Las Vegas Weekly

April 14, 2010 · 2:22 PM

Photos: Jennifer Harman’s Fourth Annual Celebrity Poker Tournament

By Robin Leach

Iron Chef Akira Back and chef Barry Dakake at the Fourth Annual Jennifer Harman Charity Poker Tournament at The Venetian to benefit the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on April 13, 2010.

Photo: Erik Kabik/Retna/www.erikkabikphoto.com

There was an all-star turnout yesterday for Jennifer Harman’s Fourth Annual Celebrity Poker Tournament at The Venetian’s Poker Room to benefit the Nevada Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Chau Giang, who edged Michelle Lawson in second place to earn a Curtis watch and the $10,000 seat in the 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event starting in June at The Rio, won the tournament. The Rio magician headliner Penn Jillette’s wife Emily finished third.

Our contributing photographer Erik Kabik was on red carpet duty for our photo gallery, and his fiance Sandy Van played in the tournament and made it to the final nine with just one chip remaining. She placed ninth and is now a member of Jennifer’s team for the Reno Kidney Foundation Poker Tournament next month.

Yesterday’s tournament featured participants competing against celebrities and professional poker players, with proceeds benefiting the NSPCA’s No-Kill Animal Shelter. The Top 10 finishers were awarded $30,000 in prizes.

My good friend celebrity chef Barry Dakake of N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms was one of the guests. He walked 3-year old cat Corky down the red carpet and also cooked homemade chicken, turkey and banana-flavored treats for all the animals. Iron Chef Akira Back of Yellowtail in the Bellagio, Carrot Top, Doyle Brunson, Nancy Cartwright, Louie Anderson, Holly Madison, Josh Strickland, Shaun Sipos, Trishelle Cannatella, Jennifer Elise Cox, Robert Iler, Tiffany Michelle, Kristen Hertzenberg and Angela Brunson also took part in the benefit.

“It’s always a great tournament for a great cause,” Jennifer Harman said. “We get wonderful support from the Las Vegas celebrities, and each year it gets bigger and better, so we will really be celebrating for our fifth next year.”

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

Share This