It’s taken a solid 24 hours of phone calls and voicemail messages for us to pin down Phil Hellmuth – it appears that the enigmatic Poker Brat likes to play cat and mouse with journalists. In a way it’s not surprising: the day before we chased him down, the 1989 World Champion had bowed out of the WSOP main event in 45th, ending his hopes of adding a 12th bracelet to his collection for another year.

After his exit, his wife had promptly flown back to their home in California and he was set to follow a day later. But as Hellmuth reclines in the back of a stretched black limo, it’s clear that he’s ready for one last Vegas blowout.