The Time I Met Phil Laak

Ok, it's time for story number 3 in the series of "The Time I met...". Obviously, the last one about Shana Hiatt (pause to drool) was the most popular. Here's the one that came to mind the most out of all the ones I have.

So I'm at Commerce Casino here in LA. For those of you that don't know, this is Poker Mecca. It's the largest poker room. Period. I think foxwoods might compare but I've never been. A typical group at their top table includes Brunson, Chan, Laak, Ivey, Neaganeu, Hellmuth, etc.

Anyways - I'm there covering an event and got to play in the media tournament. Winner gets a seat to a WPT event! To my right is Barbara Enright, a really nice (and scary when playing poker) lady who I have met and played with many times. Barbara dominates the table and I do alright, and we make our way to the "final" table where it was basically 1 idiot, 2 pros (Laak & Esfandiari), me, and 4 people from CardPlayer.com .

I'm sitting to the right of Phil Laak. So yes, I realize I'm totally F'd in this position, so I just figure the best I can make out of this situation is to have the chance to meet the guy and hope to get luck (since i was shortstacked anyways).

"Hi Phil, I'm Sean Gibson. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hi!!!! That's great!!!!! (genuine) Say, I noticed you did this on a hand you played 45 minutes ago. Did you realize that..." and if you think that ChuckTs or others here can break down a hand ... this guy was a walking encyclopedia of poker knowledge and statistics. I'd basically compare him to a walking version of PokerTracker and PokerStove.

About 10 minutes later he finished that one sentence. He stopped only because I was shortstacked and had MP and went all in with ATs. I got one caller with QJo and he broke down that he mucked an A, and with the amount of times my opponent had been in a hand that he was at a table for that he pinned his range to X between Y and etc etc.

I think I was more impressed with his knowledge than with the fact my opponent managed to hit quad Qs on my all in and was busted out in 8th.

Before all this, I was not at his first table (a friend of mine was) who also struck up a conversation. The gist was that he's a very nice guy, but has some form of clinical ADS (attention deficit syndrome). He'll get really passionate about a subject, get into it, and literally a second later be talking about something completely different.

I have asked a few other pros about him because he is such a compelling person. TJ Cloutier told me "Phil's from another planet that scientists haven't discovered yet," and Mike Sexton said that "Phil's only enemy at a table is himself."

In the end, he's a very nice guy in person, is happy to talk to you, and has a brain that NASA scientists would envy.

How did I miss these the first time around? Nice job, IM. You tell a good story. Keep 'em coming please.

cool story, phil is awesome. more please

sweet must be pretty cool meeting all these people, but llike you told me, it would be much better meeting his GF!

I still have to drag out a lot of the pics I made, esp for Shana. Since this was 3 years ago i have to dig back in the digital archive.

nice story