This week at Hollywood Poker:
:: Poker News: Victory Lane
:: Poker World: WSOP Celebrity Bounty Series!
:: Celebrity Hosts: Celebrity Poker Night with Lana Antonova
:: Celebrities of the Week: Jon Kelley & Yancey Arias
:: Girl of the Week: Christine Nguyen
:: Player Spotlight: Beccy25
:: Words from Vince Van Patten, WPT Host & Commentator
:: Poker Humor
:: Hollywood Poker Contests: Win Hollywood Poker Gear!
 Poker News: Victory Lane
We’ve set another precedent. Hollywood Poker’s the first online poker site to sponsor an IRL racecar. Driver, Troy “Hollywood” Hanson and the No.9 Indy Pro Series racecar, (part of the Michael Crawford Motorsports team) are ready and raring to take the action from the table to the track.
You may recognize Troy from TV where he hosted the motorsports and celebrity segments from SPIKE TV’s Super2NR Sports Car Revolution and on SPEED Channel. He also recently did a 6 part series on his Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona effort with Porsche. Troy Hanson earned the “Hollywood” handle for his charisma, good looks, and easy manner in front of audiences. Of course, a sweet ride always helps, and with the help of Hollywood Poker, Troy’s got that covered too.
Read more about Troy “Hollywood” Hanson and the Hollywood Poker/Michael Crawford IRL Race Car.
Poker World: WSOP Celebrity Bounty Series!
Now Hollywood Poker’s weekly Celebrity Tournaments give you a shot at a $12,500 WSOP Prize Package and up to $60,000 for as little as $5.
Our new and improved Celebrity Bounties pay out progressively, so knocking out multiple Celebrities deals out more cash than ever before. 1 Celebrity Bounty gets you $25, 2 will pay out $500, 3 bounties put $2,500 in your pocket AND if your 3rd bounty happens to be James Woods, Vince Van Patten or the tournament’s Celebrity Host, you’ll also secure yourself a seat in the WSOP. Knock out 4 Celebrities? You’re headed straight for the WSOP with a $12,500 prize package which includes a seat in this world class event, travel and accommodations.
Hollywood Poker’s Celebrity Tournaments run 3 times a week and consist of Celebrity Poker Night, the Michael Woods Celebrity Invitational and the Hollywood Poker Celebrity Classic. There’s always a star-studded tourney just around the corner so be sure to grab a seat in the next one.
 Celebrity Hosts: Celebrity Poker Night with Lana Antonova 
Russian beauty, Lana Antonova has graced the screen in films like Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Fire Down Below and Eulogy. Next Tuesday night, we’re lucky enough to have her gracing the tables as the host of Celebrity Poker Night. As the newest addition to our line-up of weekly Celebrity Tournaments, Celebrity Poker Night is already breaking records with its stellar Celebrity turnout.
Following suit is not always a bad call. Join us on Tuesday April 4th at 10pm EST for Celebrity Poker Night with Lana Antonova.
 Celebrities of the Week
Player of the Week
Jon Kelley (co-anchor of Extra) has a competitive streak a mile long – that’s why we’re  pumped to have him hosting the Hollywood Poker Celebrity Classic for the month of April.
As a starring quarterback for the University of Nebraska, Jon’s passion and talent earned him a position with the Denver Broncos right after his graduation. While he doesn’t play professional football anymore, Jon is a respected sports authority and has garnered praise for over a decade of work as a correspondent on shows like The National Sports Report and Baseball Today. His poker prowess is equally impressive, landing him a spot in the WPT where he established himself as a worthy adversary.
When Jon hits the tables this week for April’s first Hollywood Poker Celebrity Classic, he’s raising the stakes by bringing his competitive spirit and an added $2,000 in cash prizes.
Actor of the Week
March 28th marked the premiere of Celebrity Player Yancey Arias’ new show, Thief. It’ll only take one episode and you’ll be hooked on this exhilarating and highly ingenious drama . Yancey plays Gabriel “Gabo” Williams – the guy who’s got a keen eye for fine art and fine women. Tune in to see Yancey every Tuesday night on FX Network.
While Yancey is well-known for his television performances in shows like NYPD Blue, CSI Miami, The Sopranos, One Life to Live and Law and Order as well as big-screen performances in films like Destination: Unknown and The Time Machine, many of Yancey’s fans don’t know he first wowed audiences with his talents in the hit Broadway musical, Miss Saigon.
Read Yancey’s full biography.
Girl of the Week
She likes sunshine, champagne, cooking, her family, friends and of course, poker. In fact, Christine Nguyen’s nothing short of a poker shark, so if you run into her at the tables don’t let this sweet Texan fool you into thinking she’s an easy target. Christine’s as driven as she is smoking hot - and she’s not afraid to drop her laidback attitude to beat you out of her pots. Christine’s Hollywood Poker’s Miss May, so keep your eyes out for her at a table near you.
Read more about Christine.
Check out the rest of the 2006 Hollywood Poker Girls.
 Player Spotlight: Beccy25!
Want your chance in the Spotlight? Simply e-mail me at hollay@hollywoodpoker.com. If you’re chosen for the week’s Player Spotlight, you’ll win Hollywood Poker gear!
In this week’s Spotlight, meet Beccy25!
Hi there, everyone. A lot of you already know me but for those who don't I'm Beccy25. I've been on Hollywood Poker for about 9 months now and I think its time I properly introduce myself. I'm a small town girl from Ontario, Canada and a single mother of 2 who works full-time as a Daycare Attendant. In my spare time you are most likely to find me on one of the tables at Hollywood Poker. I'm fairly new to the game of Texas Hold’em. I really only started to play about the same time I joined up on Hollywood Poker. You can say I was very lucky to have found Hollywood Poker as my home poker site. It was the first one that someone referred me too and I've loved it ever since. The players on here are great, very friendly, and the staff is always helpful. Plus there’s the added bonus of getting chances to playing with real Celebrities. For the average player I've had some success on Hollywood Poker, I've been know to make many final tables, including back to back nights in the Easy Money tourney, coming 2nd and 1st. Considering I've only been playing for 9 months now, I think that was a good accomplishment. One of my goals is to win the Michael Woods Celebrity Invitational, the Hollywood Poker Celebrity Classic or the Hogs & Hags! LOL!
I want to thank everyone at Hollywood Poker. I think the site is a huge success and hope to see it grow bigger and better in the months and years to come. So don't hesitate to say ‘hello’ at the tables - the friendly community is what makes Hollywood Poker feel like home. See you at the tables! Hags Rule!
~Beccy25
Words from Vince Van Patten, WPT Host and Commentator
I used to play all the games but in the last couple years, because of the whole craze, I’ve been sticking to Hold’em because that’s where the biggest side games are. But I used to play them all. I think everyone knows now how to play Hold’em pretty well. You might find a softer spot in Omaha and 7 Card Stud. So, my advice is it is very important to learn the different so that if you’re serious you might be able to take advantage of some of the other games that are not as popular at this moment.
~Vince Van Patten
Read Vince's WPT Poker Blog.
Read another Hollywood Poker exclusive Celebrity Poker Blog by our very own James Woods.
To learn more about Vince Van Patten, visit the Famous Faces section of our 'Green Room'.
Poker Humor
Four cowboys were at an old saloon in Tombstone playing poker. A lot of money was at stake as the cards were dealt, and each was keeping a sharp eye on the other.
As one of the players called the hand and laid out his cards, another one stood up in amazement.
"Hey, George is cheatin'. He ain't playin' the cards I dealt him!"
Have a bit of poker humor hidden up your sleeve? E-mail it to me at hollay@hollywoodpoker.com and it could be featured in the INSIDER.
 Hollywood Poker Contests
The Hollywood Poker Quiz
Every week, tons of players flock to the site to take Hollywood Poker's Quiz and are automatically entered in a draw for Hollywood Poker gear. All answers are on the site and about the site, so it's fast and easy.
Take the quiz now for a chance to win Hollywood Poker gear!
Write to Win
I KNOW YOUR SECRET CLARK!
Clark Kent was just finishing his chores that his father had asked him to do after school. He had a rather worried look on his face this evening as he was coming in at dusk for dinner. As he sat down at the dining table where his mother had just prepared chicken dumplings and fresh milk he noticed that both his parents were not eating and looking at him intently.
“Clark,” Martha Kent murmured, “we want to know why you’ve been coming in late every Friday night without telling us where you are or what you were doing. Your father and I haven’t said anything till now about it and Jonathan is worried...that...” Jonathan Kent cuts in, “Son we are worried you have been wearing that red kryptonite again. Chloe said she has seen you over at Lex Luthor’s mansion a couple of nights ago riding the same bike you did when you were in metropolis.” Clark interrupted them “Dad...Mom it’s nothing to worry about, I threw that ring away a long time ago remember? I’ve just been helping Lex with some problems his having with his Dad. It’s getting worse and I’m not sure if he is going to do something he would regret or not. “But Clark,” Martha says. “I thought that was over between him and Lionel Luthor. After all this time I thought they had finally started to get along.” Clark continues, “No Mom. He’s been hiding this secret now for a while about how bad it’s been. In fact I’m going to be late. I promised I’d meet him tonight at 8.” Jonathan offers some advice as Clark is bolting for the door. “Son you be careful of the Luthors. I’m not sure what Lionel is up too but I think he might know something or at least suspect something about you.” Clark paused for a minute and then said, “Ok Dad. I’ll be back about midnight. I promise this time”.
Clark Kent runs down the road at super speed for about 1 minute before he slows down and steps behind a road sign and pulls out a leather jacket and a Harley Davidson motorbike that he had kept all this time. He then pulls a red glowing ring out of a lead lined case and places it on his finger. He begins to get a rush of feelings and euphoria as he hops on the bike and rolls his way on down to Lex Luthor’s mansion. As he arrives there he notices a few other people pulling up in sports cars and trucks and even people on 10 speed bikes. At least 10 people were standing outside the door waiting for their host to let them in at the security fence. Clark walks in with everyone to the spiraling staircase in the part of a mansion no one had seen before in Smallville. When Clark and the others finally descend the stairs they come into a large room with 3 felt tables and 30 plush royal chairs of mahogany leather and felt. Sitting at the largest table is Lex Luthor. “Welcome everyone to the party. I see you all brought your poker faces.” Lex gestures to everyone and asks them to take a seat and find their name or number assignment on the tables. “This game is going to be a winner takes all match up and I know that some of you have been selling your farm land just to get a chance at taking away from my Dad’s generous trust fund that has given me. But I’m here to show you all how to play a real game of poker. Let’s just see if you’re lucky enough to get to the final table heads up with me!” Clark takes a seat at the main table directly opposite of Lex who sits at the dealer’s position and as the host will start the dealing at his own main table. The other players take their positions as well. The playing begins and the drinks keep coming all on the house and at Luthor’s expense. Clark even finds himself drinking but of course he is all the while pretending to be just as tipsy as the people out of positions call with A3 next to him. The playing is fun for a while but after 2 hours it begins to get fierce. The tables have been thinned out by now and we have come down to the final table. Clark and Lex both have ample chip stacks. While everyone else seems to be playing catch up and going all in on hands like 88 and JJ and getting beat on the river by an ace or a king. After a few bad beats and a few more free drinks the table is now down to Clark Kent, Lex Luthor and the principal of Smallville High School.
“You know boys I really should tell your parents about this little game you’re having here”, offers the scholar. “NOW, now Mr. Kwan we all know your just trying to pressure us into folding our hands to your J10 off suit you seem to be betting on over there” Mr. Kwan started to sweat a little, He thought to himself: How does he know I have gotten those hands a lot? In fact I seem to be getting them quite a bit and they never pay off at the turn or the blasted river! Dammit all - I can’t handle this kind of pressure. And that Kent boy has been peering at my hand every time like he’s looking through my soul or something. “Don’t worry about my friend Lex over there, Principal Kwan. He’s just upset that I’ve been checking him down to the last card.” Lex offers a fake smile to Clark as they keep playing on. Now Mr. Kwan is down to 800 chips and Lex Luthor has 34,000 and Clark Kent amazingly has 67,344 chips left in his stack. The sweating principal moves all in with AA on his 800 chips and offers a warm smile. “Well boys either I’m going to double up here or I’m going to go home and give you both detention for 2 weeks for beating me this badly. “Oh I think will opt for the detention Mr. Kwan”, offers Lex. Lex deals himself JJ and Clark is dealt 2,7 off suit. The flop comes A J 7. Mr. Kwan has already moved all in so Clark is the first to bet. “I think I will check this time”. “What do you mean this time Clark? You’ve been checking and raising the whole game from what I can see!”, warns Lex. “What can I say Lex, I learned a bit of poker from my grandpa just before he passed away”. “Well I’m not going to be easy on you Clark. I’m going to bet $5000.” Mr. Kwan just sits back and coolly smiles as he realized how good of a spot he’s in at this point to triple up on his opponents. Clark calls the bet and watches the turn it comes 2. Now the table shows A J 7 2. Clark smiles to himself. They can’t possibly know I have 2 pair at this point, but I better keep playing it safe now so I don’t raise suspicion. Clark once again checks his hand. No one in the room would know that throughout the whole game Clark could see every card in every hand and even the ones in the deck before they came out. But something was starting to happen to him now. He was getting a little weak and found himself starting to sweat. He moved his eyes over to the wall just behind him and began to look through it. As he looked with his x-ray vision he could see that in a safe was green kryptonite and it obviously wasn’t shielded and having an effect on him. Lex Luthor now raises the pot all in with his chips. Mr. Kwan’s smile leaves his face and he realizes somehow in his gut he could be going home here to file those detention slips he had promised the two young men. Now Clark is starting to sweat and Lex notices it “What’s the matter Clark you look like your catching the flu or something.” Clark calls the bet hoping to catch a 2 or a 7 on the river to make his hand a virtual lock. The river now comes 2! Clark has made his boat and hopefully no one else has caught anything better. Lex pauses a moment and looks at Clark and calmly says “I know your secret Clark.” Clark looks shocked for a moment and then notices that somehow the red kryptonite ring is missing from his hand and he feels the rush of darkness that overcame him during the poker game was fading fast. Maybe the meteor rocks have some sort of canceling affect on each other when they get close or something. But Clark was still sweating and now his heart was racing and he could feel his chest starting to burn. The kryptonian symbol that had burned his chest before in the past with an imprint had now appeared again just then and was starting to cause him pain. “Clark are you ok you don’t look so well. Is it that bad of a hand? Get caught in the cookie jar did you? Hahahha!” laughs Lex. Mr. Kwan also starts laughing at him and they both start laughing as the room starts spinning for Clark. “My secret....what...what do you mean Lex”? Clark asks as he tries to conceal his pain. “I know.........what your secret is Clark...I know how you have been winning all this time and I’m about to put and end to it all.” Lex turns over his hand and shows the 3 Jacks and Mr. Kwan smiles and shows his aces and laughs out loud “Haha, Lex you don’t get the pot this time!” Clark is just about to turn over his hand and show the winning boat and Lex says to him “I know your secret Clark and if you turn over the hand in your hand that I think you have then your going to be sorry. So sorry.” Lex smiles again. Clark turns his hand over and begins to feel a sharp pain all over his body and clutches his chest and falls to the floor. “That’s a very nice hand Clark - or should I say Kale El.”
Clark looks from the floor in pain to see Lex Luthor staring over him and grinning the most evil smile you ever did see. “I knew that if you could beat me at a game of poker Clark that you’d had to have had some kind of special power - something beyond our human understanding. You’d have to in order to beat me. After all I’ve won the WSOP and WPT now for the last 10 years amassing my fortune and power to overtake my father and his empire. Like I said, I know your secret Clark. Hahaha! And you must have thought I was talking about your 7’s full of 2’s. Bwahhahhahha!”
And Clark screams and wakes up in his bed. Martha Kent comes rushing in and says “Clark! Clark! What’s wrong? What happened? Did you have a nightmare? You’ve never had one of those before. “Yeah. Mom it was strange. I don’t quite understand what it meant or why. I don’t think I can talk about it right now.” “Well when you’re ready sweetheart we can talk about it.” Clark Kent gets dressed and heads down for breakfast. Jonathan Kent walks in and hands a package to his son “This just came in the mail for you Clark it says it’s from Lex Luthor. Clark opens up the package and finds a book in it from a poker expert and its co authored by Lex Luthor and Vince Van Patten. The book’s title “I Know Your Secret: Winning Poker Secrets from the Pros!” Clark drops the book on the floor and screams. “But I had a full house! How can I loose with a full house!”
Written By Shawn Strickland “The Strickalator”
Known on Hollywood Poker as SuperBoyG.
Congratulations SuperBoyG! You've won a tournament ticket!
Express your creativity by entering Hollywood Poker's popular Write to Win contest. If your entry is chosen as a finalist, you could win a tournament ticket to one of Hollywood Poker's Celebrity Tournaments.
All you have to do is write about anything poker related and send it to hollay@hollywoodpoker.com. I’ll post all articles that qualify in the ‘Center Stage’ section of the Lounge where your fellow players will vote for their favorite article. Aside from the prestige and praise you’ll receive for your rhetorical brilliance, if you win you’ll also score a Hollywood Poker tournament ticket. It gets even better: Every week, one random voter will win Hollywood Poker gear.
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