Las Vegas Weekly

November 12, 2008 · 1:11 PM

Strip Scribbles: Final table in WSOP’s $9 million game is up for bid

By Robin Leach

The November Nine, shown with the now-up-for-sale table.

Photo: TVT

It’s a first-of-its-kind auction for authentic memorabilia from the final table of the 2008 World Series of Poker Main Event, which ended at The Rio early yesterday morning. Auction items include the very poker table used by the two finalists vying for the $9 million mega-prize. (Click HERE for our photo coverage of the winning moments and the big money from yesterday.) Other auction items include other authentic items used during the Main Event, including decks of cards, the dealer button, table felts, signage and more. The auction began online at www.WSOPshop.com last night and will close Nov. 24. “This auction is the ultimate bragging rights for any home game player to own a piece of the game’s history,” said Ty Stewart, director of marketing for the World Series of Poker. “It’s like having a museum in your basement. This is the first time that the public has had the opportunity to bid on authentic items from the World Series of Poker Main Event, and the centerpiece of the auction will be the final table itself. We have very passionate fans, and we expect this auction to generate a lot of interest.”

*Newly engaged Kendra Wilkinson from Hugh Hefner’s The Girls Next Door played photo shoot model for the Marc Ecko Cut & Sew line ad campaign -- due in January -- in the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa at the Fantasy Tower of the Palms. The crew congratulated her on the recent announcement of her engagement to Philadelphia Eagles receiver Hank Basket. The wedding will take place next June at the famed Playboy Mansion with girlfriend Holly Madison playing bridesmaid. What former guy-friend Hef does at the ceremony is unknown, but he was the first to congratulate her and offer the estate for the “I Do’s.”

*Congratulations to Richard Chen, executive chef of Wing Lei at Wynn Las Vegas, the only Michelin-rated Chinese restaurant in North America. He has been selected by the James Beard Foundation to participate in tomorrow’s annual holiday gala dinner and auction. Chen flew to New York to join seven other chefs from China and North America to participate in Dumplings and Dynasties, an exceptional banquet of modern Chinese cuisine being held at Manhattan’s Edison Ballroom. This year’s guest chefs are Susanna Foo, Susanna Foo, Philadelphia; Patrick Lin, Metropolitan Hotels, Toronto and Vancouver; Chen Jun, Peninsula Restaurants, Shanghai; Susur Lee, Madeline’s and Lee, Toronto, and Shang by Susur Lee, NYC; Chow Chung, Chow Chung Restaurant, Hong Kong; and Terrence Chan and Ken Tam, Lai Wah Heen, Metropolitan Hotel, Toronto.

*Gossip grab bag: We never need an excuse to run a photo of a beautiful woman, so the cameras clicked when stunning Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart turned up for dinner at Koi in Planet Hollywood. … Our favorite Italian chef Steve Martorano from Café Martorano at The Rio, will take his South Philly-style Italian recipes to late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who used to live here. … Vegas singer-pianist Brian Evans made the Top 100 best-selling artists downloads on Rhapsody.com just before flying off to New York for a Friday appearance on Fox News’ Fox & Friends. You can listen to his special sounds here.

Tonight’s tip

A huge night of entertainment offerings … it gets underway with Mudvayne at the Hard Rock. The heavy metal band that dabs on bizarre makeup for shows has earned five gold records and doubtless more with their upcoming fourth album The New Game. They are “Determined,” since this is their first tour in three years, to rock the joint with special guest metal rockers 10 Years and punkers Snot. … It’s worse than Excedrin #39 when Lordi rises with “Deadache” and guests Lizzy Borden and Early Man at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. … New wave rockers B-52’s fly into the Star of the Desert arena in Primm Valley, and vocals by Cindy Wilson, Kate Pierson and Fred Schneider will make the noisy party celebrate youth and wild romance. … Rapper Tone Loc will give a one-hour 11 p.m. show at Eyecandy ultra lounge in Mandalay Bay to celebrate its 1st anniversary. … And over at Rok Vegas in New York-New York is the first of four Naughty Kissmas parties where the “best girl-on-girl” kiss wins. Must be all these Ellen DeGeneres and Lindsay Lohan headlines that have this the new rage!

Tomorrow’s tease

Our Strip nightclubs are fighting one another for which stars they can land for this year’s oddball New Year’s Eve celebrations straddled dead center between two weekends. We’ve got the first star listings -- and one is the ultimate surprise shocker! UFC gears up for Saturday’s big fight, and Vegas DeLuxe has all those details, too.

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