New World Series of Poker Champ Crowned

Anthony Curtis’ nationally syndicated weekly column.

November 10, 2010

Jonathan Duhamel emerged from a starting field of 7,319 to become the first Canadian to win the World Series of Poker’s Main Event and a first prize of just under $9 million. Floridian John Racener took home $5.5 million as the runner-up. The combination of the 23-year-old Duhamel and 24-year-old Racener made for the youngest heads-up match-up in WSOP Main Event history. On the final hand, Duhamel’s pair of 4s with an ace kicker beat Racener’s 4s with a queen.

Raise $100: It’s not poker. It’s Garth. The price of tickets for Garth Brooks’ appearances at Encore have been raised by $100 to $225 ($253 with taxes and fees). Brooks had originally wanted tickets to be priced at $25, saying that’s what his fans were used to paying.

Zip It: A new “Zipline” ride at downtown’s Fremont Street Experience suspends riders from cables and transports them 800 feet from the Fremont Street parking garage to a 14-foot-high landing platform near one of FSE’s performance stages. The charge is $20 from 6 p.m. to midnight, $15 from 2-6 p.m., and $10 for a re-ride.

RobuChef: “Chef of the Century,” Joel Robuchon, will host an all-star gathering of some of the world’s biggest culinary names at MGM Grand’s L’Atalier de Joel Robuchon this Wednesday. The occasion is the unveiling of Las Vegas’ “50 Essential Restaurants” according to the new book, Eating Las Vegas. The prestigious “Top Ten,” according to the book, will be divulged in this space next week.

 Question: Did the “Big Spin” that you wrote about in this column last month ever happen?

Answer: Yes. The attempt by four MTV reality-show actors to turn $125,000 into $1 million playing roulette at the Golden Gate was unsuccessful. After winning the first spin to turn the $125,000 into $250,000, they needed to win two more, but the second spin lost. Nevertheless, the $250,000 bet surpasses a $220,000 wager on roulette made at Binion’s Horseshoe in 1994 as the biggest roulette bet on record.

For more information about current Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons, deals, and promo codes, go to www.LasVegasAdvisor.com.

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