brat” tag. Has Hellmuth matured or are we seeing the effects of evolving WSOP rule changes that demand better sportsmanship while imposing heavy handed penalties to those that don’t comply? Me thinks it’s the new rules that have produced the stoic Hellmuth.

Like him or not his poker accomplishments are the benchmark by which others are compared. A record eleven WSOP bracelets including a world championship in the 1989 Main Event. Hellmuth also holds the record for most WSOP cashes. He’s bagged over $10 million in prize money and was the youngest player to win a Main Event, a record that lasted until Peter Eastgate grabbed the 2008 championship breaking Hellmuith’s record after 19 years.

Don’t forget to tune in this week’s ESPN 2009 WSOP Main Event with two more hours of never before aired poker from the summer event at the Rio Resort in Las Vegas. It all begins at 8 PM EST on the ESPN sports network. Check local listings for broadcast times in your area.

[thanks to irina slutsky and flipchippro via cc]