Player wins WSOP bling, $1.3 million
Villanova senior Daniel Kelly just made it big in Vegas. At age 21, he anted up $25,000 to compete in a premium event at the World Series of Poker. On Saturday, he went from last place (18th) on the final day to first and claimed $1,315,318.
As CardPlayer.com reported, Kelly was already known as a badass online, where his tag is "djk123" (how Xbox Live-ish).
But ESPN said the Potomac kid just won the third-most desired bracelet at the series, beating 190 pros at no-limit hold 'em six-handed.
Kelly was immediately granted an endorsement with DoylesRoom.com. Then he hit the Strip with poker hero Doyle Brunson, 77. They partied at club Blush, where cocktailers presented Kelly with magnums of Dom Perignon.
Does that make you sick with envy, or happy for him?
CHEADLE, DAMON AND FRIENDS
Actor Don Cheadle's Ante Up For Africa charity poker tourney raised $275,000. The winner of the $5,000 buy-in, no-limit hold 'em: Poker pro Phil Gordon. He won $129,086 and immediately donated it all to the charity. Second place: actress Shannon Elizabeth. They beat 81 others at the Rio, including Ante Up founders Cheadle and Annie Duke, plus Matt Damon, Brad Garrett, Montel Williams, David Alan Grier, Evander Holyfield, Jerome Bettis and poker's Chris Ferguson, Andy Bloch, Howard Lederer and Phil Ivey.
SIGHTINGS
Kendra Wilkinson posed in a cover-up on the red carpet at Moorea Beach Club at Mandalay Bay on Saturday, then sauntered to a private cabana and pool with waterfall. ... After Larry King reportedly avoided divorce then announced retirement, he came to Vegas all weekend and took the wife and kids to shows, including Terry Fator. ... Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino from "Jersey Shore" spent a birthday weekend at pool-club Rehab at Hard Rock Hotel on Sunday. He's such a tool, he kept pulling his shirt up to show off his abs. I have abs like that, too, you know, under my fat apron. He also appeared at Hard Rock's sexy Skybar lounge and Sugar Factory at Planet Hollywood on Saturday night. While wrestlers Bill Goldberg and Stone Cold Steve Austin hung quietly at Jason Giambi's booth, Goldberg not-so-quietly put The Situation in a comical headlock for onlookers' amusement. ... Damon and Cheadle ate at Cafe Martorano after cards. ... Andy Roddick and model-wife Brooklyn Decker stayed in the Palms' Kingpin Suite, with its two bowling lanes. They did Simon's for Sunday brunch and N9NE for dinner. Tough life there, Andy. ... Mark Salling of "Glee" and "Bachelor" "winner"/single-again Vienna Girardi took two separate contingents to The Venetian, but the celebs merged by proximity, hanging with friends on day beds at Tao Beach on Sunday, eating at Dos Caminos, and clubbing at Lavo. ... Big Boi and rapper C-Bone bounced into club LAX, performing OutKast and solo songs, then Big Boi and his lads sipped Hennessy and vodka. ... Kelly Rowland performed in military-like costume Saturday night at club Pure, with two backup dancers. Then Rowland switched into a Jean Paul Gaultier dress and Cesare Paciotti shoes (it's been explained to me), and sipped rum and pineapple juice. Before that, she hung at Caesars' Venus pool. ... Busta Rhymes performed at Eve nightclub after eating at Beso. CeCe Segarra opened. ... Holly Madison and "Holly's World" co-stars Josh Strickland and Angel Porrino did MGM Grand's Wet Republic pool. Holly's bikini secret apparently is to eat fruit the day before, then add spray tan. ... Model Marisa Miller ate with friends at Tao. ... And after going out Saturday night, Chuck Liddell took his girlfriend to Society Cafe at
2 a.m. for steak-and-egg sliders with avocado and jalapenos.
Doug Elfman's column appears on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Contact him at 383-0391 or e-mail him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He also blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.
