On Wednesday night, Ultimate Bet pro and 11-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Phil Hellmuth appeared on the “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” which airs on Fox Sports Net. The focus of the three minute segment was promoting the “Best Damn Poker Show,” sponsored by UltimateBet.net, which debuted its second season on Monday.
“The Poker Brat” was the fourth guest on the show. First up was Arizona Cardinals standout wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. His coach, Ken Whisenhunt, was later interviewed by “Best Damn Sports Show” host Chris Rose. Also preceding Hellmuth was former NFL quarterback and current analyst Phil Simms. NFL on FOX announcer Tony Siragusa appeared as an in studio host. Due to the upcoming conference championship games this weekend, Hellmuth was the only non-football personality to appear.
Hellmuth presented Rose and co-host Charissa Thompson Poker Brat jerseys boasting the number 99 on the back. He discussed the background of the “Best Damn Poker Show,” which also airs on Fox Sports Net: “This year, we had 24 players. It was easy for Annie and I to eliminate one person per [pre-draft evaluation match], so now you’re down to 20. Then, we had a draft where we drafted nine players each and eliminated two there.” The first episode of Season 2, which premiered on Monday, featured Christina Lindley and John Blowers ousted from the cast. The two played in separate pre-draft evaluation matches.
Hellmuth then alluded to upcoming shows that included three players from his poker team taking on three players from co-host Annie Duke’s squad. He explained, “We both had to eliminate one player, but if a player was the last man standing for their team, we couldn’t eliminate them.” Hellmuth noted that, on several occasions, the player he wanted to send packing had immunity. The show’s premise centers on Hellmuth and Duke vying against each other to see who can produce the next great poker champion.
Near the end of the seven episodes that comprise this season of the “Best Damn Poker Show,” one player unceremoniously leaves the set. Hellmuth describes the incident, which caught him by surprise: “There’s a big twist at the end where one of the players I selected was struggling with issues in his life and he walked off the set in the middle of the show.” Hellmuth recalled that the show’s producers came to him in his trailer and told him what had happened. Hellmuth responded, “Well, that’s good for ratings.”
Past hosts of the nationally televised “Best Damn Sports Show Period” have included comedian Tom Arnold, former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, former MLB pitcher Rob Dibble, and former outfielder and first baseman John Kruk. Leeann Tweeden, the host of NBC’s “Poker After Dark,” has also been tied to the Fox Sports Net show. The “Best Damn Poker Show” airs at 9:00pm in all markets on Monday nights. It is replayed at 11:00pm and 12:30am as well.
The winner of Season 1 of the poker show, Tracy Scala, is now a member of Ultimate Bet’s Star Players team, which includes “Hollywood” Dave Stann, James “P0KERPR033” Campbell, and Tiffany Michelle. Stann served as the sideline reporter during the first episode, which also featured appearances by Shawn “westtexasman” Rice and Mark “P0ker H0” Kroon. Hellmuth is the owner of a record 11 WSOP bracelets, edging poker legends Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson, who have 10 apiece. In 1989, he became the youngest WSOP Main Event champion ever at age 24, a mark that would later be shattered by Danish poker pro Peter Eastgate in 2008.
