What is rampaging in poker?

"Rampaging" in poker is a strategy described by professional poker player Phil Hellmuth. It involves raising relentlessly in consecutive hands to throw off your opponents and mess up their rhythm. Hellmuth explained this in an interview with Tim Ferriss, where he described a situation where he raised ten pots in a row without even looking at his cards. By doing this, he aimed to create confusion and aggression at the table, making it difficult for his opponents to read him or predict his moves 1.

Hellmuth's tactic was partly psychological, meant to make a statement that opponents would find hard to counter. He would often vocalize, saying "I'm on a rampage," to emphasize his aggressive playstyle. This move received mixed reactions; while some criticized it, Hellmuth believed it was brilliant because it changed the dynamics of the game and garnered high television ratings due to its unpredictability 1 2.