The Poker Brat calls out Isaac Haxton for wearing a facemask during a live event
Phil Hellmuth says he’s fed up with Isaac Haxton wearing a facemask while playing, as the “Poker Brat” called him out by asserting that “no one should be able to cover their face,” except in rare cases.
Hellmuth recently did a two-hour interview for PokerOrg with journalist Craig Tapscott, covering a variety of subjects, including facemasks. He would then retweet a short from content creator “Casino King” and further clarify why facemasks shouldn’t be allowed in live poker.
NO ONE should be able to cover their face, unless you use your own hands to do it. This isn’t online poker. “Tells” matter in live poker: it is a skill to hide your tells and another skill to read your opponent’s tells #POSITIVITY https://t.co/9KrnlJunzz
— phil_hellmuth (@phil_hellmuth) February 6, 2024
“NO ONE should be able to cover their face, unless you use your own hands to do it. This isn’t online poker. “Tells” matter in live poker: it is a skill to hide your tells and another skill to read your opponent’s tells,” Hellmuth explained.
Facemasks were required in many poker rooms in the early days of the pandemic. However, since the masks were taken off, there are still more who use them than before the coronavirus. Initially a health matter, the issue would quickly evolve into a Conservative versus Liberal subject.
Haxton, who leans liberal, says he wears his mask for health reasons. After winning a $25,000 buy-in US Poker Open event in March 2023, he wore his facemask in the winner photo and proceeded to ridicule the “biggest dips***s on Twitter” who get triggered when they see him wearing a mask.
Hellmuth would admit that Haxton is “one of the best in the world right now, but he has to take that white mask off.” He claims the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner wears the facemask to “give himself an advantage” in tournaments.
“When there’s six people left in a tournament, you don’t have any real concerns of COVID,” said Hellmuth.
