Everyone knows that Phil loves the World Series and holds the record for most bracelets won with 11. What you may not know is that more than just about anything he wants that next title, which will give him an even dozen bracelets and put him two up on his fellow Hall-of-Famers, Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan, who are nipping at his heels. And Phil Ivey is in his rear-view mirror as well, and gaining fast.

Although he rated this year’s performance as dismal, the "Poker Brat" still feels he will win No. 12 within two years; it’s just a matter of time – and winning a few crucial pots.

Phil is very candid about the games he plays online and how he is doing, and this much is certain: You definitely do NOT want to play him at limit hold’em, or you will get your ass handed to you. But if you can get him in a triple draw, Omaha high-low, no-limit hold’em or mixed game on UltimateBet, you just might make yourself a little cash.

And that goes double if you can get the "Madison Kid" to go on tilt. His TV tirades are famous, but interestingly, Phil reveals that in his pre-television days he was actually WORSE than he is today when it comes to embarrassing meltdowns and obnoxious rants.

Phil was so bad back in the day that he says he was "almost unbearable," and he hates beats with such a passion that he is prone to tilting and out-of-control behaviour.

"I would have been unbelievable TV back then," he says.

Of that we have no doubt. No doubt whatsoever.

It was well run with good structures, as evidenced by the fact that so many great players won multiple tournaments...

How would rate your performance?

Pretty bad, no final tables, although I did cash six times and made it down into the money in the Main Event...I guess I have the highest standards in the world! I was unlucky many times when it counted.

Let’s just say this: Some years it is tough to win the key coin-flips, and some years the cards don’t seem to help you very much. I believe that I could have won two bracelets this year.

I have no idea! Although I did skip many of the events this year that I could have played in, whereas I didn’t miss many last year!

I hope so, but I feel confident that I will win No. 12 in the next two years. I know how to win, I just need to be able to win a few more key pots (to the cards at next year’s WSOP: I deserve a lot more luck in 2010!).

Oh, well, they say I play great against bad players, but then ten years ago I won all my bracelets against the best players in the world! I do think that I am very intimidating to both the pros, and the amateurs...The amateurs are afraid because they have seen me do some great things on TV. The pros aren’t necessarily afraid, but they know that I will never give them any chips, and that I am dangerous...

Who knows! Next year I may be Uncle Sam, or Genghis Khan, or who knows what I’ll come up with...In 2009 I gave UltimateBet.com a list of possible identities, and we both decided Caesar.

I have been playing about ten hours a week of online poker since the WSOP ended, mostly $100-$200 limit hold’em and $25-$50 blinds 7-2 no-limit hold’em (UB’s new game).

For limit hold’em there is no adjustment needed, and that is the game that I have made the vast majority of my money in online. I am over $1 million ahead at limit hold’em, don’t ask me about NLH (losing), triple draw (getting crushed, ouch!), mixed games (losing) and Omaha 8/b (losing)! Still, I have made enough at LH to be almost $400,000

ahead overall online, which is nothing to brag about considering the hours that I have put in. In fact, I was up $500,000 overall two years ago...

They are often way too aggressive, which is good and bad in tournaments. When they first make the transition to cash games, they lose a lot of money playing, but then the greatest among them will survive and then thrive in the real world.

Oh yes! I was much worse back then, to the point of being almost unbearable. I hated bad beats with a passion, and I handled them much worse than I do today...I would have been unbelievable TV back then, but then EVERYBODY would have hated me!

Yes, I agree. Many of these young players have now become regulars on the poker tour, and acquired the necessary experience to become tough as nails. Some of them will become great.

I guess so. It seems like the numbers were down at the WSOP this year, although I didn’t notice it personally. There are rumours that a lot of the players are broke right now, but that seems to happen every once in a while.

Not that many. I just skipped one of my favourites from the past, the WPT at the Bicycle Club. I won the main event at the Bike in 1988 and it was my first "Major." I will play the WSOPE, Aruba and a WPT in October, November and December. Then nothing in January, and then the "Premiere League" and the Commerce (L.A. Poker Classic) in February. Of course, I will be playing TV poker: Poker after Dark and High Stakes Cash Games.

Who is the toughest player you have ever competed against?

The toughest hold’em player in tournaments whom I have competed against would have to be Johnny Chan or Erik Seidel.