Monday, Sept. 13, 2004 | 10:30 a.m.
As Woody Allen once said, 90 percent of life is just showing up. So we showed up at the Palms on Friday afternoon for the Miramax Home Entertainment party and charity poker game to mark the release of three Miramax DVDs -- "Rounders," which was filmed in Las Vegas, and Kevin Smith's "Clerks" and "Jersey Girl."
And we ended up playing in a poker game with Ben Affleck, Jason Mewes, Smith and a few poker pros we recognized from TV.
Turns out there was an empty seat, and hotel poker boss Gene Trimble insisted that VegasBeat join the festivities (money won by the celebs went to the AT Children's Project in Los Angeles, a favorite charity of Affleck's).
We are thrilled to report that we lasted longer than Affleck in the time-limited charity game -- but not much.
At one point, after we had folded a few hands in a row, Affleck, who was playfully running around the table, looking at people's cards and smoking numerous cigarettes, took the seat to my immediate left and said, "You've got to actually play a hand every once in a while, you know." "And that is advice from the California state champion," offered pro Phil Gordon. Affleck won that title in June, netting $356,400.
Two hands later we had a queen and a four in the hole -- and the flop presented another queen and another four.
We bet $2,000 (this was all in pretend money, mind you), and gleefully watched as Gordon, Smith and Mewes all folded.
But pro Howard Lederer, who called me, wasn't going anywhere.
Lederer, I figured, assumed I was a chump journalist who would be intimidated just to share a poker table with him. He would try and bluff. No way he could beat my two pair, queens and fours.
Long story short, his kings and fives won the pot.
How'd that happen?
Next hand, only needing a single card for a straight, I went all-in against Gordon. His pair of eights ended up beating my nothing.
And that's why we stick to writing about the poker players, and not being one.
Big booking
Country icon Dolly Parton has been booked for a single-night engagement at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace during the National Finals Rodeo the first week in December.
Recurring headliner Jerry Seinfeld also returns to the venue Dec. 26-27.
Add stars
Tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams and NBA star Kobe Bryant have been added to the list of presenters at the World Music Awards on Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Also expected that evening, both at the show and at the afterparty at Body English (Hard Rock Hotel): Usher, Celine Dion, Alicia Keys, Josh Groban, Avril Lavigne, Hoobastank, Kanye West, Hilary Duff, Marc Anthony, Li'l Kim, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Seal, Heidi Klum, Toni Braxton, Brandy, Michael Douglas, Pamela Anderson, Rachel Hunter and LaToya Jackson.
Golden event
It was not exactly the Gold Rush of '04. But at a charity event over the weekend in Alyeska, Alaska, Robin Leach went gold mining.
He was competing against actress Camryn Manheim ("The Practice") and actor Mark Feuerstein ("Good Morning Miami"). Our favorite local prospector normally strikes gold -- or at least caviar -- but this time he placed third with only three grains of the flakes from an icy-cold river bed.
Feuerstein won the challenge with 10 grams; Manheim finished with four grams.
The weekend charity event with Jennifer Tilly, Alan Thicke, Daniel Baldwin, Caroline Rhea, Al Joyner and former O.J. Simpson lawyer Robert Shapiro raised money for Priscilla Presley's Dream Foundation.
It was all filmed for a syndicated one-hour TV special, which will be broadcast this fall.
VegasBits
Fly: Dean Cain ("Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman") stopped into the Golden Nugget on Friday night to say hello to owners Tim Poster and Tom Breitling ...
Look: Anna Nicole Smith spent part of Saturday afternoon at the Palms' Amp Salon getting her makeup done ...
Visit: Former "American Idol" Season 2 contestant Kimberly Caldwell was in Las Vegas over the weekend to host a future TV Guide Channel special on Las Vegas. She stopped into Amazing Johnathan's house Saturday to take the spooky tour and ride the Segways with him. The special has a tentative November airdate ...
Stars: Owen and Luke Wilson, Mario Lopez, Tracy Bingham, Pete Sampras, Roger Clemens, Andrew Firestone, Gabrielle Union, Lance Bass, Shannon Elizabeth and Hill Harper of the upcoming "CSI: New York" were all at the Palms over the weekend for George Maloof's birthday celebrations and the winner of the Palms Girl search contest. Maloof is 40 years old ...
Next: What is up next for filmmaker Michael Moore ("Fahrenheit 9/11")? He has started preproduction on a film called "Sicko," about the nation's drug companies and HMOs ...
Stage struck: Danny Gans introduced "500 celebrities" at his show Saturday night. The 500 were Las Vegas police and firefighters Gans had invited to the Sept. 11 performance. He said, "Not only is Sept. 11 a very special day to recognize them for their work and dedication, but each and every day we should thank them."
From Sun wires
Stars at conference: A weekend conference on women and power brought Afghan and Iraqi activists together with actresses Jane Fonda and Sally Field and "Vagina Monologues" playwright Eve Ensler.
The weekend Women and Power Conference in New York was sponsored by the Omega Institute, a holistic health center, and Ensler's V-Day, a global movement to end violence against women and children.
Malalai Joya was a delegate to Afghanistan's constitutional council last year who received death threats after she called warlords at the council criminals. She said Sunday that holds out little hope that Afghanistan's Oct. 9 elections will be fair.
Rivera sues: Geraldo Rivera is suing the co-op board of the housing development he lives in, alleging members wrongly kept a $10,000 deposit on one of his properties and prevented him from buying another.
The Fox News senior correspondent owns two homes in the 26-acre Edgewater Colony, where residents own their homes but share ownership of the land in Hackensack, N.J.
Rivera said the board refuses to return the security deposit for construction of the first home he bought about five years ago, among other allegations.
Concerts canceled: Keys and British violin act Bond have canceled concerts in Jakarta, Indonesia, after last week's deadly suicide attack on the Australian Embassy.
A spokesman for promoter Java Musikindo said Saturday that both acts were scheduled to play Jakarta next month but have pulled out because of Thursday's bombing, which killed nine people and wounded more than 170.
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