It’s called the Mega Beat Progressive Poker Jackpot, and it hit at Planet Hollywood on Mar. 9, 2013, resulting in thousands in cash for a winner who lost (but won, anyway), a winner (who won, then won even more) and hundreds of other players in poker rooms across Las Vegas.

Perhaps we should explain.

The Mega Beat Progressive Poker Jackpot is paid when a great poker hand loses to an even better one. (In poker, a “bad beat” is when a player with a strong hand loses, anyway.)

Mega Beat may very well end up being this blog's DJ name someday.

The Mega Beat jackpot is a progressive, so the jackpot grows larger over time. Think Cialis, but with money.

When it hit at Planet Hollywood, the prize pool totaled $672,420. The player with the “losing” hand (Alex Adams) was awarded 20% of that jackpot (a cool $136,675), the player with the hand that won (Scott Rosen) received 10% ($69,401), and the remaining 70% was divided among all the players at all the participating Caesars Entertainment poker rooms.

That’s right. When the Mega Beat jackpot hits, every player at every table gets a cut of the cash. At the time this jackpot hit (6:58 p.m. on Mar. 9), there were 238 players, so they each received $2,159. Just for being in the right place at the right time.

As the jackpot increases, it's easier to win. Just ask your dealer for details. The OTHER kind of dealer. What is the matter with you?

So, what hand did Alex Adams have when he lucked out and lost? He had four queens. (Hint: That’s a really, really good hand.) He lost to a heart straight flush to the queen.

Thanks to the Mega Beat Progressive Poker Jackpot, even when you lose you can win.

After the jackpot hits, it’s reset to $200,000. Video displays (see below) in all the participating poker rooms keep players up-to-date about the ever-growing jackpot, and shows real-time payouts, should the jackpot hit, as players come and go. Yay, technology.

The jackpot is more now. In fact, it's more now. And now. (Repeat.)

Poker rooms taking part in this progressive jackpot, aside from Planet Hollywood, of course, are Harrah’s Las Vegas, The Quad, Flamingo Las Vegas, Bally’s Las Vegas, Caesars Palace and Rio Las Vegas.

Las Vegas is always full of surprises, but winning $136,675 for a losing poker hand has to take the cake.

Video poker fans are going to love the new My Poker Multi-Game Poker machines at Caesars Palace and Harrah’s Las Vegas. Why? Because they’re the only video poker machines we know of that remember you and what you’re into, or at least seem to.

This blog strives to be memorable.

My Poker video poker machines straddle the world of real and virtual casinos, making it seamless to play for fun at home, even customizing your game’s settings, while automatically transferring those settings to the machine at your favorite casino. Here’s what we mean.

First, find a My Poker Multi-Game Poker machine in the casino. The slot attendants can help. We decided to test drive one at Caesars Palace. Insert your Total Rewards loyalty card (free to join, of course), and on these special machines, you’ll be asked if you’d like to create an account. It’s an account just for My Poker, and it’s definitely worth the 12 seconds it takes to set up.

On a video poker machine, this blog can type an astonishing four words a minute.

You select a username, and a password. Then the fun begins.

As you play, you can personalize a variety of things about the game like the design of your cards, background colors, how quickly the cards are dealt and more.

We are the master of our video poker domain.

It’s fun to play around with the “card art.”

This card face can be seen from the surface of the Moon.

One of the features we enjoyed most was being able to choose how we want to celebrate our winning hands, with chips or jewels flying through the air. We like celebrating. Typically, we do that by dancing nude around our video poker machine. But chips are nice, too.

They sort of cascade. If that's a thing chips can do.

The video poker machine will even spit out a voucher to make it easier to log in if you move to another machine.

The My Poker machine remembers all your custom settings, so the next time you log in, all your settings are there. But here’s the cool part. Say you leave the casino. (Why you would want to do that, we have no idea, but this is a hypothetical situation, so just play along.) Now, you’re at home on your computer and want to work on your video poker strategy. You visit the My Poker site (called Player’s Life), log in with the same username and password you set up in the casino, and the personalized settings are reflected in your virtual, play-for-fun (translation: no actual money is involved) machine online.

Well, hello, ladies.

Any changes you make to your settings online will be reflected on the in-casino machine the next time you visit, and vice versa.

The visuals are just the beginning of the benefits of playing on a My Poker video poker machine. You can also track your total hands played, royal flush and straight flush pays, overall wins, and compare your results to other players on a leader board.

Not that you have a competitive streak or anything.

“Trophies” are also awarded for various accomplishments. No mantle or dusting required.

We love the idea of getting a trophy for just showing up.

My Poker, made by WMS Gaming, provides the ultimate control of your video poker experience, online and off. From what we understand, these machines are the first of their kind in the casino industry. This blog happens to be a huge fan of both “new” and “first.” Oh, and “casino.” Find out more.

So, give them a try let us know what percentage of your winnings you’ll be sending this blog as a thank-you. Because you’re appreciative like that.

It is with mixed feelings this blog reiterates the fact Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon will shut its doors on Feb. 4, 2013.

The popular hotel, at the corner of Flamingo Boulevard and Las Vegas Boulevard, is set for a multi-million dollar renovation and will re-open with a new name (we vote for “Pulse of Vegas Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon”) in early 2014.

Temporary sad face.

That means all the things we’ve loved doing at Bill’s will have to be done elsewhere, at least for the time being. Here’s our top 11, probably because we don’t entirely grasp the metric system.

1. Beer Pong

It’s a captivating combination of alcohol, balls and trash talk, and now we’ll have to seek out another location for all our beer pong needs. Two great options are inside The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, just south on The Strip a bit. Blondies Sports Bar & Grill and DB’s Pong and Pool have everything serious beer pong players (oxymoron, if ever there were one) could desire.

Look at the ball jokes we're not making. This blog's maturity level is truly epic.

2. Big Elvis

Pete “Big Elvis” Vallee, was a talent too large for Bill’s to contain, so he moved to Harrah’s Las Vegas a few months ago. Catch his free show at the piano bar. Phew. That was an easy one. By the way, when we asked Pete how many shows he did while at Bill’s (and before that, Barbary Coast), he said 7,000. Wow.

B.E. T.C.B. at H.L.V.

On a related note: Another Vegas institution, lounge icon Cook E. Jarr, will also grab a spot at Harrah’s. He’ll perform each Saturday and Sunday, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., starting Feb. 9, 2013.

If you haven't done a Cook E. Jarr show, you haven't done Vegas.

3. Rapid Craps

A hybrid version of craps, Rapid Craps, has been exclusively at Bill’s for years, and loyal fans of the game were worried it would disappear when Bill’s closes. However, we’re pleased to provide a Pulse of Vegas blog exclusive: There are tentative plans to move Rapid Craps to The Quad. Crisis averted.

Rapid Craps is expected to re-emerge at The Quad, like an electronic phoenix of some sort.

4. Poker

The intimate poker room at Bill’s hosted many lively games, but there are plenty of alternatives nearby. Poker fanatics can try the famed poker room at Caesars Palace, across the street, or the poker rooms at Bally’s Las Vegas and Planet Hollywood.

You were small, but nevertheless adorbs, Bill's Poker Room.

5. Nightclubbing

We hear Drai’s Nightclub at Bill’s will take up temporary digs while Bill’s is being renovated, but a location hasn’t officially been announced yet. Until we get more scoop, get up off your thang (if people still do that) at Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace or Chateau Nightclub at Paris Las Vegas.

Vegas is full of places to get your "oontz" on.

6. Show Tickets

The Tix4Tonight Half Price Shows booth was a hit at Bill’s. There are other locations around Las Vegas, including downtown. Check out the alternatives here.

We're pretty sure tearing your ticket in half invalidates it. We're just saying.

7. Western Union

Yes, Bill’s had a full-fledged Western Union office. While weird, people liked it. Come to find out, you can pick up money wired through Western Union at the cashier cage at Harrah’s Las Vegas. Which we should have known before an Internet search two minutes ago. Hey, you try fitting all this stuff in one brain.

Western Union may have other signs, but they'll never be as fancy as the one at Bill's Gamblin' Hall.

8. Steakhouse at Bill’s

This joint was old-school Vegas, and had a loyal following. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of steakhouses on The Strip that provide delicious eats and world-class service. Try Center Cut Steakhouse at Flamingo Las Vegas, Gordon Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas, the new Ruth’s Chris Steak House at Harrah’s or this blog’s personal favorite, Old Homestead Steakhouse at Caesars Palace.

There are plenty of other restaurants in Vegas that will take care of your meat. Umm, about that maturity thing.

9. Slushy Drinks

We’d grown emotionally attached to some of the great beverages at Slush inside Bill’s, but Las Vegas has never been at a loss for those frosty diversions. Drop by Numb at Harrah’s or Caesars Palace, Margaritaville or Carlos’n Charlie’s at Flamingo and Fat Tuesday at The Quad. Also try Cabo Wabo Cantina or PBR Rock Bar at Planet Hollywood. Oh, and let’s not forget Evening Call at Rio and Bally’s. Vegas definitely knows slushy.

You'll still be greatly missed, Vegas Vice.

10. Craps Lessons

The free craps lessons at Bill’s drew crowds. But here’s the thing: They were at 10:30 a.m. Chances are, if you visit ANY craps table in Vegas at 10:30 a.m., you’ll find idle dealers more than happy to give you a craps lesson. During lulls, dealers are happy to share the basics and their insights from years of watching the highs and lows of the world’s greatest casino game. Objectively speaking, of course.

Craps, the cause of, and answer to, all of life's problems.

11. Go-Go Dancers

Oh, no! If we can’t see go-go dancers at Bill’s, where on Earth will we ever see go-go dancers in Las Vegas? Yeah, right. Sin City always has a back-up plan. Find a slew of shimmying seductresses in the Pussycat Doll blackjack pit at Caesars Palace, onstage in the casinos at Rio and Flamingo, in the Pleasure Pit at Planet Hollywood or in the Ooh La La Party Pit at Paris. Please note, we’re only sharing this video because we like the music.

So, after an appropriate period of mourning over the loss of Bill’s, get out there and find other great places in Las Vegas to play, eat, drink and drink. Oh, did we say “drink” twice? How ever did that happen?

A new video game, “World Series of Poker: Full House Pro,” based on the world’s most recognizable poker tournament, will come to Xbox 360 and Windows 8 in spring 2013.

The new game is touted as “the most visually-stunning digital poker game on the market.”

Complete with WSOP bling.

The World Series of Poker, of course, happens each year at Rio Las Vegas. The most recent winner, 24-year-old Greg Merson, won $8.5 million of real-world money. (The video game version is “for amusement purposes only,” of course. The good news: At least you won’t have to deal with the IRS.)

Here’s a preview of the new “World Series of Poker: Full House Pro” game, in all its chip-flippin’ glory.

“World Series of Poker: Full House Pro” expands upon the popular Xbox Live Arcade hit, “Full House Poker.” Players can build their bankrolls and compete against opponents from around the world, creating their own chip tricks and playing against backdrops inspired by real-world casinos in Las Vegas and elsewhere. Yes, in one part of the video, participants are even playing in The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. Hey, it could happen!

Just like the real Final Table at the Rio. Just with fewer craps tables nearby. Sad face.

The game will feature a single-player mode, single-table games and full-blown tournaments. To give the game an added element of realism, “World Series of Poker on ESPN” announcers Lon McEachern and Norman Chad provide the play commentary.

Get more details at the official World Series of Poker site.

Poker pro Greg Merson, a mere 24 years old, bested 6,598 contenders to win this year’s World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event at Rio Las Vegas.

Merson, who hails from Maryland, won $8,531,853 (yes, we counted it) and a coveted WSOP gold bracelet valued at infinity dollars, because WSOP bracelets are just that flipping awesome.

"Cha," meet "ching."

The WSOP Main Event, the world’s largest and most lucrative poker tournament, costs $10,000 to enter, but the return on investment can obviously be substantial if you play your cards right.

The marathon Final Table event lasted 12 hours, starting at 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30 and ending at 5:44 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012. Play at the Final Table spanned 399 hands, which is kind of bugging this blog, because we have OCD a little.

The Main Event victory was Merson’s second seven-figure prize at this year’s WSOP (which encompasses 61 separate events). He won a No-Limit Hold’em tournament this summer with a prize of $1.1 million. Merson was the only player at the 2012 World Series of Poker to win more than one gold bracelet. Somebody’s going to need a really good tax attorney.

This blog couldn't play poker professionally. The massive stacks of cash would impede our arm movements.

Thanks to Joe Giron for the pics.

The second and third place Final Table finishers were Jake Balsiger and Jesse Sylvia. Balsiger won $3.8 million for his third place finish, and Sylvia won $5.3 for coming in second. Lovely parting gifts, you might say.

The total prize pool for the 2012 World Series of Poker was $222 million, with participants from 101 countries. (Seriously? Not 100?)

Congrats to Greg Merson, and find out more about the World Series of Poker.

This blog loves it some Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon, and not just because it has “Saloon” in its name.

There are so many things to love, in fact, if we were to list everything, we would need a bigger Internet. Instead, we’re picking five at random. We hope you like them. But if you don’t, feel free to keep that to yourself.

1. Free Craps Lessons

Craps is one of the most fun, boisterous games in the casino, but can be a tad intimidating to the uninitiated. Well, Bill’s is the perfect place to become initiated!

Let's just say the casino guys at Bill's have seen a few things in their day. Ask them to share.

Free craps lessons are provided by highly-trained casino personnel, in plain English, at 10:30 a.m. each day. Yes, that’s relatively early by hangover standards, but life can’t always be about daisies and butterflies.

Here’s a bonus thing to love about Bill’s. After the craps lessons, participants get a craps match play coupon. You bet $5, and if you win, you get $10.

Don't try printing this photo and presenting it at the craps table. Ain't gonna fly.

Taking a craps lesson is one of the best investments you can make, and it can mean the difference between winning small or winning big. (This blog is owned and operated by a casino company. What’d you expect us to say?)

2. Cook E. Jarr

This lounge performer is a legend among legends. He’s been in the singing-on-the-Strip business for nearly 30 years and still puts on a show-stopping performance at Bill’s. Oh, and did we mention it’s free?

The man. The myth. The hair. The inestimable Cook E. Jarr.

Jarr (whose real name is Anthony Pettine, but let’s not ruin the mystique) is a wildly versatile singer, bouncing back and forth between classics and the latest rap hits. Jarr doesn’t skimp on the cheese or the high notes, and schmoozes with his fans throughout the show.

How awesome is Cook E. Jarr? During a recent show we attended, he stopped to accept a call from a fan’s mother. During his show. We’re not making this up.

Try this at other Vegas shows, and you'll be tackled by burly security guards.

A little Cook E. Jarr trivia: His first gig in Vegas, back in the ’70s, was at Cleopatra’s Barge (formerly Nero’s Nook) at Caesars Palace.

Cook E. Jarr puts on his throwback show on Wednesdays, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Sundays, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Read more about Cook E. Jarr, a Sin City institution.

3. Slush Bar

No visit to Las Vegas is complete without a colorful, frosty drink in a collectible cup. Or perhaps several. Slush Bar can assist you in this regard.

The cocktail names are as colorful as the drinks themselves: Picnic Punch, Bad Apple, Red Neck Peach Punch, Rainforest Madness and the Red-Headed Stepchild, among them.

Below, Janet serves up the Say Hello to My Little Friend.

Fact: This Las Vegas blog has never not liked a cocktail that included red licorice.

Also recommended are the Vegas Vice and All Night Long. We’re just saying.

4. Beer Pong

Denizens of the beer pong area at the former O’Sheas casino need not lament or gnash their teeth, for there are a phalanx of beer pong tables awaiting their trash-talking at Bill’s.

Look at all the "balls" jokes we're not making. It's called maturity, people.

The beer pong tables are conveniently located next to Slush Bar (which has beer) and Bill’s Lounge, which has Cook E. Jarr. Ah, the circularity of the universe.

The World Series of Beer Pong (yes, there’s a World Series of Beer Pong) will soon be back in Las Vegas at the Flamingo, January 1-5, 2013, so brush up on your mad skilz at Bill’s. Trademark pending.

5. Bill’s Poker Room

It’s intimate. (Translation: Not large.) It’s welcoming. It harkens back to a time where people played poker for fun, not to be on TV.

The poker room at Bill’s is easily one of the best values in town when it comes to this popular game. It’s the only casino we know where there’s a .50/$1 No Limit Texas Hold ‘Em game pretty much any time you want to play. No, that’s not a typo. And, no, they don’t jack up the minimums when the casino gets busy. It’s Bill’s.

Also, take advantage of the “Aces Cracked” promotion. If you get pocket aces and lose, you get $100. Just for sitting there and whining about your bad luck. Only in Vegas, baby!

Nobody loses in Vegas! And that's the story we're sticking to!

So, those are the first five things that came to our mind.

What’s your favorite thing at Bill’s?

What began as a massive field of 6,598 players vying for poker’s most prestigious prize has been whittled down to just nine.

The World Series of Poker (WSOP) recently announced its “October Nine” who will battle it out (starting Oct. 29) for the No-Limit Hold’em Championship at Rio Las Vegas, as well as a first-place prize of $8,527,982. Yes, exactly $8,527,982. That extra $82 is to tip the valet.

It's time to hire accountants, fellas.

Thanks to Joe Giron at the WSOP for the pic. Related: Think getting nine poker players to look at the camera is difficult? Try photographing six dogs playing poker.

Although the WSOP draws players from around the world, 83 countries in all, the Main Event’s final nine are nearly all Americans, with the sole exception being a Hungarian. (Chanting “USA, USA, USA!” at this juncture would be entirely appropriate.)

The October Nine are, in order of chip count (most to least): Jesse Sylvia, Andras Koroknai (from Hungary), Greg Merson, Russell Thomas, Steven Gee, Michael Esposito, Robert Salaburu, Jake Balsiger and Jeremy Ausmus.

We were not kidding.

Catch up on all the WSOP drama on ESPN. Coverage begins July 31, and will continue in two-hour blocks each Tuesday for 16 weeks, and Main Event final table coverage will commence Oct. 30.

Visit the official WSOP site for all the details. And please ignore all the stuff we clearly cut and past for this blog post. We are very busy interviewing showgirls and stuff.

If you think herding cats is challenging, try poker-playing dogs!

Yesterday (July 11, 2012), this blog worked with a group of Las Vegas dogs, and the World Series of Poker, to pay homage to those iconic “dogs playing poker” paintings done by artist C.M. Coolidge as far back as 1903. Read more.

Wild times ensued at Rio Las Vegas, but we got our shot!

This blog loves it some poker-playing dogs.

The idea for the photo shoot came via our friend, the Go Vegas Dog, Arbor (pictured below). Oh, and her humans, Bryce and Jennifer Henderson.

Arbor is quickly becoming a Sin City celebrity based on her charm and recent forays to The Strip which have been immortalized in an entertaining series of videos. Here’s a video of Arbor visiting Flamingo Las Vegas.

This blog is not allowed to play favorites, except to say Arbor is our favorite.

Arbor (she’s a she, by the way) also paints, recently appearing on “Good Morning America,” as well as at this blog’s birthday party. Hey, full disclosure. The sweet pup spends her time helping to raise awareness about pet adoptions, among other things.

Joining Arbor were a furry band of pooches: Cyrus (below, and it’s a fake cigar, of course), Bella, Jack, Jeeves and Toby.

Every poker player we've talked to has had days like this.

You can ask us how we got Cyrus to wink at the camera, below, but it’s a trade secret. (Translation: Dumb luck.)

It's not hard to guess his "tell."

A World Series of Poker dealer, Shaun Harris, also joined in the fun, and by “fun,” of course, we mean, “completely covered in drool and dog hair by the end of our session.” Modeling is so glamorous!

Shaun, the "Dogs Playing Poker Whisperer." Not to mention being a great sport.

Arbor and friends also dragged Jack Effel into a pic (below), mainly because of his impressive title: Vice President, International Poker Operations and Director, World Series of Poker. Which, we should add, the Guinness World Records folks might want to take a look at the next time they’re in town.

Our human subjects were pretty well-behaved, too.

Follow the adventures of Arbor on Facebook, and thanks to all our slobbery friends who took part in our dogs playing poker photo op, as well as to the World Series of Poker for not having us removed by security. Actually, Rio Vegas is part of the Caesars Entertainment PetStay program, so we were in good hands.

More photos in our exclusive gallery, of course. Proof positive the world of professional poker is dog-eat-dog!

You know how sometimes you pony up a million bucks to enter a poker tournament, and then you win the biggest prize in poker tournament history, more than $18.3 million? Yeah, it happened for Antonio Esfandiari, too.

Antonio Esfandiari pitches some woo to his giant stack of cash.

Esfandiari, a pro poker player and magician, made history when he outmaneuvered a field of 48 millionaires and billionaires to earn the richest payday in poker tournament history at Rio Las Vegas during the World Series of Poker.

Each of the players bought into the event for a cool million, with a portion of the pot ($5.3 million) going to One Drop, a nonprofit that fights poverty by supporting access to safe water. Read more about One Drop.

Best part of a magician winning? New summer homes for the bunnies and doves.

Esfandiari’s prize makes it the largest single payout in poker tournament history. Second place goes to Jamie Gold for his $12 million win at the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event.

A few words with Antonio Esfandiari.

“I just wanted to win so I could give my dad the bracelet,” he told CardPlayer.com. Yeah, we’re thinking the 18 mil never entered his mind even once!

The World Series of Poker Main Event starts this weekend. There are so many participants, the opening rounds have to be spread out over three days, July 7-9, 2012. This is the 43rd WSOP, with a buy-in of a mere $10,000. A bargain compared to the One Drop fundraiser, right? Visit the official WSOP site.

The prize pool for the WSOP Main Event is expected to be in the $60 million range, with the winner taking away about $9 million. Not too shabby.

A big, sloppy, saliva-saturated welcome to everyone taking part in the World Series of Poker Main Event at Rio Las Vegas. Just make sure you’re in poker shape, folks.

Thanks to our pal Brandon Muller for the great video he made awhile back to help promote the WSOP (ignore the dates, the event started May 27 and runs until July 16).

Special note to Antonio Esfandiari: This blog would not turn down the offer of a cocktail and/or a Lamborghini. FYI.

It’s a pretty big deal in the poker world.

The polarizing Phil “Poker Brat” Hellmuth, one of the most colorful characters in the realm of professional poker, won a record-shattering 12th World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet at Rio Las Vegas in the early morning hours of June 11, 2012.

Temperamental is the new charismatic.

WSOP bracelets are the most coveted prize in poker, sometimes even eclipsing an event’s prize money. In this case, Hellmuth stated he didn’t even know what his winning payout was going to be.

He told ESPN, “I can honestly say that this is the first tournament in my life that I have no idea what the prize money is. It’s all about the bracelet.”

For the record, his prize money for winning the $2,500 buy-in “Seven-Card Razz” tournament (Event #18 of the many that make up the World Series of Poker) was $182,793. Not a bad payday!

Unlike Phil Hellmuth, a WSOP bracelet doesn't clash with anything.

Hellmuth’s victory wasn’t walk in the park. In the tournament’s final table, there were six former gold bracelet winners, with 20 combined victories. At 12 WSOP bracelet wins, he’s two ahead of his closest competition, Johnny Chan and Doyle Brunson.

For anyone wondering if the popularity of poker has waned at all, consider that the weekend of June 15, 2012 marked a new three-day WSOP attendance record with nearly 10,000 players (9,734 to be exact) taking part in WSOP events at the Rio.

The World Series of Poker takes place at Rio Las Vegas through July 16, 2012. Visit the official World Series of Poker site for more.

The premiere name in poker, World Series of Poker, is now officially part of Total Rewards, the premiere name in casino loyalty programs. As reported by the premiere Las Vegas blog. (Note: We may have just made that last part up.)

For the first time, World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournament entrants will get Reward Credits (sometimes called “loyalty points”) for playing in gold bracelet events. They’ll also get Reward Credits for playing in daily “Deepstack” tournaments and mega-satellite events at the Rio Las Vegas, where the World Series of Poker takes place each year.

This year’s World Series of Poker begins May 27. See the full schedule.

In poker parlance, being dealt a pair of aces is called a "Cha-Ching!" hand. Probably.

Following this year’s WSOP, poker players will also receive Reward Credits for tournament play during the 2012-13 WSOP Circuit tour at Total Rewards (Caesars Entertainment) casinos around the country.

Reward Credits can be redeemed for a variety of perks, including WSOP tournament entry fees, hotel rooms, dining, shows and merchandise. They can also be used to buy this blog a cocktail. Not that we think you should do that. Just tossing out some hypotheticals here.

Find out all the details about the WSOP and its partnership with Total Rewards.

The world of poker is a fascinating one, and “All In: The Poker Movie,” a new documentary about that world, is one this Las Vegas blog would be inclined to watch.

The film’s billed as, “The definitive story of the rise, fall and rebirth of poker.” It features many of the game’s most prominent figures, including Chris Moneymaker, the man whose 2003 Main Event win at the World Series of Poker is often cited as the reason for the boom that’s kept poker in the spotlight ever since.

The person pictured below is not him.

Matt Damon is a great poker player. We hear he also acts a little on the side.

Here’s the trailer for “All In: The Poker Movie.”

“All In” was directed by Douglas Tirola and includes segments with Matt Damon, Phil Hellmuth Jr., Annie Duke, Chris Ferguson, Howard Lederer, Daniel Negreanu and others.

The World Series of Poker happens each year at Rio Las Vegas.

The film is currently available on iTunes and through Video on Demand. It didn’t get rave reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but this blog doesn’t live by society’s rules, and we’re watching it, anyway.

Get all your poker needs met at the official World Series of Poker site.

The game of poker lost a legend, “Amarillo Slim” Preston, on April 29, 2012, at the age of 83.

The five-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner was one of the pioneers of modern-day poker, including raising the game’s visibility through media appearances (including 11 guest spots on “The Tonight Show”) and his colorful personality.

Amarillo Slim once bet someone that a cat could pick up a Coke bottle, and once beat daredevil Evel Knievel in golf using a carpenter's hammer.

Among his many accomplishments, Preston won the World Series of Poker Main Event in 1972. He was inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame in 1992.

There was even a song written in his honor.

Read more about this WSOP champ and pop culture icon on the official World Series of Poker site, and listen to a radio interview with “Amarillo Slim.”

They just don’t make ‘em like Slim anymore.

What awful news. Because this blog loves karaoke. Totally.

We’re pretty much despondent having to report that the Karaoke Club inside the Imperial Palace has closed.

Yes, we realize some people like karaoke. We pity and forgive them.

We can hardly contain our sadness. Because we love karaoke so darned much.

We understand the poker room will be moving into the space formerly occupied by the Karaoke Club. After an appropriate grieving period, of course.

The world’s premier poker tournament, held each year at Rio Las Vegas, the World Series of Poker, has announced its schedule for 2012.

The event will begin May 27, 2012, with the gathering’s first open event on Memorial Day (May 28), a $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em tournament.

In Vegas, poker's a pretty big deal.

The World Series of Poker got its start at Binion’s in downtown Vegas, back in 1970, several years before they had those player “hole card” camera thingys that make watching poker on TV so much more fun.

This year’s event, which runs through July 16, will be televised exclusively on ESPN from the Rio. Sixty-one WSOP gold bracelets will be up for grabs in 2012, three more than last year.

The 43rd annual WSOP concludes with the always-entertaining $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship, also known as “The Main Event.” Play begins on July 7, and will reach its final table (with nine players) on July 16. The Final Table will take place earlier than in recent years, in two stages, with the nine finalists playing down to two on Oct. 28, and heads-up (one-on-one) action taking place to determine a WSOP champ on Oct. 30.

An event to watch: For the first time, the WSOP will have a $1,000,000 buy-in event. This high-stakes event will start July 1 and last three days. It’s likely to result in the largest first-place prize in poker history. Bonus: The event will benefit Onedrop.org.

The 2011 World Series of Poker had 75,672 entrants from 105 different nations. (Hint: There are 105 countries?) Players competed for more than $192 million in prize money. See this blog’s stunningly inept coverage of the 2011 World Series of Poker.

Last year's WSOP Main Event winner, Pius Heinz, won a cool $8.7 million. He was 22.

Pre-registration for the 2012 WSOP will be available online starting Feb. 8, 2012. Register here.

Visit the official WSOP site for all the details, including the full schedule of events.