Red Carpet Report: Poker pro Rick Salomon wins $3M; Fox News at Top Golf, MGM Grand; star chefs at The White House

By ROBIN LEACH NICHE DIVISION OF LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

8 years ago

The $25 million One Drop Big One poker tournament Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016, in Monte Carlo. (Neil Stoddart/Poker News)

Elton Tsang won the first-place prize of $11,111,1111 in the $25 million One Drop Big One poker tournament Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016, in Monte Carlo. (Neil Stoddart/Poker News)

Las Vegas regular Rick Salomon competes in the $25 million One Drop Big One poker tournament Sunday, Oct. 16, 2016, in Monte Carlo. Salomon placed third, taking home more than $3 million. (Neil Stoddart/Poker News)

Regular Las Vegas visitor and poker player Rick Salomon, who wed blonde beauty Pamela Anderson here on the Strip, walked away with more than $3 million placing third in one of the biggest poker tournament buy-ins ever. More than $3 million was raised for water charity One Drop started by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte.

On the French Riviera in Monaco on Sunday, it was a scene out of a James Bond movie as 26 poker players wore tuxedos at The Big One International tournament in the 153-year-old Casino de Monte Carlo to compete over five days for the top prize of over $11,111,111. Wannabe Bond beauties in blue wigs and guitar-playing musicians surrounded the players.

Each competitor paid more than $1 million to play in the tournament with the prize purse of more than $25 million. A little more than 11 percent of each buy-in was earmarked for One Drop. Our Las Vegas friends at the World Series of Poker and Caesars Interactive Entertainment helped organize and manage the tournament.

First place of $11,111,111 was won by Canadian-born Elton Tsang, who now lives in Hong Kong. Second place of more than $5,427,781 went to Anatoly Gurtovoy of Russia. Rick was third. The other American in the Top Six was Cary Katz with more than $1.75 million. Since the WSOP alliance with One Drop began, more than $17 million in proceeds have been raised.

TOP GOLFING NEWS ANCHORS

Away from their Fox Network cameras, anchors and hosts have discovered Top Golf. Fox News has two satellite studios there for pre-presidential debate shows. Ex-college golfer Bret Baier, who hosts the nightly “Special Report,” took swings from a cabana pool bay Monday, while talk-show host Sean Hannity held court on the third floor of Top Golf.

In addition to a broadcast complex at the Thomas & Mack Center, the hosts are working out of the garden by MGM Grand’s main pool and balcony of an upstairs high-roller suite positioned to show off CityCenter. The amount of cameras, editing equipment, audio boards and direct-link phones to New York headquarters is staggering.

Former Mayor Oscar Goodman and former Notre Dame football star Rudy Ruettiger were guests alongside me on Neil Cavuto’s show broadcast live there this afternoon. On Wednesday, I’ll be on Jesse Watters’ segment of “The Bill O’Reilly Show” on Fox News and Liz McDonald’s Fox Business news show.

CELEB CHEFS AT THE WHITE HOUSE

Three Las Vegas chefs are at The White House tonight cooking at President Obama’s final state banquet for his welcome to Italian Prime Minister Natteo Renzi. Mario Batali of The Venetian leads The Venetian and The Palazzo chef Emeril Lagasse and Caesars Palace and The Food Network star Bobby Flay into the kitchens at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. to prepare the feast.

First lady Michelle Obama spent two hours last month with Mario in his restaurant Babbo in New York testing the sample menu. Gwen Stefani will entertain on the South Lawn for the 500 guests. Mario said that he will wear his trademark orange Crocs to the dinner party, but added, “I’m shaking in my boots a little bit.”

You can watch Mario, Emeril and Bobby at work on a live-stream feed of the dinner and entertainment at WhiteHouse.gov. Click here for tips on Tonight and Tomorrow in L.V.