Love Nuke

Names of few famous celebrities where making headlines last week for their alleged involvement in an illegal celebrity poker tournament. The name which was most dragged into the whole issue was Tobey Maguire who is facing lawsuit for his connections with former hedge fund manager Brad Ruderman. Apart from Tobey other celebrity names that were associated include Ben Affleck, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon though none of them are facing any legal issues surrounding the controversy. The game, run by convicted con man and former hedge fund manager Brad Ruderman, attract a fairly well-heeled clientele of the Hollywood elite.

Tobey Maguire, star of the Spider-Man films, has hired a lawyer to argue that the poker gameisn’t illegal, as he’s being sued in connection with them and a $300,000 debt that was paid off with money Ruderman took from investors.

Reports now indicate that cocaine and hookers were also present at the games, with inside sources saying that

“It was known to a handful of us that one player would keep two hookers down the hall of the hotel in another room. He would disappear for 30-minutes at a time, leaving the main players in the game frustrated. In reality, he was getting to do blow (in a room with) two hookers.”

How Maguire plans to argue that a poker game run by a convicted con artist(a game in which Maguire himself is reported to have been winning over a million dollars a month in) ought to be interesting. But even more interesting than that is the unknown identity of the “one player”. No indication yet on who that might be, but it will probably be very newsworthy when it gets out, as it almost certainly will.

Laci Sopeland likes to thank all the volunteers who contributed to the third annual Lorraine Cline Memorial Poker Ride a great success.

“A big thank you to the family Cline Ranch in the OC bar,” he said. “It’s been a great day for many wonderful people and their families. We hope you all come back next year.”

A record number 205 poker hands were sold, but Sopeland says the number who went along just for the ride was much larger because it included some 18-years-of-age and under entrants prohibited from purchasing hands.

All proceeds from the ride will benefit local cancer victims and their families.

The Poker winners were: first, Shannon Hounshell, Payson, $300 payout and she donated $100 back; second, Jeremy Wilson, Globe, $200 payout and he donated $100 back; third, Denise Bishop, Phoenix, $100 payout and she donated it all back.

Softball stats

The official statistics from the Lady Longhorns’ 3-2 state opening round loss to Santa Cruz are in and they show that freshman Devann Runzo turned in a sterling pitching performance, giving up just one base hit, a single.

Offensively, the Horns pounded out seven hits and were led by senior Rylee Halenar who was 2-for-4.

Kaitlyn Wessel slugged a triple, Natalie Black had two singles and Taylor Petersen and Runzo each singled.

Petersen and Black each drove in a run.

Golf continues at PGC

Jan Parsons is touting the fun, camaraderie and skill enhancement that beginning women golfers can enjoy during the “Drive, Wine and Dine” nights and also the healthy competition that traditionally highlights the Wednesday Businessmen’s Twilight golf play.

The Drive, Wine and Dine events, which are priced $15 for each night, will be held at 5 p.m., May 17 and May 24.

Parsons says the sessions are designed to “teach golf basics, practice what you learn, eat, drink and socialize.”

She says the sessions are also for ladies who want to learn to play golf as well as those who are beginning golfers.

The weekly businessmen’s twilight league plays at 5 p.m. each Wednesday at PGC.

The fee is $25, which includes nine holes of golf, prize money and dinner catered by Teri’s Good Stuff.

Little League golf benefit

Payson Little League is hosting its annual benefit golf tournament on May 21 at Payson Golf Course.

The four-man scramble tees off at 8:30 a.m. with a shotgun start. The entry fee is $65 per player and is tax deductible.

The fee includes 18 holes of play, cart, catered lunch, prizes and contests.

Among the contests will be closest to the pin, longest drive and a “Las Vegas hole” where players can wager on whether they can slap a tee shot into a pre-drawn circle.

Also, Little League is in need of whole, prize and team sponsors.

Tournament co-director Duane Kaufman said the program of the Little League local desperately dependent on the funds earned in the annual tournament and invites all golfers to submit in support of Rim Country adolescents.

The largest global brand in Paris, Bodog, began his series of 2011 World Series of Poker qualifiers. The Texas Hold’em poker players are invited to participate in multiple tournaments with the possibility of obtaining a seat for the start of the WSOP Main Event on July 7 in Las Vegas.

For as little as $1, players can enter Bodog Poker qualifying tournaments to be in with a chance of heading to Las Vegas, playing poker in the $9,000,000 Main Event and, of course, attending the legendary Bodog parties.

“Bodog has a long history of sending player to the WSOP and we would love another of our players to take a bracelet in 2011,” says Bodog Poker Manager Nicholas Sims. “Most poker players dream of ending up in Vegas partying, with a WSOP bracelet, not to mention the millions of dollars that can be won at WSOP.”

If you think you can’t, think again. Each Bodog poker player to participate in a qualifying tournament is 1 in 25 chance of winning a seat in the WSOP. But that’s not all, all players also benefit from custom Bodog poker experience at home.

Professional poker players and the face of reality TV is in support of Fort Collins for children participating in a March 26 night at the Four Deuces, and March 27 in Fort Collins Series of Poker, Celebrity Knockout charity event.

Celebrities are also Tiffany Michelle, Maria Ho, Jennifer “Jennicide Leigh, Linda Johnson, Jan Fisher and Jena Delk of” The Amazing Race, “” ER, “” Nip Tuck “,” World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker on ESPN . ”

A Night at the Four Deuces will begin at noon March 26 with tours of Odell Brewing Co. and New Belgium Brewing Co., dinner at Rodizio Grill and an evening of mingling with celebrities at a private residence. The event will be capped off with a professional poker demonstration and one-on-one poker instruction. Cost is $1,000.

The Fort Collins Series of Poker’s Celebrity Knockout event will begin at 10 a.m. March 27 at the Sunset Event Center, 242 Linden St. The event is a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament pitting players against some of the world’s top players and ambassadors of the game.

The events organized for the benefit of the realities for children Triumph Awards Endowment Fund, which was created to fund scholarships presented to children who have overcome past abuses.

With World Series of Poker (WSOP), just over three months ago, rumors began to swirl again on the sale of Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

According to Las Vegas noted journalist and gossip monger Robin Leach on the website Law Vegas Weekly, Caesars Entertainment is “about to” announce the sale of off-Strip casino that hosted the WSOP since 2005. Leach reports that sales are a major player in the development of Las Vegas and hospitality management worldwide, the Light group. A look at the Light Group’s portfolio shows that it plays an important role in Las Vegas “nightlife” scene, but lacking in one key area.

The Light Group, which was founded by Andrew Sassoon and Andy Masi, operates many of the high profile nightspots in Las Vegas, including the Bank at the Bellagio, Jet at the Mirage, and Haze at the brand new Aria Resort and Casino. Through the development of these venues, The Light Group has been expanding its notoriety throughout Las Vegas. What was lacking, according to Leach, is the ownership of a hotel property.

Leach states that he first heard about the possibility of The Light Group getting into the casino ownership business around Thanksgiving and that they picked up steam through Christmas and New Year’s. “The buzz began when TLG owner Andrew Sassoon reportedly looked with serious interest at buying the troubled Hard Rock Hotel,” Leach wrote in his article, but he also stated that this rumor was quickly denied. He believed, however, that there was something to the rumors: “I had a hunch that I’d gotten the right information, but the wrong hotel.”

Several rumors about the sale of the Rio have been floating around since last year. In an August article on Poker News Daily, Seth Palansky, the Communications Director of Caesars Entertainment and the WSOP, denied rumors of the sale at the time: “We’ve already been meeting about the 2011 WSOP and are planning on having it at the Rio with the Main Event final table in November at the Penn and Teller Theater.”

In the same article, Caesars Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Gary Loveman also dispelled the rumors about a sale, focusing instead on how the company had been in acquisition mode rather than selling.

In a Business Week article from April 2010, rumors named two groups that were looking into purchasing the Rio. Starwood Capital Group LLC and Colony Capital LLC were among those groups mentioned, with a reported price of $500 million for the Rio. In his article, Leach reports that The Light Group has never been mentioned in any of the discussion regarding the sale of the Rio.

Opened in 1990, the Rio has been the host of the WSOP since 2005 after Harrah’s purchased the rights to the tournament and moved it from its historical base at Binion’s in Downtown Las Vegas. It features over 2,500 suites, 120,000 square feet of gaming space, and is home to top shows such as Penn and Teller.

Leach reported in his article that neither The Light Group nor Caesars Entertainment has responded to requests for confirmation of the deal. Even if the two companies deny the reported sale, Leach stands pat behind what he calls “solid rumors” that the sale is soon to occur.

Poker Daily News spoke with Vice President WSOP Ty Stewart on rumors of sale of Rio. “The company (Caesars Entertainment) decided to listen to any interested buyer,” Stewart said, without confirming the action of society. As regards the status of the WSOP, “said Stewart,” We really believe that WSOP improving every year, with more space and more amenities. We recognize the advantages and disadvantages of Rio. If we were to pass, we move to better housing. “