One of the nine final table members for the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event in Las Vegas has hired a coach.

And the coach is a brat.

A poker brat.

Final table member Jeffrey Shulman, who has the fourth-most chips at the table, has announced that he has hired controversial poker pro Phil “Poker Brat” Hellmuth Jr. to give him coaching advice so he can win the Main Event, which after a four-month break is to conclude in November.

Hellmuth won the WSOP Main Event in 1989, thwarting Johnny “The Orient Express” Chan’s attempt to win three straight WSOP Main Event titles.

Hellmuth has also won 10 other WSOP tournaments–all no-limit Texas hold ‘em, like the Main Event–for a total of 11 WSOP championship gold bracelets for his career, the most of anyone.

Shulman, who is the editor of Card Player magazine, a poker publication in print and online (www.cardplayer.com), announced the Hellmuth hiring on the mag’s website this week.

“The simplest reason why I’m doing this is I want to win and I think it will help,”? Shulman said.

“I turned on the TV and I was watching Tiger Woods and I realized every single player has a coach,”? Shulman continued. “No matter how good or bad my game is, it can always get better. I’m not playing my A-game right now. I’m probably like at a solid B. I made a couple calls in the tournament that I wasn’t pleased with, and I just know that I’m not the best poker player out there.

“Phil just has such a way of thinking about winning that I knew he would be a great resource. We’re going to talk about final-table strategy, analyze the tapes and work on my own play.” ? In the same Card Player article, Hellmuth said: “Jeff Shulman is a first-rate businessman who runs the poker industry’s leading publication. Jeff also loves the game of poker and he comes out only for the biggest and most prestigious poker tournaments in the world, where he has a terrific track record. I have always liked and respected Jeff and that’s why I am coaching him for the November Nine, where he is the favorite to become the 2009 world champion of poker.” ? Shulman’s seat at the 2009 WSOP Main Event is no fluke.

He also made the final table of the 2000 WSOP Main Event, finishing seventh.

His position as Card Player editor, however, may be less deserved.

Shulman’s father owns the magazine.

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