CELEBRITY APPRENTICE: ANNIE DUKE TO JOIN DENNIS RODMAN IN THE BOARDROOM?

One cool thing about poker becoming mainstream is that there are some remarkably generous peeps sitting at the tables holding em and folding em and seeping their way into mainstream celebrity…and finally, Annie Duke has successfully infiltrated the celebrity circuit and landed a spot on the second celebrity installment of NBC’s ‘The Apprentice.”

On Friday night, Ultimate Bet’s official Aruba blog, which is authored by Gene Bromberg, stated the following: “Annie Duke wasn’t able to attend (or play in the Aruba Poker Classic) because, as you may have heard, she was selected to be on NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice this season. She had to fly to L.A. for the premiere party and she’ll be competing for the Ante Up for Africa charity. Annie and Donald Trump in the same boardroom… that should make for some interesting TV.”

Interesting TV? If the rumors are true we can expect to see Brian McKnight, Dennis Rodman and Joan Rivers fighting in the boardroom as Annie Duke holds an ace up her sleeve…that ace being mad poker skills. She’s already got her WSOP bracelet and won the first ever World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions for $2 million…but of interest to me is her big heart.

Aside from her poker skills, girlfriend has been one of the faces behind Ante Up For Africa alongside Sir Don Cheadle. As you know, Celebrity Apprentice awards money for charity and according to the above statement, it’s confirmed that she’s gonna to play for the victims of the crisis in Darfur. In any case, do not underestimate Annie Duke. Her brother, Full Tilt Poker pro Howard Lederer, is one of the top minds in poker. Dubbed “The Professor.” Now, I’m not sure, but I suspect a gifted poker pro may have an advantage over an aging botoxed actress, a sexy singer and a questionably stable super-fine-bad-ass that I still love when he isn’t getting arrested.

Last season on the first version of the Celebrity Apprentice, ‘America’s Got Talent’ judge Piers Morgan took home the title and kicked down his winnings to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Very sweet…yet stung a bit because he defeated country music superstar Trace Adkins, who was playing for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network and essentially got America to fall in love with him…others included Carol Alt, Lennox ‘I wouldn’t want him running my company’ Lewis, actor Stephen Baldwin, the oh-so-annoying Omarosa (who IS she?) and the adorable fighter Tito Ortiz…

On a charity related side-note, I stumbled across a blog post this morning on ‘Trouble with Roy’…seriously this guy breaks it down dollar by dollar and nails IT. Please take a few minutes to read his entry: Shame on America, Paul Newman Edition. Thanks Roy…whoever you are. I needed a Monday morning smile and you delivered it beautifully.

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Delinda Lombardo
delinda@athlebrities.com