Las Vegas Weekly

February 10, 2010 · 11:19 AM

Photo Galleries: Trishelle Cannatella wins Trash Talk and WSOP seat

By Robin Leach

Trishelle Cannatella.

Photo: Absolute Poker

Celebrity poker players joined the pros for the first Trash Talk Championship of the World at the Hard Rock Hotel fundraiser for Sharon Osbourne’s Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The Real World Las Vegas star Trishelle Cannatella proved her title of “Resident Hot Girl” and won the first-place prize money, a 20-pound crystal trophy and an invitational seat at the upcoming World Series of Poker.

Trishelle turned right around and donated a large portion of her winnings to Sharon’s charity, helping it hit more than $30,000. Trishelle made headlines with the debauchery on The Real World, and it led to its own mini-season spinoff Reunited: The Real World Las Vegas and appearances on The Surreal Life, Kill Reality and Dr. Steve-O.

The Trash Talk celebrity poker players included Lou Diamond Phillips, Nancy Cartwright, Robert Iler, April Scott, Jesse Metcalfe, Nicolas Gonzalez, Shaun Sipos, Sara Underwood, Jessica Burciaga, Jessa Lynn Hinton, Dennis Haskins, Cheryl Hines, Joe Reitman, Michael Godard, Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho, Kathy Liebert and Sam Chauhan.

By the time the final table of nine was set, the field included Trishelle, Sara and Valerie Torelli, mother of pro Alec Torelli -- Sara finished in fourth place. Trishelle almost never made it to the final table. Thinking she would just make a brief appearance at the tournament, she booked a flight to Los Angeles for 8 p.m. on Saturday and found herself facing a tough decision with two tables remaining: Stay and play, or make her flight.

“I was playing really well, but I kind of donked off half my stack because I thought I was going to be leaving,” Trishelle said.

After the excitement of tournament play, VictoryPoker.net hosted its official launch party at Vanity, with a red carpet for the stars and a cake designed by Las Vegas’ Marie’s Gourmet Bakery with 30 pounds confections. There also was an impromptu Playboy Playmate photo shoot. Team Victory hosts included Antonio Esfandiari, Lee Markholt, Dan Bilzerian, Andrew Robl, Keith Gipson, Dan Fleyshman, Paul Wasicka, Sander Lyloff, David Chicotsky, Brian Rast, Alec Torelli and Danny Wong.

The name Trash Talk Championship may lead you to believe that the tournament was down and dirty, but it was all smiles, fun and money for a good cause as more than 60 poker enthusiasts paid $1,000 each to take part in the fundraiser. The tournament was filmed in segments to be shown on the online network Victory.tv.

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.

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

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