Phil Helms' father passed away; his son reminisces about the family legacy.
Regional newsPhil Hellmuth Sr., father of poker legend Phil Hellmuth Jr., passed away on Sunday from cancer at an unknown age. Phil Hellmuth Jr. announced the news on social media, reminiscing about his father's pride and support for the family. The poker world is saddened by the passing of Phil Hellmuth Sr., father of poker legend Phil Hellmuth Jr., who had been battling cancer for nine months. Phil Hellmuth Jr. announced the news on social media. Phil Hellmuth Sr. was an accomplished academic. He held a Juris Doctor degree from Marquette University, where he met his future wife, Lynn. He also held a PhD and an MBA, and spent his entire illustrious career at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Arts and Sciences. In his autobiography, *Poker Brat*, Helmus Jr. wrote about his parents' reaction when he told them he was dropping out of college to play professional poker: "Can you imagine his reaction to me dropping out of college to play professional poker? I was the son who had to go to college, who had to get good grades. I was the son he was desperately trying to mold and cultivate." Despite frequent arguments with his father in his youth, Helmus Jr. quickly introduced him to major poker tournaments. In late 1988, he suggested taking his father on vacation wherever he wanted. Although he had never seen or played poker, his father chose to accompany his son to the 1989 World Series of Poker (WSOP). "I had to smile because he finally showed me support," Helmus wrote. "He kept saying to me, 'You're going to win that tournament, right?'" Helmus said he would, but on one condition. "I told my father he couldn't watch me play during the Main Event because I felt it would distract me," Helmus said. Although his father wasn't there to watch, the elder Helms was there every day to support his son, even bringing him things like bananas. Ultimately, Helms defeated Johnny Chan to win the 1989 WSOP Main Event, earning his first gold bracelet. In that moment of victory, he looked for his father. "Within seconds, I started scanning the entire arena. Where was my father? Suddenly, he appeared, running between the stands. There was a million dollars in cash on the table, security stopped him, but I waved him through, and that hug I gave him was one of the sweetest hugs of my life! My father told me how proud he was of me. He told me how much he loved me. My father was there when I achieved my life's goals. For me, that's absolutely priceless." This was far from the last special moment the Helms father and son shared. For example, in 1998, the younger Helms took his father to the 32nd Super Bowl, watching their beloved Green Bay Packers play against the Denver Broncos. The elder Helms was incredibly proud of his family and often talked about them. This includes an interview with author Gary Trask in 2008.
