BY TOM SOMACH

Phil “Poker Brat” Hellmuth Jr., who was injured in a car crash Sunday in Las Vegas, recovered quickly enough to enter the main event of the 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Monday.

He needn’t have bothered.

Early Tuesday morning, just hours after showing up two hours late for the competition Monday, Hellmuth was knocked out of the tournament.

As the signature main event, the $10,000 buy-in, no-limit Texas hold ‘em tourney is the 55th and final event of the WSOP, meaning Hellmuth’s attempt for a record 12th WSOP championship gold bracelet will have to be put on hold until next year.

Hellmuth on Sunday was driving a race car as part of a promotion by Ultimate Bet (www.ultimatebet.com), an online poker room he flacks for.

After test driving the vehicle at 200 mph in the Nevada desert, Hellmuth returned to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, site of the WSOP, and crashed the car into an impediment–either a pole or a concrete barrier, depending on which report you believe.

He was not seriously injured in the accident, but did complain of severe whiplash afterwards.

It was not immediately known after the crash whether the famed “Poker Brat,” known as much for his volatile temper and egotistical attitude as for his champion poker skills, would be able to play in the WSOP main event, of which the final day of entry was Monday.

But recover quickly he did, especially since it was his last chance at bracelet No. 12.

Earlier in this year’s WSOP, he won a $1,500 buy-in, no-limit Texas hold ‘em tournament to capture his 11th career bracelet.

The win put him ahead of Doyle “Texas Dolly” Brunson and Johnny “The Orient Express” Chan, who each have 10 bracelets lifetime.

Because Brunson and Chan have already been knocked out of this year’s main event, it means not only will no one get a 12th bracelet this year, no one will tie Hellmuth for an 11th either.

As for the crash, some are calling it intentional, for a publicity stunt.

Hellmuth himself has not shied away from the controversy, as he has posted video of the crash on his website, www.philhellmuth.com.

(E-mail Tom Somach at tomsomach@yahoo.com.)