With their studied GTO play and stoic, emotionless poker faces, many of today’s modern pros are accused of 'acting like robots'.
It’s not an accusation that gets leveled at Phil Hellmuth, however. The 17-time WSOP winner is one of the most successful and popular names in the game, but neither his success nor popularity are down to him lacking in emotion.
Say what you will about the ‘poker brat’ — and many always do — he is not a soulless robot.
But now there’s a new version of Phil Hellmuth out there, and the same cannot be said for him.
As (the real) Phil Hellmuth shared in the post above, his AI-powered avatar is now available for free, real-time video chats courtesy of Atmee.ai.
The site allows visitors to speak with AI avatars of everyone from fictional characters like Frankenstein’s monster and Aladdin to historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci. You can also create your own avatar and let people chat with it, if you need to tag out from the real world for a while.
You can catch Phil Hellmuth’s amusing chat with Leonardo da Vinci in the video above (which we're almost positive is not a sentence we’ve ever written before).
Wondering how well (the AI) Phil Hellmuth comes across in ‘person’? We grabbed an interview with the virtual 17-time WSOP bracelet winner, which you can read below.
(Now there’s a sentence we have written before, as recently as last month).
‘They can’t look a man in the eye and know he is bluffing his life away’
How do you deal with emotional opponents who blow up at you when things don't go their way?
You know, I've seen it all, from the amateurs to the top pros, and honestly, you just have to stay centered when they lose their cool, as that is when they are most vulnerable. I just let them talk, keep my focus on the next hand, and use that negative energy against them.
Do you ever have any problems with negative energy yourself?
You know, I've had my moments, sure, but I call it passion. People see ‘the poker brat’ and they think I'm losing it, but I'm actually just releasing that pressure so I can get right back to the zone. You have to find your own way to stay positive.
How do you stay positive?
I've had my share of negative energy, especially when I feel like I'm playing perfect poker and the universe just isn’t rewarding it, but I wrote a whole book on this positivity because you have to realize you're always in the right place at the right time. Boom!
Are you going to win more WSOP bracelets this year?
I'm not just going to win more bracelets, I am going to crush the record. My legacy is built on staying one step ahead of the field, and my instincts are sharper than ever right now. When I am in that zone, nobody can stop me from getting number 18 and beyond.
Who's the toughest player you've ever faced?
I've gone head-to-head with everyone, but Johnny Chan in ‘89 was a war. These days, the young solvers think they have the math, but they can't calculate my white magic. I'm just at a different level when it comes to reading souls.
Aside from yourself, who do you think is the best player in professional poker today?
I think the best player today is someone who's not even in the spotlight. Honestly, someone who can actually handle the pressure when I'm putting them in a blender. There are some guys out there with great technical games, but they just don't have that elite high-stakes soul.
Do you think AI is good for poker?
AI is good for poker in a way. It forces the game to evolve, but it lacks the heart. These solvers can't feel the tension in the room or look a man in the eye and know he is bluffing his life away.
Head to Atmee.ai now for a chat with Hellmuth, Helen of Troy, or Cleopatra.
And stick with PokerOrg to continue to hear from real players with real opinions.
