Phil Laak

Phil Laak was born on September 8, 1972, in Dublin, Ireland, and moved with his family to Wellesley, Massachusetts, when he was four. Raised on the East Coast of the United States, he later lived in New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. He learned to play cards as a child, but poker would not become his profession until later in life. Laak graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a degree in mechanical engineering. Before committing to poker full-time, he tried careers as an engineer, a day trader, and an investor. He also sharpened his competitive instincts in New York as a backgammon player. After moving west, he became immersed in high-stakes California cash games and was roommates with fellow professional Antonio Esfandiari.

Laak's first notable tournament results came in 2003, when he took sixth place at the Legends of Poker for more than $50,000 and made a deep run at the Five Diamond World Poker Classic. In February 2004, he won the World Poker Tour Celebrity Invitational, his first major title. He later added two more WPT final tables: sixth in the season two Battle of Champions and sixth at the 2005 Five Diamond World Poker Classic, worth over $160,000. Also in 2005, he reached a WSOP final table in the $2,500 Pot-Limit Hold'em event, finishing runner-up to Johnny Chan for nearly $160,000 as Chan secured his tenth bracelet. The same year, Laak won the inaugural William Hill Poker Grand Prix, defeating Ram Vaswani heads-up for the £150,000 first prize.

Laak has recorded six WSOP final tables and more than 21 WSOP money finishes. His best Main Event result is 412th place in 2015. After a near-miss in 2005, he finally captured a bracelet on September 16, 2010, at the World Series of Poker Europe, taking down the £2,500 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em championship. His later WSOP cashes include 35th place in the 2024 $3,000 H.O.R.S.E. event for $6,353 and 33rd in the 2024 $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha event for $7,597. At the 2025 WSOP he finished 1385th in the Main Event for $15,000 and 131st in the $777 Lucky 7's for $4,150. Further WSOP cashes are listed in the $1,000 Pot-Limit Omaha (121st, $3,620), $1,500 8-Game Mixed (79th, $3,010), and $1,000 Mystery Bounty Pot-Limit Omaha (317th, $1,750). At the 2023 WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, he placed 203rd for $27,000.

Outside tournaments, Laak is regarded as one of the best cash-game players at the highest limits. He won the 2009 Aussie Millions Cash Game Invitational and also took down the online poker.com World Open V in October 2009 for $250,000. In 2007, alongside Ali Eslami, he participated in a man-vs-machine match against Polaris, a poker program developed at the University of Alberta; the pair defeated Polaris in two of four rounds. Laak also holds the Guinness World Record for the longest continuous poker session, playing for 115 hours in 2010.

Laak appeared on seasons two through seven of GSN's High Stakes Poker and served as the dealer on E!'s Hollywood Hold'em. He won the "Nicknames" and "Phil Phil" episodes of NBC's Poker After Dark, each worth $120,000; one of those victories came against a table featuring Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth, Erik Seidel, Jennifer Harman, and Antonio Esfandiari. He co-hosted the reality show I Bet You on the MOJO network with Esfandiari, a series centered on outrageous bets on anything and everything. From 2005 to 2015 he wrote the monthly "Being Phil Laak" column for Bluff Magazine, and he has contributed to other poker publications as well. He also made a cameo in the 2008 Knight Rider television movie. His colorful antics at the table include running around to get a better look at the board, doing pushups, and wrapping himself tightly in his sweatshirt. At the 2008 WSOP, he went so far as to play disguised as an elderly man with a latex mask, wig, and makeup.

Laak is recognized for a loose-aggressive style, using position and well-timed bluffs to pressure opponents. His trademark look—hooded sweatshirt, sunglasses, and headphones—earned him the nickname "The Unabomber," referencing the police sketch of Theodore Kaczynski. He is in a long-term relationship with actress and poker professional Jennifer Tilly, and the two frequently appear together at poker events. His recorded live tournament earnings exceed $4.4 million, with a best live cash of $380,050, and he has ranked around 500th on poker's all-time live money list.