Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

VegasBeat — Timothy McDarrah: While in Vegas, Maguire loses his ante

Tobey Maguire is hoping his poker skills this week are as boffo as his recent box office numbers.

So far, however, his poker performance is not so good.

The "Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man 2" star was quickly knocked out of the $1,000 buy-in "Mirage Poker Showdown" event Monday. He was one of 344 entries.

Maguire also was knocked out of a $2,000 buy-in game Tuesday.

But he vowed to return Thursday for a $10,000 buy-in World Poker Tour event, also at The Mirage.

And we hear that poker aficionados Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio are coming with him.

Affleck is in Boston for the Democratic National Convention, but his poker jones is said to be serious, and he is expected to attend.

Thursday's activities start at noon at The Mirage with the final table of the four-day tourney being played (and taped by The Travel Channel) at 4 p.m. Sunday in The Mirage Events Center.

Poker pros such as Phil Helmuth, Annie Duke, Evelyn Ng and Jen Harman are also expected to participate.

The Mirage event is the second stop on the 15-event WPT for 2004-2005. It is the first time the hotel has ever hosted the WPT.

"Poker has quickly become the fastest-growing sport in America, and we believe there is no better time than now to become a part of the phenomenon," said Bill McBeath, president and chief operating officer of The Mirage.

"This is a great opportunity for us and we look forward to a long-lasting relationship with the WPT and successful tournaments in the future."

Tasty

Another international culinary star is setting up shop in Las Vegas.

Caesars Palace announced today that Michelin three-star French Chef Guy Savoy will open his first American eatery in the casino's new tower in late 2005.

The intimate dining room will seat just 75 guests. It will be on the tower's second floor, overlooking the new five-acre Roman Plaza.

In 2000 Savoy received the Legion d'Honneur -- his country's highest honor -- from the French minister of agriculture. In 2002 he was voted chef of the year by his French peers.

"We are delighted to welcome a chef of this caliber, who commands the respect of prestigious international restaurant critics and who is so personally involved in his restaurants," Caesars prez Mark Juliano said in a prepared statement.

"Not only will Guy Savoy bring a new dimension of fine dining to Caesars Palace, his arrival also will elevate the culinary movement that has swept Las Vegas."

The Guy Savoy restaurant in Paris was ranked No. 3 in the world this year by the International Herald Tribune.

"The opportunity to create a new restaurant in a palace is just too intoxicating," Savoy said.

Vegas show

Its producers have been saying all kinds of conflicting things to the media about whether they have a national syndication deal.

But the Web site for "The Vegas Show" is pretty clear. The show "has been picked up for national syndication! We will be on hiatus for a bit while we prepare for our nationwide debut later this year!" according to www.vegasshow.com.

How long a hiatus?

"If we can work out the syndication details quickly, we will be back on the air as early as September," according to an e-mail sent by a source in response to the question. "If it takes slightly longer, we will be back on the air in January 2005."

Caravan

Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry is coming to town.

Starting Friday, the day after he accepts his nomination at the convention in Boston, he takes off on a 21-state tour via bus, train and boat.

Beyond the first-day stops in the Florida cities of Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville, no dates have been confirmed, but a stop in the Silver State is on the announced agenda. Look for Kerry and John Edwards to hit Vegas Aug. 8 or Aug. 9.

Reality Revue

"Reality Revue" -- the cabaret production featuring stars of some TV reality shows, which premiered in Las Vegas in October -- is coming back.

The burlesque-style show has assembled Jenna Morasca and Heidi Strobel of "Survivor: Amazon," Sarah Kozer of "Joe Millionaire," Paige Jones of "For Love or Money" and Catherine Chiarelli of "Temptation Island II."

The tour starts Thursday at the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Fla., then moves to the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City and the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut before returning to a still-unannounced location in Vegas around Labor Day.

Art fans

Our friend Matthew Hileman over at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art reports that by the end of the week the gallery expects to hit 200,000 visitors to its Monet show.

The show has so far received more visitors than any show the gallery has had.

"So much for summer doldrums," Hileman said.

VegasBits

Eat: "Tangerine" (Treasure Island) titan Jennifer Worthington had dinner Saturday night at FIX (Bellagio) with producer Jerry Bruckheimer. The pair co-produced the movie "Coyote Ugly." Also at FIX that evening, dining together: Steve Wynn and Victor Drai ...

Smoking: DJ AM (Nicole Richie's boyfriend) was spinning at the big CAO Cigar party at the Palms' Skin Pool Lounge on Monday night. Dennis Rodman was among the revelers.

Fun: An e-mail was shooting around town late Tuesday announcing that the folks from Light were tossing a party at Caramel (Bellagio) from 8 to 10 tonight, "for lack of anything better going on." Now that is the type of spontaneity that we look for in a party. VEGAS Magazine columnist and bon vivant Michael Shulman is handling the DJ chores. The party is free and open to the public.

From Sun wires

Seacrest's show canceled: The syndicated TV series "On-Air With Ryan Seacrest" is going off the air, permanently.

Seacrest was unable to turn his visibility as host of Fox's "American Idol" into success for the talk and music show, and low ratings led Twentieth Television on Tuesday to announce the end of production.

Love sentenced: Courtney Love was sentenced Tuesday to 18 months in drug rehab, closing one chapter in a saga that began when she was accused of trying to break into her ex-boyfriend's home while high on cocaine.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia M. Schnegg gave the rocker until Oct. 29 to enroll in a drug counseling program, which will require frequent drug testing. She will be permitted to travel, but will be barred from taking nonprescription drugs, drinking alcohol or being in places that serve alcohol.

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