Posts Tagged ‘derek hough’

Random Notes from WPT Invitational Cocktail Party

by , Mar 1, 2009 | 7:48 pm

With a cold coming on, I juiced up on cold medicine and headed down to Commerce Casino last night for the pre-tournament WPT Invitational cocktail party. In more of a stuffy-headed fog now, I give you a few observations from the festivities:

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.

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’s New Relationship

by , May 22, 2008 | 10:49 pm

Since Shannon Elizabeth was on (and off) Dancing With the Stars recently, there has been much speculation about her relationship with dancing partner Derek Hough. Wicked Chops even reported that she is now teaching him how to play poker, among other things. But that’s neither here nor there for this post…

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.

More…


Shannon Dances No More

by , Apr 29, 2008 | 10:18 pm

Shannon & Derek – Courtesy of ABC

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.