Las Vegas Weekly

March 4, 2010 · 4:59 PM

Strip Scribbles: It’s neck-and-neck for The Hurt Locker, Avatar

By Robin Leach

Odds-making guru Johnny Avello heads the race and sports book at the Wynn.

Photo: Leila Navidi

Our favorite Strip odds-maker Johnny Avello will host an Academy Awards viewing party Sunday to celebrate the 82nd annual Oscars. The event at the Wynn Race & Sports Book is open to the public, and attendees will have a shot at walking away with prizes from contests planned during the ABC telecast hosted by Alec Baldwin and Steve Martin.

This is Johnny’s 16th year providing Oscars odds. “The Best Picture category was expanded to 10 nominations this year, but, in my opinion, this race will be decided among only two,” he said. “It’s very close as we head down the stretch between Avatar (even money) and The Hurt Locker (7 to 5). Strap on to your Toruk because this year’s show appears to be explosive.”

Johnny provided the first set of odds this week for the Season 10 lineup of Dancing With the Stars. Here are some of his Oscar picks: Best Actor goes to Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart at 1 to 3, beating out George Clooney for Up in the Air at 5 to 1; best actress goes to Sandra Bullock with even odds for The Blind Side; Best Supporting Actor is Christoph Waltz at 1 to 6 for Inglourious Basterds over Stanley Tucci at 10 to 1 for The Lovely Bones; Best Supporting Actress is Mo’Nique at 1 to 7 for Precious over Anna Kendrick of Up in the Air at 10 to 1. Johnny tips Kathryn Bigelow of The Hurt Locker for Best Director, beating ex-husband James Cameron of Avatar at 2 to 1 and making her the first woman to win as director.

*Donny and Marie Osmond resume their Flamingo shows Tuesday after a hiatus resulting from the tragedy of her son Michael Blosil’s suicide in L.A. The funeral is this week, and then Marie returns to the show. Donny and Marie also are adding five shows in April to make up for this week’s canceled shows. We again extend our condolences during this very sad time.

*For many years, I worked with the wonderful Bill Farley, who was Hugh Hefner’s right-hand man when it came to PR for Playboy. When Bill retired last year to the Carolinas from many Las Vegas visits and his office at The Playboy Mansion in L.A., he set out to write a book. Little surprise then that Sex in the Crosshairs is based on a renegade publisher and hedonist extraordinaire. Bill describes Michael Montgomery as a soldier of fortune who on the 25thth anniversary of his successful men’s magazine Monk wants to surpass archrival Helmut Harmon and Aristocrat Magazine. Bill must have dusted his pages with disguised but real-life adventures within the Mansion because the sexy novel is about the duel for a sultry nude beauty, a battle against anti-pornography forces led by a fundamentalist minister and even a congressional hearing into the “smut industry.” This is a blatant plug for a good friend, so please check out Bill’s exceptional book at PublishAmerica.net.

*First-round opponents in the National Heads Up Poker Championship will be selected at random during tonight’s Draw Party at Pure in Caesars Palace. Top poker pros set to attend include Chris Ferguson, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Joe Cada and last year’s finalists Vanessa Rousso and Huckleberry Seed. Play begins tomorrow at noon and runs through Sunday, with model and TV personality Leeann Tweeden serving as host and Craig Hummer and Ali Nejad providing commentary for NBC. The 64 players will be whittled down to two in the $1.5 million contest. The first-place finisher wins $500,000 and the second-place player $250,000. We’ll be there on the red carpet and at the party tonight with a photo report posted here tomorrow.

*Congratulations to Iron Chef Kerry Simon, who has just opened a restaurant at the JW Marriott on Olympic Boulevard in L.A. Kerry ,who has Simon here at Palms Place and Cathouse in the Luxor, also owns Simon L.A. His new restaurant features a massive display kitchen with a long communal table on a raised platform and California cuisine menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner including sushi, pizzas, burratas and his award-winning meatloaf.

TONIGHT’S TIPS

Congratulations to the topless temptresses of X Burlesque as they celebrate their third anniversary of provocative pinup posing with an “enhanced” show at the Flamingo. … Modern-day Nostradamus Gary Spivey -- yes, he of the bizarre white head of hair -- will predict future events and communicate with those on the other side during a two-night engagement starting tonight in The Lounge at the Palms. … Later, I predict in the same lounge that comedian Marc Maron will be the main headliner as Cort McCown and Paul Hughes present their Playboy comedy weekend, while upstairs at Ghostbar, Flashback Heart Attack performs. … Comic Andrew Dice Clay resumes his run at the Hilton through Sunday, and Jason Alexander resumes The Donny Clay Experience at Planet Hollywood, also through Sunday. … Ryan Leslie performs at 1:30 a.m. in Haze at Aria. … If you’re staying in, watch for our good friend Dennis Haskins’ on Jimmy Fallon’s talk show.

TOMORROW’S TEASES

Even though all the cameras are focused on Hollywood for the annual Academy Awards, Las Vegas has its own Oscars parties. It’s also another giant superstar invasion of the Strip as Barry Manilow opens his show at the Paris, and Bon Jovi brings its tour to the MGM Grand Garden Arena. And buckle your seat belts because DJ Skribble launches the most outrageous freak show parties at Studio 54 in MGM Grand.

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

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