Phil Hellmuth has quite the ego, but are there really some comparisons between the poker legend and Tom Brady? Yes and no.
Brady is fresh off his record-setting sixth NFL title, as he quarterbacked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-9 Super Bowl victory over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.
The veteran quarterback, as per usual, made plays and smart decisions in leading his team to the big win. At age 43 it's remarkable how talented he still is.
And that is where the first comparison between the football and poker stars begin .... kind of. Hellmuth won his 15th World Series of Poker bracelet at age 53, which is much older than the average bracelet winner.
So, the "Poker Brat" has had some success into his 50s. But he's no longer a dominant poker pro, and outside of that WSOP bracelet, doesn't have many titles to his belt the past few years. Brady, on the other hand, remains the greatest quarterback of all-time and continues to win championships into his 40s, something no other QB in NFL history has been able to accomplish.
Making silly comparisons
Following Brady's big win on Sunday, some poker fans began sharing a meme on social media comparing the quarterback to the poker pro.
Every stat in the meme is true. Both players hold championship records in their sports. Brady has six Super Bowl rings and Hellmuth has 15 WSOP bracelets, both far and away records.
And they both have won at a high level for multiple decades. Hellmuth won the WSOP Main Event in 1989, while Brady was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 (2001 season).
They even have some irrelevant comparisons such as both attending a Big Ten Conference university. Hellmuth went to the University of Wisconsin, and Brady attended the University of Michigan.
Let's not get carried away
But there are also many differences between the two superstars. First off, Brady is unquestionably one of the best, if not the best, quarterbacks at an "old" age by football standards. Whereas, Hellmuth hasn't been considered one of the best by his peers for quite some time.
That's not to say the "Poker Brat" is a fish at the table these days. But he isn't exactly crushing the high-stakes scene either, and hasn't for quite some time. Most poker pros believe the game has passed him by due to his refusal to learn modern poker strategy (GTO).
The two greats also have very different personalities. Hellmuth, even still to this day after playing poker for more than 30 years, often complains when he loses a big pot and berates his opponents. Brady is more level-headed and doesn't meltdown when things aren't going his way on the field.
Hellmuth wrote on Twitter of the comparison to Brady that it "makes me feel like I have accomplished a few things along the way." And he certainly has. After all, he's the all-time WSOP bracelet record holder, which is an accomplishment any poker player would love to have. But he's no Tom Brady. Not even close. Brady has won consistently throughout his long career, whereas Hellmuth has been anything but dominant during the past decade.
Featured image source: Twitter
