VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: In book, McManus plays with full deck

Wednesday, March 12, 2003 | 9:06 a.m.

Poet James McManus went from the esteemed pages of Harper's Magazine to the poker pits at Bellagio.

His engrossing new book talks all about it. VegasBeat got a sneak peek.

"Positively Fifth Street: Murderers, Cheetahs, and Binion's World Series of Poker" (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $25) details his being sent on assignment from Harper's to the 2000 World Series of Poker at Binion's Horseshoe -- and McManus' amazing aptitude for the game.

The book then chronicles McManus' continuing success at the card tables. He has since had five table finishes in major poker tourneys, including a fifth-place finish at the Five Diamonds event at Bellagio in December. (He walked off with $7,042; winner T.J. Cloutier pocketed $51,216.)

The book also nicely weaves in Ted Binion's death and the subsequent murder trials of Sandy Murphy and Rick Tabish.

"I came perilously close to being either Ted Binion or Rick Tabish," McManus said. "Both of those guys got seduced by the uglier temptations of Las Vegas -- Ted Binion lost his life and Rick Tabish is going to do a very, very long stretch in prison.

"I got lucky. I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I married the right woman. The seductions of Vegas are very real and powerful, especially for compulsive gamblers and risk takers, of which I am one."

The book-industry bible Publisher's Weekly has already weighed in on the 432-page tale: "The drama of high stakes poker is inherently compelling -- here is a rare opportunity to read an account by someone who can write."

It hits bookstores in April.

Frank's sign

Now this is the kind of recycling we like to see.

A sign installed in 1960 by Frank Sinatra at the Cal-Neva Resort in Lake Tahoe was taken down this week -- but not trashed.

Sinatra owned the joint from 1960 to 1963, when he lost his gambling license after Chicago mobster Sam Giancana was seen at the resort. Other regulars at the resort were Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland and Rat Packers Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford.

The old sign will now rest on a grassy knoll near the main parking lot.

The new sign is smaller and more earth-toned, and adheres to goals set by the Tahoe Regional Planning Commission.

"To just destroy history doesn't make sense at all," current owner Charles Bluth told the Associated Press.

Dress down

Las Vegas performance artist and former adult film actress Jada Fire is opening a yoga studio this weekend.

She and colleague Anna Thea are tossing a party at their Industrial Road space Friday night, where they will have a free and open-to-the-public dance performance followed by a live band and a "barefoot dance party."

In keeping with her new lifestyle she'll be serving 100 percent raw and vegan food and herbal refreshments.

"We are looking toward a better, healthier way to party down," Fire told VegasBeat.

Together again

Former television cohorts Dr. Phil McGraw and Oprah Winfrey will both be in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Dr. Phil is speaking at the Aladdin Theatre for Performing Arts on Saturday night. Earlier that day at an undisclosed location on a Park Place property, Oprah will tape an entire show with Celine Dion for a March 25 broadcast.

Dion's much anticipated "A New Day" opens March 25 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Now if Dr. Phil and Oprah were in the Rat Pack they'd do surprise walk-ons at each other's show. Our fingers are crossed for something similarly fun to happen -- it would make for some terrific television.

Dunn good

I would have booked the Preservation Hall Jazz Band myself, but Brooks & Dunn is a terrific get for the opening of The Orleans Arena.

The country duo inaugurate the new facility with a May 25 performance.

The pair have scored the Duo of the Year award 11 times at the Academy of Country Music and 10 at the Country Music Awards. Their latest album, "Steers & Stripes," debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Country Album chart.

Also on the bill are Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Aaron Lines, Jeff Bates and comedian Cletus T. Judd.

Tickets -- priced from $50 to $95 -- went on sale Monday.

Starting in the fall, the arena will host the new Las Vegas Wranglers professional hockey team.

Pump it up

Maybe Jesse "The Body" Ventura can broadcast his first MSNBC show from Las Vegas.

There is a perfect event coming up for it: The Cauliflower Alley Club is having a pro wrestlers convention downtown at the Plaza.

Among the legends of the sport expected in Las Vegas on April 3 to 5: Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Killer Kowalski, Bobby Heenan, Ric Flair, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mick Foley.

They will offer public exhibitions each day and a wrestling fair.

Fast money

They've finally just stopped counting the money that was raised at the Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children's Charities NASCAR Driver Auction, held before the UAW DaimlerChrysler 400 on March 3.

The event raised a whopping $145,720 for various Las Vegas children's charities.

"We set a goal of $100,000 for this auction, after we raised $89,000 last year," Chairman Keith DeRiso said. "To meet and exceed our goal is spectacular, considering the tight economy."

In addition to Las Vegas Motor Speedway track rides with NASCAR stars, among the items up for bid was a helmet autographed by Britney Spears that she wore during a visit to the Las Vegas Richard Petty Driving Experience.

From Sun wires

Ending weeks of silence, an attorney for Phil Spector said Tuesday the music producer will be cleared in the death of an actress found shot to death at his mansion.

"I am convinced that the thorough and accurate investigation of the evidence by the Los Angeles sheriff's department, its criminalists and the county coroner will prove that Phil Spector is innocent of any crime," attorney Robert Shapiro told the Associated Press, speaking publicly about the case for the first time.

Shapiro was responding to a sheriff's department statement issued earlier Tuesday that said investigators had discounted suicide as a possible cause of Lana Clarkson's death.

Not in the cards: Magician David Copperfield lost a bid Tuesday to force an insurance company to reimburse him for $500,000 he said he spent retrieving his show equipment from a company he linked to the Russian mafia.

The federal civil court jury gave Copperfield nothing, and instead found for his insurer.

Copperfield claimed that his Las Vegas company, David Copperfield Disappearing Inc., was forced to pay Russian business partner Ris LisS what amounted to an extortion payment.

Leslie Trager, Copperfield's lawyer, said he believed Copperfield would appeal.