The Poker Unabomber
Let me introduce to you the Unabomber .No, I do not mean the American mail bomb sender but the famous poker player Phil Laak. Laak is a well known character in the poker world. He got his nickname, "the Unabomber", due to the fact he always wears a hooded sweatshirt, with the hood up, and sunglasses at the poker table. Laak is pretty new to the poker world; he started playing poker in 1999 and in the next 4 years to come had entered eight tournaments, including the main event at the World Series of Poker three years in a row. It was his appearances on the World Poker Tour that got him the job as host of an entertainment show on celebrity poker.
Biography
Laak was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1972. He moved to Los Angeles later on. He started to pursue his poker career by playing all the time and learning what he can from whoever is around. According to him, there is something to learn all the time. His favorite games are Pot Limit Omaha and Ultimate Frisbee.
He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and he had a variety of jobs before pursuing the poker glamour. One of his jobs was to broker sports bets. Besides being a poker player, he is a part time stock market speculator and a real estate investor.
Lakk's Strategy
Laak's main quality as a poker player is his focus on the game and on his gaming skills rather then his status during game. This strategy is recommended for live action and big tournaments. Ultimately, what drives him is to play well and not to win. According to Laak winning is a luxury he allows himself sometimes between hands or at the end of the session.
Achievements
Laak attended the World Poker Tour at the Bicycle Casino in 2003 and come in sixth. At the Bellagio WPT in 2003 he came in twelfth, and at the WPT Invitation 2004 he came in first. At the 2005 World Series of Poker, Lakk came in second in Pot Limit Holdem.
Laak's girlfriend Jennifer Tilly is also a well known character inside the poker world as a player and outside of it as a Hollywood actress. This year Tilly even missed the annual academy awards due to a tournament she attended.
