Joey Lawrence, who first won hearts around the world in the ’90s TV hit, “Blossom,” is all grown up and ready to bring his talents to the Chippendales stage at Rio Las Vegas for a limited-time guest-hosting gig, June 7-24, 2012.

Joey Lawrence should totally hang out with comedian George Wallace at Flamingo, because he, too, be thinkin'.

Lawrence is expected to sing, dance and host the popular male revue. Other recent guest hosts have included 98 Degrees singer Jeff Timmons and former “Bachelor” star, Jake Pavelka.

Yes, that Joey Lawrence.

Lawrence currently appears in the ABC Family series “Melissa & Joey,” co-starring Melissa Joan Hart. He also starred on Broadway as Billy Flynn in the hit musical “Chicago” and a number of feature films.

Bonus Chippendales trivia: On May 31, 2012, Chippendales will celebrate its 4,000th pec-fueled show at Rio Las Vegas.

Here’s an exclusive Pulse of Vegas peek inside the bedlam that is the Chippendales experience.

Chippendales performs nightly at 8:00 p.m., with additional shows on Friday and Saturday at 10:30 p.m. Joey Lawrence will perform Thursday through Sunday night performances only. Tickets run from $39.95 to $59.95.

Let us know how you think Joey Lawrence has blossomed. See what we did there?

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.

Harrah’s Las Vegas comedy-magician Mac King has a thing for the Kentucky Derby. Each year, he hosts a party leading up to the race, and a who’s-who of Las Vegas magicians and other entertainers show up in droves. Except for the ones wearing pants. They show up in pants. And in honor of the Kentucky Derby, some also show up in hats. Or in the case of Mac King, pants and a hat. Thankfully.

We do not fully understand Mac King's Kentucky Derby obsession, but this blog doesn't judge.

Also in attendance were Penn Jillette, the taller half of Penn & Teller at Rio Las Vegas, who was recently booted prematurely from “The Celebrity Apprentice,” and fellow comedy-magician The Amazing Johnathan, who seemed a lot less freaky in person than he does in his show at The Harmon Theatre at Planet Hollywood.

Relax, Teller, this was not a job interview. Probably.

Next up, our pal, Paul Vigil. He does a mind-blowing free show inside King Ink at the Mirage on Wednesday nights. And did we mention how free it is? Find out more.

Whenever we shake hands with Paul Vigil, we count our fingers afterward. Just saying.

The photographically-less-cooperative Lance Burton (below) was also on-hand for the festivities. Among his many talents, we learned Lance Burton is an amazing pool player.

Yeah, we probably won't be invited back. The things this blog does for you.

The party guests weren’t all magicians, of course.

Some of this blog's favorite guests were mint juleps, official hooch of the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby, by the way, is billed as “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” As opposed to sex with this blog, billed simply as “the most exciting two minutes.” Oh, how we crack ourselves up. And speaking of cracking up…

Also in the house (literally, since the party was in Mac King’s house) was Vinnie Favorito, longtime headliner at Flamingo Las Vegas. Learn more about his hilarious, off-the-cuff show.

Don't make Vinnie Favorito angry. His tongue doubles as a fencing sword.

Popular Las Vegas singer Clint Holmes also came to play. Holmes used to headline at Harrah’s Las Vegas, and you can visit his official site to see his current performance schedule.

Clint Holmes fact: He's the son of a jazz musician and an opera singer.

Naturally, there were also colorful hats galore.

Our personal favorite. If you're into that kind of thing.

The winner of the Kentucky Derby on May 5, 2012: I’ll Have Another. Yes, that was the horse: I’ll Have Another.

Which, coincidentally, we heard coming out of our mouth a lot as the mint juleps were being passed around. Hey, we wanted to get into the spirit of the event. The things this blog does for you.

What would you do with $1.2 million? A player at Rio Las Vegas is going to have to figure out an answer to that question, because on May 1, 2012, the $1 Wheel of Fortune progressive jackpot hit for $1,224,957.

This blog loves when that happens!

This is not the actual winning machine. We can't be everywhere, you know.

They should call it the “Wheel of We Hope They Don’t Take Out Too Much in Taxes.”

This blog actually made a contribution to another Wheel of Fortune progressive machine at Flamingo a few hours prior to the big win at Rio. What might have been.

We don’t have any further information about the lucky guest at Rio, other than this magical number: $1,224,957. And, honestly, isn’t that enough?

As usual, the Wheel of Fortune progressive jackpot was reset to a cool mil after the win. This blog calls dibs on the next jackpot, but you can give it a try if you’d like.

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.

Remember that classic trick question, “What color was George Washington’s white horse?” Well, here’s a new, Vegas-inspired one to test your brain power: “How many floors is the 51-floor Rio Las Vegas?”

If you can’t see this one coming, you should probably get out of the house more.

As you may have guessed, the Rio Las Vegas doesn’t actually have 51 floors, despite what you might have heard. Here’s why. Vegas hotels often have funky floor numbering systems because of superstition. In the case of Rio, there are no floor numbers in the 40s. Chinese guests consider four unlucky because the Chinese word for four sounds almost exactly like the Chinese word for death.

So, to avoid the bad mojo, well, take a look.

No, this is not the result of "Penn & Teller" hijinks.

Defying another superstition, and unlike a number of other Las Vegas hotels, the Rio does have a 13th floor.

The fear of the number 13 is called "triskaidekaphobia."

Those with a keen eye will note Rio Las Vegas does have a fourth floor, as well as a 14th, 24th and 34th. Please don’t ask why. This is not an exact science, and we suspect finding out the answer would involve “effort” or “reading,” and this blog is not a fan of those pursuits. Moving on.

This brings the number of usable floors at the Rio to 41, not 51. There are a couple of floors above the 41st, but those are accessible only to hotel personnel.

Don't believe everything you read.

Now you know!

Does the fact the Rio doesn’t have 51 floors make the view from the VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub any less stunning? Of course not. You’ll want to see this photo if you’re at all skeptical.

Here’s a bonus Rio Vegas fact. There’s a puzzle featuring the hotel’s sign. We know. We saw it on a shelf once (see below). If you can’t find it in your local department store, you can probably locate it on an eBay near you.

Are we a font of useless information, or what?

Oh, and for the record, that George Washington question isn’t as silly as you’d think. Washington had several horses, but the one referred to in the riddle was gray. There’s no “white” color designation for horses, although an albino would come close.

Now you’ll know more than all your party guests about Rio Las Vegas. And George Washington’s horse. Pity them, for they know not about this Las Vegas blog.

If you still have “The Celebrity Apprentice” sitting on your Tivo, don’t read this blog post.

Spoiler: Rio Las Vegas headliner Penn Jillette was robbed! The taller half of “Penn & Teller” was fired from the popular reality show based largely upon the reaction to a slogan he proposed for a new Donald Trump cologne: “You earned it.” The slogan, which was approved by Project Manager Clay Aiken, was deemed “too pompous.”

Oh, please! “Too pompous” for Donald Trump?

Penn handled his firing with aplomb. This blog, less so.

Penn Jillette got the boot before former Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza, the most called-into-the-Boardroom contestant in the show’s history? Are they trying to make this blog’s head explode? Before Arsenio Hall? Teresa Giudice? Seriously? Penn Jillette is a creativity machine. (Need more proof? Go here.) You’re going to fire someone for brainstorming?

See a post-boot interview with Jillette on The Wendy Williams Show.

Just when this blog was ready to get all ranty up in here, we heard the Caesars Foundation, the charitable arm of Caesars Entertainment, has donated $250,000 (what Jillette would’ve won if he’d prevailed in “The Celebrity Apprentice”) to Jillette’s charity of choice on the show, Opportunity Village. This kind of calmed us down. For a minute, anyway.

It's hard to rant when you're smiling about good news.

Opportunity Village serves people with intellectual disabilities, and we’re a big fan. The donation from the Caesars Foundation will be used to support the programs of Opportunity Village, like vocational training and recreational services.

Jillette’s appearance on the show had already resulted in a $40,000 donation to the nonprofit.

So, all’s well that ends well. But, for the record, that don’t make it right, “The Donald.” In fact, this blog is no longer going to watch “The Celebrity Apprentice.” Until next week, anyway.

Although Drink & Drag Las Vegas, billed as the “first-ever fully drag queen-staffed bar,” won’t officially open until May 5, 2012, the downtown establishment quietly began to welcome guests this weekend, and we were there.

Unfortunately, because it was just a “soft launch,” we were told we weren’t allowed to take photos. So, naturally, we took tons of photos! This blog does not live by society’s rules.

"Drink" gets top billing, as it should in Las Vegas.

The staff of Drink & Drag, 24 full-time drag queens in all, were out in force, learning the ropes of their new gig and entertaining guests by breaking into choreographed dance sequences throughout the evening.

You better work! Oh, wait, you are working. Sorry!

Far from just appealing to the GLBT community, this blog witnessed guests of all orientations and ages taking part in the fun at Drink & Drag.

Adding to the draw are a 12-lane bowling alley and billiard room.

At Drink & Drag, it's a challenge to keep your mind out of the gutter.

The interior of Drink & Drag is gorgeous, with impressive attention to lighting and creating a sensory experience that leaves you feeling like there’s always something else to see in this 22,000-square-foot venue.

There are surprises around every corner.

Oh, like we weren't going to share a photo of the saucy men's room.

Drink & Drag is tucked away on the second floor of Neonopolis, in the space formerly occupied by Jillian’s. And we don’t used the word “tucked” lightly. (Hint: It’s a drag queen thing.)

Outside, understated. Inside, over-the-top.

The Drink & Drag concept is brought to downtown by the owner of the popular Krave nightclub at The Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.

There's something for everyone at Drink & Drag.

Taking their cue from casinos like Rio Las Vegas, cocktail servers at Drink & Drag are equipped with iPads to transmit orders wirelessly to the bar, speeding up cocktail service and providing more time for the servers to interact with guests.

And an unforgettable interaction it is. To a person, the drag queens at Drink & Drag are friendly and hysterically funny, and know how to keep the party vibe going.

Shyness does not seem to afflict any of the Drink & Drag staff.

Insider tip: If you’re not quite up to speed on drag queen culture, we recommend you catch a few episodes of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on the Logo network. That way, you’ll have a better facility with drag queen lingo when you hit Drink & Drag: “beating your face” (applying makeup), “reading” (playfully insulting someone), “chicken cutlets” (bra inserts) and “fishy” (a drag queen who looks like a woman, not like a man dressed like a woman). Get more.

Being a dancing queen not your thing? Hit the swanky billiard room.

One of the most amazing parts of the Drink & Drag experience is enjoying the costumes of the staff. The outfits are stunning, and the make-up and hair can take upwards of three hours to get just right, according to one of our cocktail servers. To borrow a line from Frank Marino’s Diva’s Las Vegas drag show at Imperial Palace, “you won’t believe your eyes.”

This blog had a complete blast at Drink & Drag, and we are almost entirely heterosexual. We predict Drink & Drag will quickly become a must-visit part of the ever-growing downtown Las Vegas nightlife scene.

This is where the "drink" part of Drink & Drag tends to happen.

Find out more on the Drink & Drag official site. Only in Las Vegas, baby!

His name is Jaymes Vaughan. He’s in the Chippendales male revue at Rio Las Vegas. But that’s kind of just the beginning.

Don't say this blog never did anything for you.

You see, Jaymes Vaughan does it all. He’s the ultimate Renaissance Man, like Galileo Galilei, but shirtless.

Vaughan not only dances in Chippendales, he’s also the featured singer, and also does his thing in the Rio’s free stage extravaganza, Show in the Sky.

This blog has generously slapped together a snippet or two of his performances just so your eyes have something to do for the next few minutes, ladies.

From what we can tell, this guy has quite the charmed life. He was also named one of the “10 Sexiest People in Las Vegas.” See more.

Note: Quite a bit of the "Show in the Sky" doesn't actually take place in the sky.

Jaymes Vaughan definitely gets around. We bumped into him while doing emcee duties at an event at The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, and it turns out he’s also a gifted public speaker. Damn him.

Jaymes is fairly dashing even when he's forced to wear a shirt.

Vaughan has also been on his fair share of magazine covers, so let’s add “print model” to his list of talents.

This blog did a sit-up once.

You never know where he’ll turn up. We were browsing the saucy merchandise at the Go Sexy shop at Flamingo Las Vegas, you know, as blog research, and came across the costume below. Guess who?

Subtext: Your boyfriend or husband will look exactly like Jaymes if you purchase this costume. Good luck with that.

Vaughan is also, apparently, a member of the armed services. Or at least pays homage to them with this Go Sexy item.

Insert "landing strip" joke here.

He also has some colorful friends. Below, Vaughan hangs out with stars from Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas, the drag show at Imperial Palace, before one of his “Show in the Sky” performances at Rio.

Yes, he just looks like that. All the time. If you're into that kind of thing.

Consider your beefcake quota for the week filled. Learn more about this multi-talented guy in the profile below with Vegas journalist Dayna Roselli.

See Jaymes Vaughan live in Chippendales at Rio Las Vegas, or just about anywhere, come to think of it.

The International Latin Taste & Music Festival comes to Rio Las Vegas April 20-22, featuring international food, drinks, live entertainment, drinks, arts and crafts, drinks, carnival rides and other activities, including, but not limited to, drinking.

Hey, you enjoy the International Latin Taste & Music Festival the way you’d like, and this blog will enjoy it the way it likes.

The world's hottest chile pepper is the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion. We thought you should know.

The International Latin Taste & Music Festival is actually a family-friendly event dedicated to showcasing Latin culture in a fun atmosphere.

The event runs 2:00 p.m. to midnight on April 20, noon to midnight on April 21 and noon to 9:00 on April 22. Tickets are $6 per person, with kids under 48 inches tall free.

La trompeta es un instrumento musical de viento, whatever that might actually mean.

So, brush up on your Latinese, and join in the revelery at the International Latin Taste & Music Festival. You can learn more at the official site, although please be warned there is loud, annoying music that assaults your ears when you visit the site. You’ve been warned. Purchase tickets online here.

Penn Jillette, the taller and more verbose half of Penn & Teller at Rio Las Vegas, has been everywhere lately.

Recently, he was inducted into the Nevada Entertainer/Artist Hall of Fame. He also started a new online talk show, Penn’s Sunday School.

In addition, he appears to be the frontrunner on “Celebrity Apprentice,” and he’s definitely keeping things lively. One of his more memorable quotes was even featured in “Entertainment Weekly” magazine (see below).

Zing!

You know you’re riding (yet another) wave of popularity when Steve Martin drops in to see your Vegas show.

Some of this blog's favorite entertainers, ever. Thanks to Penn & Teller's people for the pic.

Root for Penn as he crushes the competition on Celebrity Apprentice, and see him in the flesh at his popular show at Rio Las Vegas, and there’s even a sweet room package with his name on it.

Do we look out for you, or what? Here’s today’s irresistible Vegas twofer: Get two “Megaritas” for what should be the price of one inside the Village Seafood Buffet at Rio Las Vegas.

Bring it, bro. Note: The bartender is not a member of this blog's actual family.

No, that’s not a typo. They’re classic margaritas, just, you know, mega.

The ridiculously reasonable $25 gets you not only 45 ounces of liquid courage, but also the sweet Rio logo specialty glasses. Glasses which, we should add, are large enough to later be utilized as a hot tub.

It's not just the height, it's the girth.

The Village Seafood Buffet is the only all-seafood buffet in Las Vegas, as far as we know, and we tend to know everything.

Find out more about the Village Seafood Buffet and its watering hole serving up these “Megaritas.” Because if Vegas is good at anything, it’s making up new marketing terms. Just ask your favorite “bevertainer” at Rio Vegas.

The new KJ Dim Sum & Seafood Restaurant is packing them in at Rio Las Vegas, so we thought it was time to head over for some delicious Chinese food, much of which this blog couldn’t pronounce even with extensive coaching.

Of the many dishes we can't pronounce, this is our favorite.

We were floored to see every seat in the restaurant (it accommodates 350 people) occupied at lunch, and the dim sum carts were busily tooling up and down the aisles dispensing Chinese favorites.

Dim sum carts are excellent fullness facilitation devices.

We weren’t exactly familiar with the dim sum experience, but what’s not to love about fresh, hot, individual-sized dishes served tableside? This style of service means there’s no wait, and you get to try a wider variety of dishes.

These were great, whatever they might actually be.

Given this blog has won prestigious awards for its extensive knowledge of restaurants and world cuisines, we are confident in saying traditional dim sum includes various types of steamed buns such as cha siu baau, dumplings and rice noodle rolls, as well as dishes featuring steamed green vegetables, roasted meats, porridge and other soups. We are especially confident about this because we just cut and pasted that sentence from the Internet.

Who cares what they're called? They're adorable.

Oh, who are we kidding? We were completely out of our depth at KJ Dim Sum. We mostly just pointed at things. This ordering technique worked out just fine, thanks.

Your server keeps track of what dim sum items you've ordered using these stamps. We just put our trust in the professionals.

From what we understand, most Chinese restaurants in the U.S. serve “Americanized” Chinese fare. The use of western broccoli, for example, rather than Chinese broccoli, provides a clue as to a restaurant’s culinary bent. American Chinese restaurants tend to treat vegetables as a side dish, where authentic dishes give emphasis to vegetables.

It doesn’t take long at KJ Dim Sum restaurant to realize the menu is as authentic as it gets (outside of, oh, China), and the customers we saw were simply eating it up.

Dim sum three-way. Yes, we said it.

We returned at dinnertime a day or two later for some photos of the full-blown entrees and for more photos of the restaurant’s impressive interior.

A highlight of our visit? We asked our server for a fork, then inquired about how to pronounce a particular dish in Chinese. He thought about it for a minute, grinned knowingly, and said, “Nevermind. You just eat.” So we did.

Why is Western culture so obsessed with "remembering the names of things"?

KJ Dim Sum at Rio Las Vegas is the sister restaurant of a Vegas fixture, KJ Kitchen, in the city’s Chinatown. The head chef at Rio, Chef Loy Lee, headed up the kitchen at the original restaurant for five years, and was born and raised in China, perfecting his craft in Hong Kong. Which might explain the sheer vastness of the menu which includes complex flavors many Westerners, including this blog, have never encountered. We’re looking forward to encountering them again soon.

You kind of can't miss it.

The original KJ Kitchen is well-known for its shrimp, lobster, crab and giant clam dishes, and the Rio location serves up those favorites as well.

KJ Dim Sum, located across from the Carnival World Buffet, is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., with the special dim sum menu available at lunch.

Enjoy a look at more impossible-to-pronounce offerings at KJ Dim Sum & Seafood Restaurant inside Rio Las Vegas, courtesy of our exclusive photo gallery.

This blog has had a lot of pizza. We’ve had it in just about every major U.S. city, and in pizza joints around the world. And we can say, without a doubt, Martorano’s restaurant at Rio Las Vegas is currently serving up one of the best pizzas on the planet.

Eduardo, everyone. Everyone, Eduardo. Every great pizza starts with great dough. And possibly Eduardo.

The restaurant’s Thin Crust Pizza ($18) hasn’t been on the menu for about a year, but we’re happy it’s on there now! Get the full menu here (.pdf format).

Each component of the pizza is made in the restaurant, from the dough to the sauce to the mozzarella cheese.

Yes, even the cheese is made from scratch. Why do we even bother telling you things if you're going to be so skeptical? You may want to look into that.

How many restaurants make their own mozzarella? We don’t know. That was a rhetorical question. All we know is that Martorano’s does.

The pizza goes into the oven, bippity-boom (the technical culinary term), and when it comes out, it’s topped off with Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano, two cheeses we would not have known how to spell were it not for the assistance of the Internet.

Eduardo lets the fresh basil fly. The reason the basil's so fresh is that it's grown at a hydroponics plant in the desert near Las Vegas. We aren't making this up.

We think you’ll agree it’s like this pizza is making moves on your taste buds. Bottom line: World-class deliciousness!

Also new on the menu, the homemade meatball with hot and sweet peppers. We didn’t actually try it, because of the whole “hot peppers” thing, but other people seem to like it.

Come for the meatballs, stay for those other things there in front.

Honestly, we could just keep posting photos of the food at Martorano’s all day.

Told you. That's the Shrimp Scampi Bread appetizer.

But it’s probably best if you try it for yourself.

And please let us know if you don’t think the pizza is one of the world’s best. We will ignore what you say, but feel free to tell us, anyway.

Oh, and famous people drop in from time to time.

Enjoy this complimentary photo gallery of other finds at Martorano’s inside Rio Las Vegas.

Rio Las Vegas headliner Penn Jillette has already made a big splash during his stint on “The Celebrity Apprentice,” including raising $40,000 for a Las Vegas charity, Opportunity Village.

Being in the Boardroom can be serious business, even for funny guys.

In a recent episode, Penn took on the role of Project Manager, and guided the men’s team, Unanimous, to victory in a task requiring them to put on a show at Medieval Times. Kind of right up Penn’s alley.

Penn shows off his juggling skills with the assistance of teammate Arsenio Hall.

In the Boardroom, things got a little tense, but the usually outspoken Penn is playing to win, weighing his comments carefully, and steering clear of conflict with his respectful tone and masterful way with words.

Great casting means another great season of "Celebrity Apprentice."

Ultimately, the guys won, resulting in a significant amount of cash being raised for Opportunity Village, a nonprofit that serves the needs of those with intellectual disabilities.

Penn stopped into the organization’s office in Las Vegas to drop off the donation.

Sweet!

During his visit, Penn notes, “It was here that the scarves for Elvis were made.” We did not know that!

This blog’s a big fan of Opportunity Village, and visited to see its work assembling Couture Pops for Sugar Factory at Paris Las Vegas, as well as the support the organization provides by putting together courtesy packets (sugar, cream, stirrers) for Caesars Entertainment hotels in Las Vegas. Take a look.

Nice going, Penn!

Penn is definitely the one to beat on this season of “Celebrity Apprentice.” And if you don’t watch the show, you’re forgiven. We’re understanding like that.