Bluff:  Phil, let me just start off by asking you, “Can you feel it in the air tonight?”

Phil:  Haha.  Yes I can! “Oh Lorrrrrrrrrrrrdddddd!”  Apparently I have the same middle name too.  It is wonderful; he's actually Philip David Michael Collins.

Bluff:  Whoa!  That is just sicko.

Phil:  I am Philip David Collins.  Yes, my mom thought he was already old and wouldn’t stay famous that much longer.  I know what you are thinking, and he is not my real dad!

Bluff:  We can see you have been on an online tear these days.  You are ranked number 2 on POY rankings.  How are you feeling these days?

Phil:  I think my confidence is at an all time high.  I'm sure a lot of that is results based, but I feel that I'm really taking my game to a new level lately, and I'm excited about my future in poker.

Bluff:  That’s great!  Have you been playing many live tournaments or strictly online?

Phil:  I've mostly been playing online, but I'm planning on playing a big volume in the WSOP.  Hopefully it will be 20 or more tourneys.  I just recently played the 5k circuit event at Caesars and thought I played pretty well.  I lasted about 11 hours.

Bluff:  What place did you get?

Phil:  I finished around 80th of 334.  The structure was amazing.  They didn’t even make the money till day 2.

Bluff:  It definitely sounds good.  What events are you looking most forward to playing in the WSOP?

Phil:  I would probably say the Main Event, because it’s the biggest prize pool, and the players are awful.  LOL.

Bluff:  Is there any game in particular you would like to win a bracelet in?

Phil:  To be honest, I’m pretty sure I suck at most other games, especially Pot Limit Omaha.  I’ll probably play some mixed hold'em events, razz, or Omaha hi/lo.

Bluff:  Yes, PLO seems to be the game these days.  I feel like I’d rather play the roulette wheel and put it on black or red instead lol.  Feels like the best hand is always 60/40.

Phil:  Haha.  I think a lot of money is out there to be made in PLO, and the best players are cleaning up.  Unfortunately, I still suck at it.

Bluff:  What’s the living situation looking like at the WSOP?

Phil:  I’ll be staying with bhanks11, (aka usourcek, FU_15) at his house with 4-5 other guys.  They have a five bedroom house about 10 minutes from the strip that I was invited to stay in.

Bluff:  Are you a party animal while you’re in Vegas, or do you keep it low key?

Phil:  I’ve been to Vegas 3 or 4 times and have hardly done anything but play cards.  I would expect us to do something wild if one of us does well in the events.       

Bluff:  Spearmint Rhino?

Phil:  Always a possibility!

Bluff:  Ha, that seems to be the celebration place.  Do you have any prop bets going on?

Phil:  Not yet, but I’m sure I will. 

Bluff:  Do you have any good ones that you have done in the past?

Phil:  I had a 5k, 3-man prop bet on the last FTOPS through Pocket Fives.  6 teams I think, winning team takes all.  I think me bhanks and ghettofabolous got last.

Bluff:  Ouchie!  Besides playing poker what do you like to do in your spare time?

Phil:  I watch a lot of sports.  I played basketball my freshman year in high school, so when I was at South Carolina, I really played a lot of ball through intramurals and whatnot.  I also go down to Charleston a few times a month to get away from poker and spend time with my girlfriend.

Bluff:  Bball is awesome.  Who’s your favorite NBA team?

Phil:  My dad is from Boston, so I root for the Celtics.

Bluff:  NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  You can go hang out with Mr. Menlo(Isaac Baron).  He’s a Celtics fan too.  I am a Lakers fan.

Phil:  Haha!  That’s so funny.  I’m not a BIG fan of many pro teams.  I’m more of a college sports guy. 

Bluff:  So USC(south Carolina) is your favorite college sports team huh?

Phil:  Yes it is!

Bluff:  Ugh! I went to Kentucky

Phil:  I have a lot of family in Knoxville, TN.  I also pull for the Vols as well.

Bluff: OMG!  Alright Phil, I’m leaving now. Cya.

Phil:  LOL!  You must hate me.  This is you to your boss: "sorry boss, I tried to get the interview with USCphildo, but we got in this big fight about sports!"

Bluff:  Haha.  El Jefe wouldn’t be too happy then.  We will definitely have some sports bets in the future.  The SEC is the best conference by far in all sports.  SEC pwns all.

Phil:  I definitely agree.  I will bet with you on bball and fball!

Bluff:  Now on to the Bluff Final Five.  What is pumping in your headphones while your pwning donkeys?

Phil:  Lupe, but I listen to a lot of different stuff.  I’m kind of on a classic 80s kick right now.  Rick Astley, and Hall and Oates are big for me at the moment.

Bluff:   Do you believe luck is a factor in poker, and do you have any rituals to avoid bad luck?

Phil:  I think luck is one of the biggest misunderstandings in the game, yet it’s actually very simple.  Luck is 100% necessary in the short run, but it’s completely irrelevant in the long run.  That's what I play to make +EV decisions, so as long as I’m playing well, I know that the results will come.  I rarely do anything to "improve" my luck.  Very good question though.

Bluff:  Tyty.  If you could bust anyone or take their whole bankroll, whose would it be?

Phil:  I would feel too bad taking an entire bankroll.  I would definitely enjoy busting Phil Hellmuth out of a tourney.  If it was an online player it would be shaundeeb, so I could type WAFFLECRUSHED in the chat box. 

Bluff:  Why Phil and Shaun?  Please let all your feelings out!

Phil:  Haha. Ok.  I consider Phil Hellmuth to be the best NLHE tourney player, at least live (mostly because he knows how to exploit his image as Phil Hellmuth, I think he'd suck online, but anyways).  He has 11 bracelets, so results-wise, he's the best.  Also busting the best is always nice.  Shaun is just overrated.

Bluff:  Arrogant?

Phil:  VERY!

Bluff:  You guys have a little beef huh?

Phil:  I’m not sure.  He might not know that I don’t like him too much.  I am not a big fan of Plattsburgh either.  It is basically for the same reasons as Shaun.

Bluff:  Haha. Good stuff.

Phil:  I’m almost positive he knows that I think he's a douche.

Bluff:  Please don’t hold back and tell us how you really feel lol. 

Phil:  Ha.  It’s just those two really.  I have a respect for their games.  I think both are pretty damn good, but they get loved on SOOO much, it pisses me off.  I HATE EVERYONE!  Jkjk.  I’m done talking now.

Bluff:  Beautiful.  Ok onto the next one.  What celebrities would you like to have in your entourage? 

Phil:  I think my poker dream is to win the Main Event.  Not for the money, but to be famous enough at poker that Justin Timberlake might call me up and ask me to teach him how to play.  I think we could be good friends.  LOL.

Bluff:  He is Mr. Infamous.

Phil:  I would also have Jay Leno because everyone loves him and I watch his show almost every night.  Being a guest on his show is a dream.  Matt Damon because I respect what he has done through the movie Rounders.  He also seems like a nice guy, and he likes Boston.

Bluff: Oh God, here we go about Boston again.

Phil:  Haha! You love Boston, don’t lie.  I’d have Phil Ivey and Lebron James too.  That’s about it.

Bluff:  It would be cool to chill with King James. The final question that we always like to ask: Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Scarlett Johansson, or Giselle Bundchen?

Bluff:  I think I should have said Jessica Biel instead of Lebron.  Being on her friends list would be pretty nice, or maybe just her ass's friends list. 

Bluff:  Ha!  You have to choose one buddy, I wish we could have them all.  That would be nice.

Phil:  Ugh!  Fine I’ll go with Jessica Biel because of her ass.

Bluff:  That’s too funny.  You love that ass huh?

Phil:  LOL!  Yes I do.

Bluff:  I don’t think your girlfriend would like reading this.

Phil:  I was just thinking about that.  I’m changing my answer on that one.  My new answer is Katie Sauer.

Bluff:  Well Phil it was a pleasure talking to you.  Good luck at the WSOP and keep in touch!

Phil:  Likewise.  Thanks for having me again.