Las Vegas Weekly

December 12, 2008 · 10:18 AM

A flood of festive guests at the Palms: Carmen Electra, Dasha Astafieva — and even a few clothed athletes and celebrities!

By Robin Leach

Carmen Electra.

Photo: Scott Doctor/www.greatscottstudios.com

It will be spectacular body beautiful, wall-to-wall action at the Palms this weekend -- both in the ring and out of it!

The sexy excitement starts with the arrival of 55th anniversary Playmate Dasha Astafieva from the Ukraine. Tonight in Hollywood, Playboy founder and mogul Hugh Hefner will introduce her at a special red carpet party at the 1 Sunset restaurant and club. Hef’s ex, Holly Madison, who is now dating Mindfreak magician Criss Angel, will be there with her other The Girls Next Door cast mates -- and it will probably be the last time they’ll be seen together as Hef’s official girlfriends.

That’s because rumors are rampant in Hollywood that Dasha has become Hef’s new main squeeze! Here in Vegas, we’ll get the first up-close look at her tomorrow afternoon at The Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms when Dasha signs autographed copies of the January 55th anniversary edition featuring her in top-to-toe skin.

The Ukrainian beauty will join another bare-it-all Playboy beauty, Carmen Electra, when the curvy cutie squeezes into the official Bunny costume tomorrow to be a guest blackjack dealer for the night in George Maloof’s Playboy Club at the Palms. Today Carmen spends eight hours in training for her dealer gaming skills before picking up a certification from the Nevada Gaming Commission.

Then, at 9 p.m. tomorrow, she’ll make her appearance in the sexy, traditional, rabbit-tailed, thigh-high-cut costume for two hours of dealing the winning and losing 21 cards.

Check back here Sunday morning when we’ll have the full photo report of her night of fun. I’m doing dinner at N9NE there first, and then will get right in the thick of the action. I may even pop down a few bills for Carmen to turn my cards! Carmen also appears on the cover of the January issue and has an eight-page nude pictorial inside.

Photo: Palms Place

UFC exec Dana White and fighter Chuck Liddell.

Meantime at the same time in the Octagon inside The Pearl, there’s the UFC showdown for the finale of the eighth season of The Ultimate Fighter. UFC President Dana White will be with a merry mob of mixed martial artists to watch Team Mir go up against Team Nogueira. Check our Royal Robin Rundown in Strip Scribbles today for further details and for who else is on the fight card.

Next up for the UFC is No. 92 at the MGM Grand on Dec. 27, when three championship titles will be fought between Frank Mir and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira themselves, unbeaten Rashad Evans against Forrest Griffin, and Wanderlei Silva going fist to fist for the third time against Quinton Jackson.

Photo: N9NE Group

Marco Andretti.

The stars have poured into the Palms the past few days and nights. At N9NE, Mario Lopez, Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Russell Crowe and Eva Longoria, Benji and Joel Madden, Carey Hart, Marco Andretti, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi and Tampa Bay Devil Rays owner Joe Madden have all stop in the steakhouse.

Photo: N9NE Group

Rapper Too Short.

Photo: N9NE Group

Noel Gallagher of Oasis gets a grip.

Upstairs at the Playboy Club, the Bunny dealers have seen rockers Oasis with fellow Brits Russell Brand and Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, Joel and Benji Madden, Kassim Osgood, Derek Lee, Brett Ratner and filmmaker Allen Hughes. Higher up on the Moon rooftop, the celebrities included Usher, Mike Tyson and boxer Jeff Lacy, Too Short, poker players Phil Laak with gal pal Jennifer Tilly and Antonio Esfandiari, Reggie Miller and Chuy Bravo, who stars on Chelsea Handler’s E! Entertainment TV show.

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