Columnist Kate Maddox: Regent a true house of cards

Kate Maddox

Tuesday, May 1, 2001 | 8:13 a.m.

Kate Maddox's column appears Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 259-2309 or kmaddox@lasvegassun.com.

The World Series of Poker might be going on at Binion's Horseshoe, but the real high-stakes action has been at the Regent Las Vegas.

This week the financially troubled Summerlin casino played host to a who's who of the world's best players. Mirage Resorts President and CEO Bobby Baldwin, Bob Stupak, and Poker Hall of Famers Doyle Brunson and Chip Reese were among those entered in the big game. Stupak reportedly bought in for $2 million; the others for between $250,000 and $300,000. The game began last Tuesday and let up on Monday morning, with some players staying at the table for more than 72 straight hours.

Baldwin, who won the World Series of Poker in 1978, was reportedly one of the organizers and is also scheduled to be back at the table when the game resumes on Friday.

One witness said the table, which at times held nine players, was "loaded with thousand-dollar chips ... it's as high-stakes as it gets." Another source added that the group was "playing lots of different games and the minimums and maximums kept changing, but those guys were at it most of the day and night."

You'd think 25-year-old Tiger Woods would be joking around with Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley for even considering coming out of retirement and re-entering the NBA -- but the all-business golf pro is way too serious for that.

"I love them both like brothers," a concerned Woods said on Saturday. Then he added, "but they're not young anymore." Ouch.

Asked whether even a little teasing would be in order, Woods shook his head and went parental with this note of caution: "I just hope at their age they don't hurt themselves."

Something tells me Jordan and Barkley will want to show Woods just how old they really are next time they get the young whippersnapper on the court for a friendly game. For the record both are 38.

Woods let up a little (I heard he even cracked a smile!) when he partied post- "Tiger Jam" at the House of Blues Foundation Room on Saturday night. The golfer joined John Mellencamp, members of Third Eye Blind, Bono, Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock.

Rock, trashy to the core and proud of it, showed up at the private club with Anderson on one arm and a case of beer under the other. Someone must have forgotten to tell him that the Foundation Room isn't a BYOB kind of joint.

In other "Tiger Jam" news, one avid golf fan ponied up $95,000 at the auction to win a round of golf (including pro pointers) with Woods.

Meanwhile at another charity event up the Strip at the Mirage ...

Danny Gans performed for a packed house to raise money for the Lili Claire-UNLV Life Skills Center during a swank to-do on Saturday night.

Kathy Najimy, Jenny McCarthy, Portia de Rossi, Kathy Griffin and Jeff Probst were just a few of the celebrities who showed up to support the cause.

One lucky gala attendee, who just happened to be in the right seat at the right time, scored a red 1955 Chevy Bel Air off of Gans. The performer generously donated his prize-winning car and gave it away during his show.

The recipient was Audrey Levinson, an attorney for the American Nevada Corporation. But even though Levinson was thrilled by her surprise party favor, she decided to go with the spirit of the evening and graciously donate the car back to the cause. The Lili Claire Foundation will hold an auction and local car buffs can vie for the suped-up Chevy, which was lovingly restored and is worth around $40,000.