Olympic medalist shows other skills

Michael Phelps' passion for poker isn't the only reason he's been showing up in Las Vegas.

The 14-time Olympic swimming gold medalist has been seen in the company of a fetching brunette who works at the Palms.

He was spotted at Moon nightclub on Saturday and having lunch earlier at Canyon Gate Country Club.

He's definitely getting into the swim of things in the dating pool. Last month he was spotted arriving at a Baltimore airport in the company of Nicole Johnson, runner-up in the 2007 Miss California USA pageant.

Since winning a record eight gold medals in the Beijing Summer Olympics, Phelps has spent a considerable amount of time in Las Vegas, taking poker lessons from pros, so he can enter the World Series of Poker next year.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Caesars Palace headliner Bette Midler appears on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" today on KLAS-TV, Channel 8, at 3 p.m. Midler and DeGeneres taped the segment during the Comedy Festival at Caesars Palace. ...

Many of you inquired about the 10 voices Danny Gans featured during his final show at The Mirage on Saturday. A deadline kept us from sharing that in Sunday's column. Gans closed his 81/2-year run with "What a Wonderful World" by channeling Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Tony Bennett, Kermit the Frog, George Burns and, of course, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, who first released the song in 1967.

Just before Gans attempted it for the first time in public, a lady with a booming voice yelled, "Take a deep breath." Gans is headed for Steve Wynn's Encore hotel and a Feb. 10 opening. ...

Local author Jack Sheehan is looking at an April release on his latest book, titled "E. Parry Thomas: Quiet Kingmaker of Las Vegas."

The banking giant, now 87, reveals many details of the inside story on how Howard Hughes was finally able to purchase the Desert Inn in April 1967 and how it whetted his appetite for his hotel-buying spree during his four years in Las Vegas.

Stephens Press will publish the biography, in which Thomas goes into his relationships with Moe Dalitz, Jimmy Hoffa, Adnan Khashoggi, and Las Vegas pioneers such as Jakey Friedman, Milton Prell, Benny Binion, Ed Torres and others. Full disclosure: Stephens Press, LLC, is a sister company to the Review-Journal. ...

Sign of the (belt-tightening) times? A big name in the music industry popped into a well-known club about 4 a.m. with an entourage and requested a comped bottle. He got turned down and left.

SIGHTINGS

Paris Hilton's ex-beau, Benji Madden, checking into the Palms Fantasy Tower on Sunday. ... At the Ricky Hatton-Paulie Malignaggi fight on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden: Soccer star David Beckham and actors Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham. ... Hatton, hosting his after-party at Studio 54 in the MGM Grand, with an entourage that included Beckham and Liam and Noah Gallagher of Oasis. Also celebrating in the club: Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Matt Garza. ... Beckham, showing up at Nobu (Hard Rock Hotel) about midnight for a three-hour dinner with friends. ... "Heroes" star Hayden Panettiere, backstage meeting the performers of "Raw Talent Live Fuego" at The Sahara on Saturday. Panettiere was there to pick up understudy Rene Lavan on their way to "O" (Bellagio). ... Former heavyweight boxing championship Lennox Lewis, catching a pre-fight dinner at the Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill inside MGM Grand. ... Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, back at Tao (Venetian) for the second night in a row. He had two birthday cakes delivered after dinner at Tao Bistro before heading upstairs to the club, where he worked the mic throughout the night, going back and forth with DJ Vice. Also in the club: "Mad Men" actor and one of GQ's "Men of the Year" Jon Hamm, Pauly Shore, Bill Maher and Rob Riggle from "The Daily Show."... "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul, at Tryst nightclub (Wynn) Saturday, posing for photos with illusionist Criss Angel and girlfriend Holly Madison. Also there: movie director Michael Bay, who was joined by actor/singer Tyrese in the owner's VIP section, and Playboy Playmate Raquel Gibson (Miss October 2005).