photo: pokergossip

William Hung was the first “celebrity” I noticed, as he arrived as soon as the red carpet was ready for action. And the poor guy was the only one from the red carpet featured by Perez Hilton today, and not featured in a particularly good way.

Food was excellent as usual, with a random assortment of Asian and Greek set-ups, along with the yum-yum appetizers floating around the room on waiters’ trays.

No DJ in the outdoor area like last year’s event, but it actually made for a more conversation-friendly atmosphere on the patio.

Wicked Chops scored seats in the tournament. I spent way too much time trying to figure out how that happened.

photo: pokergossip

Reports of the demise of the Phil Laak/Jennifer Tilly relationship were evidently untrue, as the two looked typically couple-y as usual – Jennifer in a beautiful outfit, Phil in saggy jeans and a hoodie.

Some celebrities on the “confirmed” list were no-shows, such as Camryn Manheim, Montel Williams, and Nelly. (Yes, I was more than disappointed about one of those absences!)

CORRECTION: Manheim was there, and Jen was still disappointed. -DM

Shannon Elizabeth and Derek Hough are still a couple and just as adorable as ever, with Shannon checking on Derek and his amateur poker experiences throughout the evening.

Contrary to all reports from the tournament, Antonio Esfandiari was not the first person eliminated from the tournament, as Mike “SirWatts” Watson (former WPT champion) was out of the tournament and standing with us at the bar when that announcement was made. Ouch.

New to my social radar were Mike Watson and Shane Schleger, both of whom were introduced to me by Gavin Griffin and Kristin Roberts and very nice to chat with.

Also met Jamie Gold for the first time, who was extremely friendly and psyched about his Aced Poker affiliation, though my question about his possible ownership in the company was met with the standard “details of the contract cannot be disclosed” line. Good brief chat anyway. (His calling card gives him the title “Poker Philanthropist.”)

Mekhi Phifer took the reigns during the rebuy period, grabbing the mic and encouraging players to rebuy (or even just donate) to his charity, The Vine Group, to help educational efforts in Africa. He was a great spokesperson for the organization and raised $78,270 for it, while managing to maintain his usual humble but outrageously sexy demeanor.

Shannon Elizabeth – Courtesy of NBC Sports

Shannon’s newest confirmed relationship is with Doyle’s Room. In a press release dated May 22, the site announced her addition to Team Brunson with numerous references to “sultry” and “luscious” and “titillating” Shannon. I’m not quite sure if they think she’s hot… Regardless, she will be playing the 2008 WSOP as a member of Doyle’s Room. She began her friendship with the site when they sponsored her in the 2008 NBC National Heads-Up Championship, and it appears that their bond turned into a full-blown sponsorship agreement, at least through the summer.

The press release is here for your reading enjoyment.

Sultry Shannon Elizabeth Slated to Join Team Brunson

While poker faces are usually displayed to mask a player’s true intentions and emotions, even the most seasoned card players are about to have a hard time concealing their collective glee as DoylesRoom.com reveals an irresistible poker face of its own.

DoylesRoom today announced the addition of luscious Hollywood pinup girl Shannon Elizabeth to their celebrity roster. Comprised of a potent mix of both acclaimed poker pros and card savvy celebrities, Team Brunson is always equipped to make a splash at the hottest live, online, and televised poker events. The addition of Shannon Elizabeth will sexily raise the stakes even higher.

Shannon Elizabeth first gained notoriety with her role as Nadia, a titillating foreign exchange student in the now classic American Pie comedies. Shannon has compiled an impressive resume that is as varied as it is exhaustive. Film buffs have celebrated her provocative performances in Scary Movie, Tomcats, and Cursed, among other leading blockbusters. Channel surfers surely put down their remotes when they stumble upon her roles in That ‘70s Show and the television hit Dancing With The Stars.
With electric appearances in Playboy and Maxim magazine, this ravishing beauty has seduced men across the globe.

In recent years, Shannon Elizabeth has quickly proven that poker prowess and stunning looks can easily go hand in hand. As a near-fixture at the tables in Vegas, Shannon has already competed in the legendary World Series of Poker and was the first woman to advance to a semi-final round in the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship.

Fresh off the heels of her appearance in the hilarious poker film The Grand, Shannon Elizabeth is set to take the real life poker world by storm at countless 2008 WSOP events, including an appearance in the main event.

It’s official. Shannon Elizabeth has been eliminated from the Dancing With the Stars competition on ABC.

The sometimes-poker player made a good showing with partner Derek, but the dancing duo was sent home in fifth place. Though she seemed to give 100% effort to the task, the judges were unimpressed with her lack of hip action and fluidity in the dances. And the audience may have been put off a bit by the couple’s emotional/angry reaction two weeks ago to the judges’ criticisms, something for which they apologized the following week.

To find out way too much about Shannon’s most recent journey, check out Wicked Chops and their obsession coverage.

Sad to see Shannon get so far and be eliminated. Sadder that I must now watch the remainder of the season to see who wins.