Phil Hellmuth, Jr., the all-time gold bracelet leader of the World Series of Poker, will be in town for the Poker Showdown from April 23-27, which will also include a recording and live-stream of 'Poker Night in America.'
Hellmuth, dubbed the "Poker Brat" for his jiving antics, has won 13 world championships at the World Series of Poker, raking in over $17,400,000 in live tournaments. Despite his nickname, however, Hellmuth has been consistently philanthropic with the game, hosting the "All In" for kids charity event for the 7th year in a row last October (the event, co-founded with Dan Shak, benefits the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia).
As SugarHouse looks to gain more exposure for its permanent poker room, Rose Cook, vice president of gaming, spoke to PokerNews about the casino's special guest.
"We're extremely excited to have our first multi-day tournament at SugarHouse," Cook said. "And to have Phil Hellmuth here takes it to another level. We look forward to him putting the 'Phil' in Philadelphia."
It's possible that Hellmuth will play alongside Philadelphia locals, Cook said, as he did in a win at Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh last November.
'Poker Night in America' plans to bring a full television crew, recording not only the poker room and casino, but the city of Philadelphia, Cook added. While the full list of pro players slated to attend has not yet been released, the show expects to follow some of them to local cheesesteak spots Geno's, Pat's, and Tony Luke's.
Participation in the inaugural $100,000 Guaranteed Poker Showdown requires a $280 buy-in with 25,000-chip starting stacks and 30-minute levels.
For more information, visit the SugarHouse website.