Everyone at this year's World Series of Poker was waiting with baited breath, wondering in what guise poker's biggest brat, Phil Hellmuth, would enter the Main Even on day 1C. In past years, we've been lucky enough to be there when Phil showed up as a race car driver (and crashed his race car), as a 5-star general, and even as a Roman Caesar, being carried into the Amazon Room on a litter by several lovely slave girls.

This year was no different. Out in the parking lot, the loyal Hellmuth faithful were treated with a bevy of bountiful beauties gyrating on a mobile stage like it was a hip-hop show. Among the cheering crowd, anxious for Phil to finally appear, were poker luminaries Joe Sebok, Gavin Smith and Mike Matusow. Seebok and Smith were trying to coax Matusow into getting up on stage and shaking his moneymaker, but before Matusow could scare up the nerve, Bruce Buffer strolled out and did his patented announcer shtick for Helmuth.

Helmuth strolled out from behind the curtains, flanked by a couple of scantily glad gals, in a golden UB.net fight robe, hood covering his head. However, some of his thunder was stolen when Buffer's mic cut out in mid-introduction, causing the assembled throng to hurl some scattered boos and laughs.

Helmuth then made his way into the Rio and down the long hallway surrounded by media, fans and non-fans alike, just like a fighter making his way to the ring. Following him were several "ring girls" who were holding up cardboard replicas of the eleven gold World Series of Poker bracelets Helmuth has won through the years. When he entered the Amazon Room, the assembled poker players (who had already been playing for over an hour) mostly looked on in bemusement as Helmuth finally settled in at his assigned table.

While not quite as colorful as some of his entrances in the past, it was certainly very impressive. Not quite as impressive was Phil Helmuth being knocked out of the Main Event only a few short hours later. No entourage of gorgeous girls followed him out of the Amazon Room as he left.

Tags: WSOP, World Series of Poker, Phil Hellmuth, Ultimate Bet