There is no end, it seems, to the awe that Baltimore swimming hero Michael Phelps inspires -- even in one of the most egotistical figures in the world of fun and games.

Phil "Poker Brat" Hellmuth admittedly chased down Phelps over the weekend during which Phelps reportedly was putting in time at the poker tables in Las Vegas. Phelps' affinity for poker is well known. So, Hellmuth partied with Phelps at Tryst, the nightclub at the Wynn Las Vegas, until the wee hours and introduced Phelps to poker luminaries Monday at a major tournament being held at the Bellagio.

But I'll let Hellmuth tell it. The following appeared yesterday in a blog/article the Poker Brat wrote:

"I must say that I do not chase any celebrity around, ever. But in this case, Phelps is near the top of my list of people to meet. Sunday night we hit 'Tryst' at the Wynn with Phelps until about 3:00 am (that's when I left). Before I left I told Phelps and his crew to come by the $15,000 buy in Bellagio tournament the next day and I would walk him around the room and make sure he met all of the players that he wanted to meet. Phelps is a poker fan, which is cool because everyone in the world is a Phelps fan!"

Reportedly, Phelps went to the final table of a tournament at Caesars Palace and won a little over $5,200. There was a notion that he might get in the big $15,000 buy-in tournament at the Bellagio where he was being escorted by Hellmuth but reportedly, that didn't happen.

This appeared on the World Poker Tour Web site's running account of the Bellagio tournament.

"While poker players may excel at concealing their emotions when they (hit) or miss the river card, they had trouble hiding their excitement when Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps entered the room.

"As Phelps walked around the room, famous poker players eagerly got out of their seats to just shake his hand. Phil Hellmuth was sort of his unofficial escort, introducing him to the players. Doyle Brunson, Jennifer Harman, Johnny Chan, Carlos Mortensen, J.C. Tran, Layne Flack, Freddy Deeb and many more all stopped to talk with him or take photos."