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Residence:
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Los Angeles, California
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Birthdate: |
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September 8, 1972
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Career Highlights: |
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1st place in the 2004 WPT Invitational ($100,000)
1st place in the 2005 William Hill Poker Grand Prix ($150,000)
1st place in 2007 Poker After Dark Week 5 ($120,000)
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Affiliated Poker Room(s): |
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NA
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Personal Website: |
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NA
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Products: |
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NA
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Phil Laak
Phil “The Unabomber” Laak is one of the most high-octane and high-profile poker players in the modern game. He has established himself as a regular participant on a range of TV poker shows, thanks as much to his gregarious personality as his card-playing skills.
Laak was born in Dublin, Ireland, but moved to the U.S. East Coast at a young age. He obtained a degree in mechanical engineering, and went on to work as an engineer, a repo man, a stock trader, and a real estate investor. In 1999 he discovered poker in the underground New York clubs, and like many before him fell in love with the game. It was during this period grinding the local cash games that Phil met his good friend Antonio Esfandiari.
He then moved to LA, where he began to frequent the cash games at the Commerce Casino. His expertise was most definitely for ring games, in fact by 2003 he had only ever played 8 tournaments. It would be a tournament, however, that would propel him to stardom in the poker world. In February 2004 Phil won the WPT Invitational for $100,000. He would later go on to notch up two more WPT final tables, in the 2005 Battle of Champions, and the 2005 Five Diamond World Poker Classic.
He is yet to pick up a WSOP bracelet, but came very close in 2005. In a $2,500 Pot Limit Omaha event he finished a close second to the legendary Johnny Chan. Phil also won the first ever William Hill Poker Grand Prix for $150,000 and has enjoyed success on TV shows such as High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark. His antics on screen have made him a fan favourite and a regular returning guest, although he still spends much of his time frequenting the high stakes cash games.
He has also risen to prominence thanks to his relationship with Hollywood actress Jennifer Tilly. Under Phil’s tutelage Tilly is now a part-time poker pro, and first made her mark by winning a bracelet at the 2005 WSOP Ladies’ Event. Laak is also known as “The Unabomer” thanks to hooded sweatshirts he wears at the table. In a big hand, he has been known to draw his hood far over his head in order to conceal his face. This behaviour, along with his raucous table antics, have upset a few of the more traditional pros in the game.
He also caused controversy by playing the first day of the 2008 WSOP main event dressed in full prosthetic makeup. He was disguised as an grizzled Texas amateur, and was accused by some of unethically deceiving the players at his table. For his fans on the other hand, it was just another piece of classic Phil Laak entertainment.
In 2007 he teamed up with fellow pro Ali Eslami to compete against Polaris, a complex AI machine devised by the University of Alberta. The pair played a number of heads up matches against the computer, and eventually emerged victorious. Phil also writes a regular blog for Bluff Magazine entitled ‘Being Phil Laak’, in which he recounts various his various exploits travelling the world playing in high-stakes games. His live tournament winnings currently stand at over $1.4 million.
Common Misspellings: Phil Lock, Phil Lack, Phil Lak, Bill Laak
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