Havana Night Club - The Show Extends Triumphant Las Vegas Engagement

After a sold out two week-run in August, followed by a one-week encore engagement in October, Havana Night Club "The Show" will return for an additional 12 week run at Las Vegas' legendary Stardust Resort and Casino, beginning Monday, November 15, 2004, and running through Tuesday, January 11, 2005. The 55 member troupe of classically trained dancers, singers, and musicians, bring the sizzling beauty of Havana to the quintessentially American showplace. Havana Night Club - The Show was created, directed and produced by Nicole "ND" Durr.

Havana Night Club - The Show is the only theatrical spectacular to emanate from Cuba and perform on US soil in more than 50 years, taking the audience on a dazzling journey through the African and Spanish heritage to the Havana's famed nightlife of the 40's and 50's. Thanks in part to the show's fans, who besieged the Havana Night Club and Stardust websites and switchboards demanding the spectacular's return, the producers were able to deliver the extended engagement. As the holiday season visitors begin to descend upon Vegas, this beautiful and vibrant young cast of 32 dancers 10 singers and 13-piece award-winning Cubaximo band, will once again celebrate the musical and cultural riches of Cuba through a profusion of pulsating dance, riveting percussions and unstoppable energy. Havana Night Club - The Show is the only Cuban production to burn up the Las Vegas stage in 50 years, winning the coveted 5-star review from the Las Vegas Sun, "a wonderful, history-making production with exciting choreography, colorful costumes and a story to tell ... "Durr conquered two governments, the past, and a deadly storm to show pessimists what perseverance can accomplish."

"From a dilapidated stage in Havana, I promised these artists nearly 7 years ago that we would make it to the United States," explained the show's creator, director and producer "ND". "My dream -- our dream -- is realized each night when they take the stage and the audience jumps to their feet to join the excitement.

"ND" has nurtured the production from its inception, bringing the young Cuban cast of 50 dancers, musicians and singers to the United States in July. From an original audition of more than 500 local Cuban artists, "ND" has recrafted and refined the production, developing the authentic yet contemporary stage theatrical. From the hypnotic rhythms of the African Bata drums to the Pilon Coffee Dance, which was created in Cuba in the 50's, to the flamboyant precision of the Flamenco, Cha-Cha-Cha, Mambo and Rumba. Havana Night Club - The Show is a theatrical spectacular brimming with the nostalgia of a lost era and the unbridled spirit captured by these captivating young artists. Since its worldwide debut in 2000, the production has visited more than 17 countries and been performed for more than two million fans.

"I wanted the world to see, through this show, the glorious untouched talent of Havana," "ND" said. "These young artists have risked so much personally, leaving family and homes behind in Cuba. But each night they takeover the stage, and get into the hearts of the audience. Every beat and every note is filled with vitality and uninhibited energy. The audience is invited to a party made up of glorious colors, rhythm, dance and music."

Upon meeting the young company, Las Vegas impresarios Siegfried & Roy immediately extended a helping hand, and have become presenters of the production on the same Stardust stage where they began their own careers more than 28 years ago. In addition to being audience regulars, Siegfried & Roy have converted a former stable at their secluded country estate into rehearsal space, lovingly re-named Little Havana.

"It is thrilling for us to witness Havana Night Club's beginning on the same stage we called home nearly three decades ago," enthused Roy Horn. "The talent that pours from the stage each night is simply magical."

Havana Night Club - The Show is co-directed by Emmy-award winning director and choreographer Kenny Ortega. Michael Cotton, known for his work with Gloria Estefan, Michael Jackson and Aerosmith, designed the sets in collaboration with "ND" for each of the show's 16 elaborate scenes. In addition, "ND" designed the extravagant costumes for the production.

Tickets for the return engagement of Havana Night Club - The Show can be purchased at the Stardust Resort and Casino box office or by calling 1-866-525-2077 for show ticket reservations. Tickets are priced at $69.95.

For more information: http://www.havananightclub.com and htp://www.stardustlv.com .

How they gamble in Las Vegas

Vegas portrayed on the Welsh national site, http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

Kirsty Buchanan, Western Mail


ENTERTAINMENT at Las Vegas's mega-hotels and casinos ranges from up-market sellout shows to the downright tacky.

For $100 per head you can see the Cirque du Soleil at the top-of-the-range Bellagio Hotel.

Further down the Strip just $20 will get you a ringside seat at the topless Crazy Girls show at the Riviera.

The wide variety of restaurants and reviews in such a small space ensures Las Vegas remains one of America's top tourist destinations and that Nevada has held on to the title fastest-growing state for 14 years in a row.

Las Vegas is one of the most popular cities for conventions and was recently among the five most romantic cities in the United States Honeymoon Magazine.

For gamblers the range of ways to part with your money are almost endless - from the dollar slot machines and video poker machines to table games like blackjack, craps, roulette, or keno.

You can also bet on virtually any sporting event in the world by visiting a race and sports book.

For the novice many casinos offer free gaming lessons to help you get started and there are countless instruction videos and "how to" books on offer.

JBC Boxing Invades Las Vegas in a Grand Debut

Boxing news from http://womenboxing.com

LAS VEGAS, NV- In anticipation to what appears to be a super opening show for JBC Boxing out of South Africa here in Las Vegas on Friday, November 5th, 2004, Super promoter Joel Berman has put together a card of great fighters headed towards bigger and better Champions down the road.
The card called “Pugilism at the Plaza” will headline the main event with James McGirt Jr. 5-0 (2KO’s) of Vero Beach, Florida who is the son of the great former Boxing Champion & Current trainer Buddy McGirt.

The card also highlights a lot of former Champions in Lonnie Bradley the former WBO World Champion, Current Champions of the WBA Federcentro Mauricio Martinez from Panama who will take on the NABO Champion and former WBO Champion from Tijuana, Mexico, Gerardo “Locomotora” Espinoza and current rising stars Joel Julio from Columbia 18-0 (15KO’s) will take on Marcelino Lechuga.

In the Women's Super Flyweight fight Las Vegas rising star Melinda Cooper 12-0 (7KO’s) will take on Tracey Stevens in a battle for supremacy in the ring.
(Inset photo: Tracey Stevens)

In other bouts William Morelos of Monteria, Columbia will take on Silverio Camacho Ortiz of Yucatan, Mexico and possibly making his debut in Las Vegas from San Diego James “Chocolate”Parison who is anticipated by many to become a great fighter in the near future. The fight card will be unique because it will be aired live over the internet on www.alltalkradio.net with play by play by former Colorado Rockies & Harlem Globetrotters announcer Rich Perez, World Champion Diego “Chico” Corrales and Former 1956 US Olympian Dr. Joshua Culbreath.

The debut is one of many fine promotions from Joel Berman of JBC who is the son of the great South African legendary Promoter Rodney Berman. It will be a night to remember for great boxing and a new twist to Sports Entertainment in Las Vegas.

Wayne Newton Gets Star on Las Vegas Walk

Verbatim from http://abcnews.go.com

LAS VEGAS Oct 28, 2004 — Wayne Newton now has two stars.

The 62-year-old singer was the first person inducted into the Las Vegas Walk of Stars during a ceremony Tuesday.

The dedication took place at the New Frontier Hotel, where "Mr. Las Vegas" performed for about 15 years. He can now be seen singing "Danke Schoen" at the Stardust hotel-casino.

Newton's star will be installed on Las Vegas Boulevard in front of the hotel-casino. The star, like others in the future, will be a 3-foot square slab of polished granite weighing 350 pounds and inlayed with the recipient's name and specialty.

The Motion Picture Hall of Fame Foundation launched the project, which is similar to the one found in Hollywood, where Newton also has a star.

Other names that have been mentioned for the Las Vegas honor include Elvis Presley and famed duo Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn.

A committee assembled by the Las Vegas Walk of Stars organization will accept nominations and as many as 3,000 stars could eventually be installed.

Sportingbet hits jackpot with poker purchase

Verbatim from http://www.reuters.co.uk

LONDON (Reuters) - Sportingbet has agreed to buy Internet poker site Paradise Poker for an initial payment of $297.5 million (162.5 million pounds), securing its position as the world's biggest online betting firm.

"This more than doubles us in size," Chief Executive Nigel Payne told Reuters on Thursday. "If we believed we were No. 1 before, then we certainly are today."

Its shares soared 9.9 percent by 9:15 a.m. to 127-1/2 pence, valuing the group at around 265 million pounds.

Sportingbet, which averages 8 bets a second, said sports bets were up 36 percent in the year to July 31, and its customers were up 30 percent to 1.2 million.

"Over the last 16 months, we have seen the number of customers, the number of bets taken, and the profits and cash generated reach record levels," said Payne.

Sportingbet SBT.L also announced pretax profit of 5.4 million pounds for the 16 months to July 31, compared to 1.4 million in the 12 months to March 31, 2003.

British firms are set for a boost from the relaxation of the UK's gambling laws, and are stealing a march on competitors in the United States, where online betting is strictly regulated.

Payne estimated there were over 50 million poker players in the United States -- where Paradise does 79 percent of its business -- but only 2 percent of U.S. players had converted to using the Internet.

"There's a great deal of growth yet to go," he said.

Paradise, which was launched in 1999 and is now the world's No. 3 poker site, has 97,000 active players.

"We are big fans of the online poker space," Altium Securities said in a research note. "This meaningful acquisition de-risks the group's earnings and should result in lower volatility. The price paid seems very reasonable."

It said it would pay the unnamed vendors $193.3 million in cash and 56.7 million shares.

The $193.3 million will be funded by taking out 90 million pounds of bank debt and by placing 44 million shares at 110 pence each.

A further $50 million could be paid in cash and shares for Paradise if it meets profitability targets over the next three years.

Poker pros find gold mine playing online

Verbatim from http://www.sunherald.com, by ROB KAISER - CHICAGO TRIBUNE

Nate Silver quit his $55,000-a-year financial consulting job in April to play poker.

So far it's been a wise career move: The 26-year-old Silver expects to make more than $100,000 this year playing the card game, mainly on the Internet.

Silver belongs to a new generation of poker players who feast on the growing number of novices taking up poker after watching televised contests.

While few players go to the extreme of quitting their jobs, many spend their evenings stalking sites like PartyPoker.com and PokerStars.com, pocketing an extra $20,000 or $30,000 annually on top of their regular salaries.

And as more novices keep appearing, opportunity grows for experienced players.

"You'll see people make terrible plays routinely," said Silver, who lives in Chicago. "For the most part these people call too much and play too aggressively."

Online poker has exploded along with the recent surge of interest in the game.

In January 2003, $11.1 million was wagered on the major poker sites. That number rocketed to $136.1 million in September, according to PokerPulse.com, which tracks activity on 21 of the largest poker sites.

Total gambling at poker sites will easily clear $1 billion this year, based on PokerPulse's figures.

People trying to bank quick online profits are reminiscent of another recent Internet phenomena: day traders.

Rather than making rapid-fire stock trades online, these gamblers seek profits by leveraging small advantages with their poker experience, discipline and statistical savvy. While their gains and losses vary widely day to day, experienced players say the odds are heavily in their favor in the long run.

Still, the easy money could quickly disappear if the poker fad fades.

Mike Kim, who lives in Chicago, said he plays online poker every day, sometimes for a couple of hours and sometimes for 12 hours straight. He said his average winnings are $15,000 a month.

"I had no idea it would become my full-time job," said Kim, who started playing online nearly a year ago while studying mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois. "I didn't find a job when I graduated so I just kept playing for money.'

Neal Salmen, a 28-year-old Chicago real estate investor who said he has made about $25,000 this year playing online poker, said the anonymity of Internet games often makes new players more aggressive. In casinos, Salmen said, "You don't want to look too stupid so people play more conservatively."

Internet poker offers experienced players some advantages, particularly the ability to play at several tables at the same time. Online games generally go faster than casino games, and by playing three or four tables simultaneously, players can easily participate in more than 200 hands an hour.

The main disadvantage of Internet play for poker pros is the inability to "read" competitors - noticing small ticks and other mannerisms that can reveal if somebody is holding a strong hand or bluffing.

"It's hard to read someone if they don't know if they have a good hand," said Jim Karamanis, a Chicago attorney who plays recreationally.

Nobody tracks how many people play poker for a living, but the number appears to be growing.

"Certainly at this point there are thousands," said Greg Raymer, who left his job as a patent attorney at Pfizer Inc. after winning $5 million this year at poker's biggest event, the World Series of Poker.

To prosper at Internet poker, players must be technically strong and quickly assess the thousands of scenarios that arise - betting aggressively on strong hands and folding when they're in a weak position.

Signing on to EmpirePoker.com one Tuesday afternoon, Silver put $1,000 into his account and folded most hands before the first round of betting, losing his $15 ante. On the first hand he played, Silver lost $170.

"If I lose $170 on a hand, it's nothing," Silver said. "You can't let it get to you."

Silver usually plays on weekday evenings and sometimes stays up until sunrise so he can play against aggressive Scandinavian players.

Silver said he's done much better financially with online poker than he expected, though he and other players acknowledge their profitable poker days may not be long-lived.

"I'm just trying to ride it out," said Kim. "If poker starts dying down, I'm going to have to get a real job."

US Congress expected to forget restrictions on iGaming

Verbatim from http://www.onlinecasinonews.com

The proposed bill to restrict or ban Internet gambling in the US is likely to remain unfulfilled during the next congressional session, whilst law makers concentrate on more pressing issues around the budget.

By 2010, the internet gambling market is expected to grow to a massive $18.4 billion, sixty times what it was in 1996 when restrictions were proposed.


Unclear laws and the absence of a consensus in the house continue to make restrictions difficult to pass, but experts say the issue is unlikely to drop. However, Congress is likely to pass laws to regulate the industry, headed by Senator Jon Kyl who has shown lasting commitment to the cause.


However, British law-makers are currently trying to regulate the industry with little success and many think Congress will also be unable to complete the proposed regulation.

US, Antigua Break Off Talks on Internet Gambling

According to http://www.reuters.com

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and the tiny Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda have broken off talks to resolve a high stakes dispute over the U.S. ban on Internet gambling, a U.S. trade official said on Thursday.
"Unfortunately we were not able to reach a settlement," despite several meetings over the past four months," said Richard Mills, a spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative's office.

Online gambling has grown rapidly, with spending of around $7.5 billion this year, according to industry estimates.

In a decision that U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick called "deeply flawed," a World Trade Organization panel agreed earlier this year with Antigua and Barbuda's claim that the United States' ban on Internet gambling violated global trade rules.

Although Zoellick said the United States would appeal, the two sides suspended litigation in June in the hopes of reaching a negotiated settlement.

"Our delegation presented a number of proposals for the U.S.'s consideration, but, sadly, they were not prepared to accept them," Harold Lovell, minister of tourism, foreign affairs and international transport and trade for the twin-island Caribbean state, said in a statement last Friday.

"What they offered as an alternative was not acceptable to us," Lovell added.

Trade officials said Antigua and Barbuda was expected to formally notify the WTO on Nov. 4 that it wants to resume the litigation process. That would clear the way for the WTO to publicly release the panel ruling and for the United States to proceed with its appeal.