Probably no-one hotter in the movie business these days than Johnny Depp, star of the Pirates of the Caribbean series. And whatever's hot means it's going to show up in our town. Madame Tussaud's unveiled a wax figure of the star in his Capt. Jack Sparrow character this morning in the "Big Night" room at The Venetian.
The identical figure will also be unveiled today in Amsterdam, The Netherlands; London, England and New York City. The movie Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, opens in Las Vegas July 7.
HOT HOTEL DEALS
If you're coming to Las Vegas this month, there's some pretty good room buys according to my friend Anthony Curtis's Las Vegas Advisor. There are a total of 39 places you can stay for $50 or less a night. Prices are subject to change so don't be e-mailing me if you call and they tell you they don't have the following room rates available.
Poker's the name of the game these days, especially with the World Series of Poker underway, but for those of you who aren't participating in the action, you might want to drop into the Rio's 2nd annual 2006 Gaming Life Expo at the WSOP. You'll have the chance to learn, experience and purchase the hottest poker products available, as well as a wide range of gaming lifestyle products such as apparel, jewelry, books, magazines, art and cruises.
Poker celebrities will be making appearances and signing autographs and you'll be able to meet TV and movie stars, radio personalities, poker book authors and ex-Playboy Bunnies. You'll also see a sneak preview of the new Warner Brother's movie, Lucky You. There will be cash and prize give-aways, including a car, throughout the expo, and one exhibitor will give you the chance to win $1 million!
There's more. You can test your skills against some of poker's biggest stars, and a poker certified hypnotherapist will be presenting mini-workshops teaching you how to master the game. You'll also be able to try the new official videogame of the WSOP from Activision.
Here's the best part. The expo is free and open to the public (21 and over). Dates and times: July 27-30, 11 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. and July 31, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. It will be held during the first week of the $10,000 buy-in, no-limit, World Series of Poker Texas Hold'em Championship, which looks like it's going to draw more than 7,000 players. This is a fun event and you can't beat the price.
THE KING IS BACK
It seems that Elvis has not left the building. Well, actually, he had, but he's back again. At least the bronze statue of him has returned to its place of honor at the Las Vegas Hilton. The statue was officially dedicated at the resort on Friday, September 8, 1978, then temporarily removed while the lobby was undergoing renovation. It's now on display in the hotel's courtyard, located to the immediate right when you enter the front doors of the hotel.
Los Angeles sculptor Carl Romanelli created the bronze statue, which was initially on display outside the showroom in a glass case before being moved to the lobby. Elvis debuted at the Hilton (then called the International) on July 31, 1969. He performed 837 consecutive sold-out shows, performing before 2.5 million people. His final show was December 12, 1976.
STRIPPER 101
Strip malls have taken on a new meaning in Las Vegas with the opening of the first striptease dance studio in the Desert Passage Mall at the Aladdin. Stripper 101 gives everyday women the chance to get slim and sexy with a sweat-inducing, low-impact aerobic workout, including striptease cardio and pole dancing. These striptease dance studios have been cropping up across the country and have attracted celebrities like Teri Hatcher, Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra and Kelly Ripa. They've even been featured on "Oprah" so that says it all.
SUPER PARLAY
How's this for knowing how to pick 'em? A guy walks into the Las Vegas Hilton SuperBook last week and bets an eight team parlay for $100. "Yeah, so what, Lenny, I've done it a thousand times," I can hear a bunch of you punters saying. Maybe so, but this parlay consisted of World Cup Soccer, World Cup Soccer totals, first five full innings (baseball), baseball side, baseball total, and the Canadian Football league. The SuperBook allows you to make this kind of wager. When it was all over, the bettor hit all eight wagers and collected a cool $7,150. And I'm lucky to win one bet out of eight. Go figure.
Good luck and I'll see you on the Strip. And don't forget to check out www.valleyblogs.com
If you have a question or a Las Vegas experience you would like to share with my readers, please e-mail me at lennylv@cox.net. Please include your full name and the city or town where you live.
