Shannon Elizabeth, the 'American Pie' actress who now plays more poker tournaments than makes movies, is in today's final eight of the NBC's National Heads-Up Poker Championship Tournament underway at Caesars Palace. She beat back two strong challenges yesterday to make her way through to today's semi finals.
Shannon's accomplishment is the deepest a celebrity-first poker player like Jennifer Tilly or Rene Angelil has advanced in the tournament with all of the stars usually getting knocked out in the opening field of 64 players. Ironically this year it was Shannon who knocked out Rene, Celine Dion's husband and reported multi-million dollar gambler, in the first round (click for the bracket) of this tournament. The first and second National Heads-Up champions have been pro poker heavyweights Phil Helmuth and Ted Forrest, respectively.
Interesting to note that Vegas poker is seemingly becoming as common on NBC as it has been on cable networks. There is 'Poker Superstars III' filmed at the Golden Nugget and the newly launched 'Poker After Dark' with Shanna Hiatt is filmed at South Point casino here in Vegas and airs every week night on NBC with a special director's cut broadcast on Saturdays.
The tournament will be broadcast on NBC starting April 8th, but stay tuned to the full story on Shannon's fate in Monday's LUXE LIFE.
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1. She'd be really distracting to play Heads-Up. I'd keep looking at her. She's beautiful.
PokerDude at 12:52AM on Apr 12th 2008