Las Vegas Weekly

February 1, 2012 · 7:32 PM

Strip Scribbles: Will 43rd World Series of Poker be the biggest yet?

By Robin Leach

Pius Heinz holds up stacks of cash after defeating Martin Staszko to win the championship bracelet and $8.7 million in first-place prize money during the World Series of Poker Main Event on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011, at the Rio. 2010 winner Jonathan Duhamel and ESPN reporter Kara Scott flank Heinz.

Photo: Steve Marcus

Interest for this year’s 43rd Annual World Series of Poker is at an all-time high, as officials say all 55,000 square feet of the Rio’s convention center will be dedicated to 470 poker tables, the largest amount ever deployed and up from the record 378 in 2011. The starting date is May 27, with 61 gold bracelets up for grabs, three more than last year. Poker history will be made July 1 when Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte hosts the highest buy-in tournament in history -- $1 million each -- for the 30 high rollers signed up.

The Main Event begins July 7 and attains the Final Table on July 16. Registrations indicate that it will take three starting days before the tournament begins. It won’t be November Nine this year because of the presidential election held the first Tuesday of November. So the Penn & Teller Theater will host the finale over two nights: Oct. 28 and 30. Seven players will be eliminated in the first part, and to add to the drama, the final two play 48 hours later.

MISS AMERICA’S FIRST DUTY: As her first official appearance of the year, 2012 Miss America Laura Kaeppeler visited her first children’s hospital this week at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in Phoenix. The Kenosha, Wisc., native went room-by-room talking with patients and helped them with craft projects. At the end of the visit, Laura presented a check from Desert Schools for $360,000 for a learning center at the hospital to be named One Darn Cool School.

Laura, who was crowned here Jan. 14 at Planet Hollywood, arrived today in Indianapolis, where she’ll attend Super Bowl XLVI and meet with celebrities at the fundraiser Taste of the NFL. Contributing photographer Tom Donoghue is with her for the Super Bowl, and we’ll post those first photos here Friday. CMN is the official platform of the Miss America Organization, and Miss America serves as the goodwill ambassador.

FINAL GARDEN OF EDEN: The Erotically Delicious Entertainers Night from the 2000s returned for a last time to Studio 54 on Tuesday night before the MGM Grand nightclub ends its 14-year run and shuts its doors Sunday. The club was transformed into the Garden of Eden with DJs Frankie and Jose2Hype and Studio 54’s dancers. At 1 a.m., guests watched Eden’s opening act a final time as Adam and Eve were lowered from the ceiling to the sultry Snake Babe before being whisked into the air for an aerial act.

POKER PRO MAGIC: Hometown poker pro Antonio “Magic” Esfandiari was recognized by passengers on his return flight from a tournament in Dubai, and to pass the hours, he entertained flight attendants and passengers with his deck of cards. Antonio started out as a teen magician before switching over to poker, and Magic magazine publisher Stan Lee, who is headquartered here, chronicles the story in his February issue, along with veteran John Bannon, who played Las Vegas for many years, on the cover.

SPEEDING DRIVERS: More than $32,000 was raised for Las Vegas children’s causes by the Las Vegas Chapter of Speedway Children’s Charities at its second-annual event Laps for Charity. Auto enthusiasts had the opportunity to drive their vehicles around the super-speedway at speeds up to 75 mph (behind a pace car), and 729 cars -- everything from antique Model T’s to an 18-wheeler tractor -- entered the event. Some 130 drivers paid for a repeat run, which helped the charity surpass last year’s inaugural event by more than $8,000. In December, the group granted $260,000 to 46 local children’s causes during its annual distribution ceremony.

SINATRA’S MUSICIANS: From 1959 through 1974, vibes veteran Emil Richards played for Frank Sinatra. Randy Waldman, who served as Barbra Streisand’s musical director and pianist for 25 years, also played for Ol’ Blue Eyes, as did Pat Longo of the Harry James Band. All three are coming out of semi-retirement to join musicians in the 29-piece band for my pal Robert Davi’s tribute to Sinatra at Venetian Showroom from Feb. 23-25. The Venetian is the site of the former Sands, where the Rat Pack played for years.

STAR SURVEILLANCE

Expect Donald Trump here Thursday at his Trump International Hotel, where he will make an announcement about the Republican battle for the presidential nomination. MLB star Gary Sheffield took a break from shooting “Players Club” at the Palms to watch Terry Fator’s show at the Mirage. Cameras rolled as Terry introduced Gary, who didn’t know that friends had set him up to be pulled onstage to dress up as Cher. And Sean “P.Diddy” Combs is hosting a Super Bowl Sunday party at Tao in the Venetian.

TONIGHT’S TIPS

DJ Calvin Harris spins at Surrender in Steve Wynn’s Encore. DJ Hollywood leads the Starfkr industry party at RPM in the Tropicana. There’s a casting-call party at Rumor for the Miss Nevada International Pageant for ladies ages 21 to 29 for the April contest. And chef Alex Stratta hosts a four-course wine dinner with Napa Valley’s historic Chateau Montelena Winery at Marche Bacchus in Desert Shores.

TOMORROW’S TEASE

If you think the onstage antics of Motley Crue at their new mini residency starting Friday at the Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel will be out of control, wait till I spill the secrets of the after-parties being held nightly during the run. They will be decadent and debauched, and we’ve got the shocking details. Plus, sexy media-day photos of the defending champion Los Angeles Temptation and Philadelphia Passion of Lingerie Bowl IX at Orleans Arena on Sunday.

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.

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