Laak stunt upstages Hellmuth

Poker Web Watch / Dave Allan / 08 July 2008 / Leave a Comment

Although Phil Hellmuth made his entrance on Day 1D in a US Army Jeep flanked by a bevy of beautiful girls, the poker brat was upstaged by Phil 'Unabomber' Laak who played the whole day incognito dressed up as an old man with the help of a prosthetic mask, a wig and plenty of make-up.

Laak, who usually wears his trademark hooded top, instead donned the appearance of an aging gentleman in an attempt to conceal his identity. His stunt was known only to his girlfriend Jennifer Tilly and close friend Antonio Esfandiari and is believed to be part of a prop bet.

The forums have been buzzing of late with opinion ranging from it being an awesome stunt to exploring the ethics of hiding your identity from opponents.

The general consensus, however, was positive with many people believing it bettered the almost desperate appearance of Hellmuth and livened up what has been one of the quietest WSOP Main Events for many years.

"If they see something's funny they don't know it's me, so it's huge," Laak said. "I got a lot more tools."

Unfortunately for Laak, the stunt did not help his game as the Dublin-born 35-year-old was felted towards the end of Day 1d.

**Update** Click here for pictures of the Phil 'Old Man' Laak