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Published: 7th June 2010 Written by Poker News
Updated: 6th December 2023

Phil Laak has gone on to set a new Guinness World Record at BellagioWell known poker pro Phil Laak has gone on to set a new Guinness World Record at Bellagio for the official longest single continuous session of poker ever recorded. The previous record was held by Paul Zimbler a British poker pro which was set last year at 78 hours, 45 minutes and 41 seconds while the official Guinness World Record was recorded as 72 hours and 2 minutes held formally held by Larry Olmsted. Phil Laak was permitted a 5 minute break per hour, but at he times choose to skip the breaks and continue playing at the $10/$20 No-Limit Hold’em at the Bellagio Poker Room in Las Vegas.

According to Laak, he has always wanted to hold a Guinness world record ever since he read the record book in high school he went on to comment that “This has been a wonderful Journey”.

Phil Laak sets New Guinness World Record

Laak’s record beating attempt began just after noon on Wednesday and ended on Saturday night at 8:41 p.m, the high-limit section of the Bellagio’s poker room was buzzing with spectators and media watching the feat being accomplished which required Phil to remain awake for four days.

Phil Laak’s girlfriend fellow poker player and actress Jennifer Tilly (2005 WSOP bracelet winner, $1,000 Ladies no limit Texas hold ’em championship) and poker pro Antonio Esfandiari were along side Phil to celebrate with champagne after Phil won a $45,000 pot beating Antonio Esfandiari only just before passing the 78-hour mark.

Laak spent most of his summer readying himself for the challenge as a result he has not managed to play in any WSOP events this year so far, but rumor has it we may see him enter event #55 as well as the WSOP main event.

Phil Laak is best known for his antics on the poker TV shows High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark, he is known as the “Unabomber” because he always wears a hooded sweatshirt and sunglasses when playing, making him look like Theodore Kaczynski (in police sketches) who was known as the Unabomber.

Laak has an unusual and inventive manner of speech and invented the poker term “felted” to meaning having lost all of one’s poker chips, nothing left in front of the player other than the felt itself.

In 2008’s WSOP Main Event, Phil donned a latex mask, wig, make-up and costume, prompting the WSOP to prohibit the wearing of masks at the table in the following years rules.