Sunday, May 23, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NORM: Poker mania ensnares actress

Actress Laura Prepon of "That '70s Show" competes Saturday in the World Series of Poker at Binion's Horseshoe. Prepon wrapped filming on the film "Deadly" a week ago. Photo by K.M. Cannon.

Actress Laura Prepon felt like a tiny island in a sea of testosterone.

For a while Saturday, the red-haired (now blond) co-star of "That '70s Show" thought she was the only woman among 400 males in a backroom at Binion's Horseshoe when the 35th annual World Series of Poker opened.

"Then I saw another woman and thought, 'cool, more estrogen,' " said Prepon, 24, one of the record 2,400 entries in the granddaddy of poker tournaments.

Known as "Hot Donna" on "That '70s Show," Prepon was on a hot streak when I caught up to her at the first break, at 3 p.m., two hours into the tournament. At that time, half the field was in the red.

She was up $3,500, thanks to a pair of pocket aces that won a big pot. By 6 p.m., she had won $8,000, almost equaling the $10,000 entry fee. She entered the tournament with her boyfriend, Chris Masterson, after getting caught up in the poker mania sweeping the country.

"We play at my house a lot and read a ton of Card Player magazine," said Prepon, referring to her cast mates. "We're teaching Wilmer (Valderrama, who plays Fez)." Ashton Kutcher doesn't play, she said.

Only die-hard fans recognized her in her new blond look, a leftover from the film "Deadly," which wrapped a week ago.

She entered the realm of card kings, she said, "because I like a challenge." Asked how long she's been playing, she replied, with a smile, "I've been told never to answer that question."

In a world of stare downs and head games, she's catching on fast.

The Scene and Heard

Shamelessly, I continue to root, root, root for the Montreal Expos to land in Las Vegas. Think of the name-change possibilities. If baseball insisted on keeping the team name, I say Expos-ed would be a fair compromise. Brings a whole new dimension to "the big show." Plus, we'd have the hottest billboards in sports. ...

Former "Baywatch" hottie Carmen Electra has confirmed that she will perform in the first burlesque show on opening night (July 2) at Tangerine, the new indoor-outdoor nightclub at TI.

Sightings

Ben Affleck, playing poker until dawn Saturday at the Palms' new high limit salon. Earlier, he joined Tobey Maguire, David Spade, James Woods, Michelle Rodriguez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Mekhi Phifer, Tara Reid and 2003 World Series of Poker champion Chris Moneymaker at Bikinis (Rio) for a private party held by ESPN The Magazine and Belvedere vodka. Maguire and Woods, also spotted at Light (Bellagio), start play today in the World Series of Poker. Affleck had not entered by late Saturday afternoon. ... John Stamos and Bob Saget, in Tabu (MGM Grand) Friday night. ... Bill Fayne, musical director for Clint Holmes' show at Harrah's, belting out "O Solo Mio" as a birthday surprise for the 96-year-old mother (Irene) of Teller of Penn & Teller at Osteria del Circo (Bellagio). ... Good Samaritan Ruby Mazur, creator of the Rolling Stones' tongue-and-lips logo, stopping to help a seriously injured woman in an overturned car in his Rhodes Ranch neighborhood on Thursday.

The Punch Line

"The fire marshal tried to shut 'em down, but it was so crowded he couldn't get in." -- Poker humorist Max Shapiro, on the crowd that showed up at the World Series of Poker at Binion's Horseshoe on Saturday.

Norm Clarke can be reached at 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com.