LAS VEGAS (July 9) -- There was some World Series of Poker-related news outside the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino yesterday as well as inside the huge poker room where they were playing the third flight of the first round of the Main Event.

In a parking lot, poker pro Phil Hellmuth was driving a race car as part of a promotion for UltimateBet -- a Web site with which he's associated -- when the whiny Poker Brat plowed into a rather sturdy post along the way. At the bottom here, there's a video of Hellmuth's misadventure that was posted by the Web site RawVegas. Hellmuth, who has his first round today, emerged relatively unscathed. The car looks like it's going to need some fresh paint, though.

On the tables:

* Severn accountant Steve Dannenmann was one of the few members of the local New Cut Crew to survive yesterday. The runner-up in the 2005 Main Event, Dannenmann came through his first round with 39,500 chips after being in the 60,000 range earlier.

* The highest Maryland finisher from yesterday was Paul Ihrie of Baltimore with just over 73,000 (to give some perspective, the top chip guy yesterday had 281,000).

* There were a couple of players wearing Ravens jerseys in the room. Ken McKusick of Towson, wearing a Haloti Ngata shirt made it through the first round with 32,200 chips.

* Baltimore native and talk show host Montel Williams just barely made it out of the first round a couple of days ago.

* A reader noted that Mark Borowy of Fallston came through his first round a few days ago with 46,500 chips.

* I was talking to Brian Hollywood, from Pasadena, who also advanced out of the first round earlier, and he said he qualified for the $10,000 buy-in No-limit Texas Hold 'em World Championship in an online satellite that cost him less than $9 to enter. Hollywood plays with the New Cut crew as well.

* And on TV, ESPN begins its telecast of earlier events from this year's World Series of Poker tomorrow night (July 10) with two hours of action. At 8 p.m., there's the $5,000 World Championship Mixed Hold 'em event. And at 9 p.m., it's a $1,500 No-limit Texas Hold 'em event.

And here's daredevil Phil Hellmuth.

Bill Ordine is blogging from the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.