Whiney poker pro Phil “Poker Brat” Hellmuth Jr. has revealed the secret of his mass media appeal–his life’s a car wreck!

Hellmuth regularly appears on television.

He makes instructional DVDs.

He’s written two books.

He blogs.

And Twitters.

Now to that list add another media accomplishment–this week he started writing a new syndicated newspaper column about poker.

In this week’s first edition of the new column, Hellmuth pompously introduces himself and brags about his career.

“I’m Phil Hellmuth Jr. and I’m very glad to be writing this poker column for you,” he begins. “Some people know me as the bad boy of professional poker and call me the ‘Poker Brat.’ Sometimes I deserve that nickname, but not always…Yes, that’s me dressed in black and wearing dark sunglasses. Maybe you recognize a couple of my well-known lines, like ‘I can dodge bullets, baby!’ and ‘If it weren’t for luck, I’d win ‘em all!’…

“I’ve been playing poker professionally since 1985 and have picked up a few records along the way. I was the youngest world champion in history when I won the World Series of Poker in 1989 at age 24. That distinction was mine until Peter Eastgate bettered that mark just last year. I have the most wins in WSOP history, 11 in all…I also hold the records for the most paydays in WSOP history with 69 and for making the most final tables in WSOP history with 41. And I’ve won the National Heads-Up Poker Championship and many other major poker tournaments around the world.”

After listing numerous other poker accomplishments, including his many appearances on TV, Hellmuth tells his readers what a great guy he really is.

“I’m a family man,” he notes.

But when getting down to the nitty gritty of why he is such a powerful media star, the “Poker Brat” pulls no punches.

“Oh, one more thing,” he writes.

“Regrettably, I’ve had more than a few meltdowns on television. But one thing’s for sure. I create riveting television, sort of like a police chase that ends in multi-car pile up!”

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