My First Celebrity Tournament

Dealing a celebrity tournament is a lot like dealing a non-celebrity tournament, except that a) Everywhere you look are the most beautiful-looking people you've ever seen; b) The game is slowed down a lot by these beautiful-looking people distracting the celebrity players by approaching them for chit-chat and the celebrities being unable to ignore them, due to their being so damn beautiful-looking. So some extra patience is required.

This was my takeaway from my first celeb tournament, "Get Lucky for Lupus", held earlier this month on the top floor of the swanky Andaz Hotel on the Sunset Strip. The event's website will presumably post some photos soon, at least some of which will contain a cameo by yours truly, but in the meantime, I managed to snap a few myself during my break.

Here's the table I'd just spent the first few rounds dealing:



The guy with his hand to his temple is Jesse Spencer, who plays Dr. Chase on "House", one of the few TV shows I actually watch with any regularity. On the far right, leaning back, is Peter Jacobson, who plays Dr. Taub, and - trivia note for your Chicagoans - is also the son of legendary CBS news anchor Walter Jacobson.



The guy giving the thumbs-up was probably the most popular guy at the table among the BP's (a few of which can be seen in the background). I had no idea who he was, but found out later that he was Bob "The Bachelor" Guiney. The photo doesn't really do justice to the lovely panoramic view of LA we had. Nice reflection of the flash in the window, though, innit?



I literally did not recognize any of the women there, not even women who I SHOULD have recognized, like Tia Carrere, of whom my "Wayne's World" memories still linger. The blonde in this photo is Torrie Wilson, who I believe has something to do with pro wrestling. The Asian guy on the far right is James Kyson Lee from "Heroes". Dealing, incidentally, is Mike Curley, one of my instructors at the casino school.