Ante Up For Africa

If you're a stargazer, mark Wednesday, July 2 on your calendar. That's the date the 2nd annual Ante Up For Africa tournament at the 2008 World Series of Poker takes place at the Rio. More than a dozen celebrities and athletes are returning to join poker's top players to raise public awareness and funds to support the victims of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

Last year's Ante Up For Africa event featured more Hollywood celebrities and poker professionals than any other charity tournament ever and raised more than $700,000. Among those confirmed to participate this year, subject to availability, are actors Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler and Kevin Pollack; comedians Ray Romano and George Lopez; and athletes Charles Barkley and Jason Kidd.

Representing the poker players will be Doyle Brunson, Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch, Phil Hellmuth, Phil Laak, Erik Seidel, Phil Gordon, Rafe Furst, Barry Greenstein and others. The tournament will feature a fast-paced structure designed to complete the competition within five hours. Seating for the tournament is limited so if you want to participate you can pre-register by going to www.worldseriesofpoker.com/pdfs/prereg2008/Ante-Up-for-Africa.pdf.

Proceeds from this year's tournament will go to two charities: ENOUGH (www.enoughproject.org), a joint initiative of the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress, which aims to end crimes against humanity in Darfur, northern Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to prevent future mass atrocities wherever they occur; and Not On Our Watch (www.notonourwatchproject.org), founded by actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, which has endeavored to focus global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world. Should be a great event.

Well, it's about time. After seeing tickets to Las Vegas shows climb over the past few years, one resort is bringing prices down for two of its most popular shows. The Tropicana announced that they have reduced the prices for the long-running "Folies Bergere" and "Xtreme Magic" starring Dirk Arthur.

According to spokesperson Lisa Keim, the resort also eliminated special promotions such as two-for-one offers. Marketing will instead focus on "the best value on an individual ticket price." "Folies" tickets now range from $42.50 to $53.50 tax included, instead of $68.90 to $78.90. "Xtreme Magic" tickets range from $25 to $30.50 inclusive, instead of $33.90 to $39.40. Those are big savings.

Recently, my friend Anthony Curtis, president of the popular LasVegas.Advisor, reported that the average cost of a production-show ticket in Las Vegas is now $70.21. It marks the seventh consecutive year that the average has gone up. His study identified the most expensive ticket as $276.76 for the best seats for Bette Midler at Caesars Palace, and the least expensive as $12.95 for "Viva Las Vegas" at the downtown Plaza.

As if we didn't have enough nightclubs in town, we will soon be adding another. Pure Management Group and fashion designer Christian Audigier have teamed up to create the Christian Audigier The Nightclub at Treasure Island. It will open July 4th weekend.

"Quite simply, it feels amazing," said Audigier. "I feel like I can do anything and this is just another facet of who I am. I have so much to offer this world from what you wear to how you relax, party and enjoy life. This will be an extension of how I do it and everyone will be able to do it with me. Let's party!"

Here's what you can expect according to a press release. Anchored by a black pebble stone bar with a red mirror bar top that features a one-of-a-kind fire effect, some of the most distinct features of Christian Audigier The Nightclub include vibrant red velvet tufted walls, black glass chandeliers, skull-and-rose encrusted mirrors and black faux-crocodile leather banquettes.

The crown jewel of The Nightclub will be a pair of massive jellyfish tanks, which will illuminate the space creating constant art in motion. The club also will have a chic outside patio element offering patrons a front row view of the Strip. It will feature an eclectic mix of tunes from rock 'n' roll to progressive house music. Continuing the fashion experience and located just steps away, guests can take home their own piece of the stylish club at the Ed Hardy Boutique by Christian Audigier. Closely mirroring The Nightclub in design, the specialty store will carry all of Audigier's latest fashion lines.

It will be open for business Thursday through Sunday from 10 p.m. until the early morning hours. My only question is: Why the hell would you call a nightclub Christian Audigier The Nightclub? How appealing is that? Barf time!

Now here's a cute item. There is a new addition to Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage. It comes in the form of three cuddly kittens, just 6 weeks old. One is white, another white-striped, and the other golden. They are all tiger cubs (see the video). To say they are rare would be an understatement, but we've come to expect that over the years from Siegfried & Roy. Obviously, the encounter with one of his tigers in their show, which resulted in ending Roy's career and the pair's famous act, didn't turn him against the cats he has loved throughout his life.

Roy said, "While we no longer perform nightly, our conservation efforts to save and care for these magnificent creatures are part of our daily life. These new cubs are a gift from the universe and it brings us great joy to share them with the world." So if you're in town, or are planning a trip, make sure you stop by and welcome the little guys. They won't be so little for very long.

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 lennylasvegas@gmail.com Please include your full name and the city or town where you live.