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Annie Duke Discusses Outcome of Celebrity Apprentice Season 2

Sunday night marked the conclusion to the second season of NBC’s hit reality show Celebrity Apprentice. Falling to comedy icon Joan Rivers in the finale was none other than Annie Duke, a World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner and one of the top names in the industry. She sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss the result.

Duke raised over $730,000 for Refugees International, her chosen charity, including $460,000 that was generated during the final episode alone. She told Poker News Daily that she was taken aback by the outpouring of support: “I am really happy that I was able to raise so much awareness for Refugees International. They are an extremely small charity and do amazing work. The money that my friends helped raise allowed Refugees International to reach its goal for 2008. In the end, I feel like that made them a winner.” Duke’s Ante Up for Africa, a charity that she founded along with Norman Epstein and actor Don Cheadle, works hand in hand with Refugees International to bring awareness and funding to help the victims of the crisis in Darfur and elsewhere.

The Ultimate Bet pro has gone one step further and is now spearheading an effort to raise an additional $250,000 for Refugees International, the amount she would have earned for winning Celebrity Apprentice. Duke explained, “Everyone who feels like Refugees International should have gotten the $250,000 and poker players who deserve not to be called members of the Mafia should donate anything they can, even if it’s just $1.” Rivers’ charity, God’s Love We Deliver, earned over $500,000 from the Celebrity Apprentice; Refugees International took in $730,000.

The reality series’ finale was promoted as an epic showdown between hated archrivals. Duke and Rivers had battled it out over the course of the 11 week season, with the poker pro holding an edge in total victories (7-6), record as a Project Manager (2-0 to 1-1), money raised, and even defeated Rivers heads-up in a fundraising challenge. This time around, out of five criteria judged during the final task, Rivers won three, propelling her to the win. Duke talked about her mood on Sunday night after show host Donald Trump announced his decision: “Obviously, I was disappointed, but I can’t say the result was unexpected. Whichever way the result went, I played the game well and represented poker players well. I can walk away with my head held high. I was really proud of the way I played the game. I went into Celebrity Apprentice saying that I didn’t want to trash talk anyone, didn’t want to lie to anyone, and didn’t want to be underhanded.”

Celebrity Apprentice Season 1 winner Piers Morgan and runner up Trace Adkins both recommended that Trump hire Rivers. In the end, the cast commended Rivers’ energy at the age of 75. Duke explained, “Trump decided who should be the Celebrity Apprentice on different criteria and I guess I misunderstood what the task was being judged on. It was his decision and he’s the one who gets to decide.”

Several in the poker industry, including Team PokerStars Pro staple Daniel Negreanu, questioned why Duke selected Playboy Playmate of the Year Brande Roderick to be on her team with her first pick, rather than wait in a similar strategy to Rivers. Duke explained, “If Melissa was on my team, she probably wouldn’t work. I’d get criticized if I lost because she didn’t work out. I felt like I only had five people to choose from and knew that Brande could bring in $90,000.” At the end of the day, Team Duke raised $460,000 from the silent auction, whereas Team Rivers mustered just $150,000.

Duke claims that she was not told about the process of picking teammates before it occurred, although Melissa Rivers explained to NBC cameras that she had discussed strategy with her mom beforehand. Consequently, the elder Rivers did not select her daughter until her last pick, knowing that Duke would not draft her. The WSOP bracelet winner observed, “It was very interesting that they were bragging about discussing it in advance. We weren’t told, but they were and got to discuss strategy. The fact that they had discussed strategy beforehand shows you why Melissa shouldn’t have been among the people able to be picked. I was disappointed that ‘Team Rivers’ carried over into the finals.” The heated environment led to Duke and Rivers occupying separate rooms to watch the finale.

Others have questioned Duke for supporting a charity that focuses on those in need outside of the United States. Refugees International works with not only those in Africa, but also around the world. In fact, during a short vignette that aired during the Celebrity Apprentice finale, a beneficiary from Iraq was interviewed. Duke responded to critics: “I wish that people would understand that political borders are artificial. It’s upsetting to say that political boundaries are somehow important to the human condition. Americans have no idea what it’s like to have your government try to kill you. We take for granted the protection of our government.”

With Celebrity Apprentice Season 3 slated to air in the beginning of 2010, speculation has already begun as to who will comprise its cast. When asked if Duke would consider a return to next season’s edition, she responded, “I would say that I’m past that.” However, Negreanu expressed interest in a recent Full Contact Poker blog in joining the show, while Phil Hellmuth told Poker News Daily that he would also consider being on it. Duke remarked, “I think it would be great if another poker player went on there. The poker community is so incredibly generous.”

Finally, last Friday night, Duke had dinner with the group of men she became friendly with during the Loews Hotel challenge this season. Appropriately, the group dined at a restaurant called Room Service, which is located on East 21st Street in New York City. Duke recalled, “My boyfriend Joe said to me, ‘That’s really funny. They picked a restaurant called Room Service.’ I didn’t understand, so Joe had to point out to me that it was funny.” Duke excelled in providing room service during the episode, leading to a lifelong friendship.

Rivers, meanwhile, told Poker News Daily that winning the Celebrity Apprentice was “like picking up your poker hand and finding out you’ve got a royal flush — but in my case, its a hot flush.”

A special thank you from all of us here at Poker News Daily to Annie Duke for taking time out of her week during Celebrity Apprentice to break down each episode. We look forward to reporting on her at the 2009 WSOP.

Don Cheadle joins the team at Full Tilt

The award winning actor and co-founder of the Ante Up For Africa charity Don Cheadle is the latest big name to join the ranks of Full Tilt Poker. The star of Hotel Rwanda, Crash and Ocean’s 11 has become a Friend of Full Tilt Poker and will appear in red any time he is playing on the site.

Ocean’s Eleven stars joins team Full Tilt

Actor Don Cheadle has joined team Full Tilt Poker. He can be seen in celebrated movies like Oceans Eleven, Hotel Rwanda and Crash, but from now on he can also be seen on Full Tilt wearing the red colors, as a “Friend of Full Tilt”

Aside from being an actor, he is also active as an activist gathering money for charity funds. Although he has not yet made a big tournament cash, he is not an unknown in the poker world. He played in the Celebrity Poker Shoot-out and in the NBC National Heads-up championship 2007, where he became instantaneously famous after beating Phil Ivey in the first round, leaving his mark on the world of poker. His success in the tournament did not last for long, since Scott Fischman beat him in the second round.

The two subsequent years he also entered into the NBC HU championship, being beaten by Gus Hansen in the first round in 2008 and being beaten by Paul Wasicka in the second round in 2009, after first winning against David Pham. “I’ve done alright in the televised tourneys I’ve participated in, and I’ve won several tournaments around town,” says Cheadle. “I have yet to play in the WSOP events, but I hope my schedule will permit me to do so in the future.”

As a member of Full Tilt, he now joins the ranks among other celebrity poker players such as UFC fighter Matt Hughes and author Michael Craig.

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Ocean’s Eleven stars joins team Full Tilt

Don Cheadle Signs with Full Tilt Poker

Ante Up for Africa co-founder Don Cheadle has signed on to be a Friend of Full Tilt Poker. Cheadle is one of the world’s leading actors and has appeared in the hit movie “Crash” as well as the “Oceans Eleven” trilogy.

Cheadle founded Ante Up for Africa along with Celebrity Apprentice candidate Annie Duke and Norman Epstein. The organization will be featured prominently during ESPN’s coverage of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas. The $5,000 buy-in Ante Up for Africa tournament starts on Thursday, July 2nd and is one of three events that compose the television network’s coverage. According to a press release distributed by Full Tilt Poker this week, participants are asked to donate 50% of their winnings to charity. In many cases, the tournament’s winners give their entire payday to the organization, which raises money and awareness for victims of the crisis in Darfur.

Cheadle is no stranger to the poker spotlight. Besides his work with Ante Up for Africa, he has also appeared on NBC’s National Heads-Up Poker Championship, a tournament most recently won by Huck Seed, who boasts the best record in the series’ history. In 2007, Cheadle defeated Full Tilt Poker pro Phil Ivey in the opening round of the National Heads-Up Championship before falling to Scott Fischman in the second round. Fischman, in turn, lost to poker pro Kristy Gazes in the round of 16. In 2008, Cheadle squared off against Gus Hansen in the first round, but was bested by the three-time World Poker Tour (WPT) champion.

In 2009, Cheadle defeated David “The Dragon” Pham in the first round at Caesars Palace, but fell to 2006 WSOP Main Event runner up Paul Wasicka when 32 players remained. The acclaimed actor has appeared on Poker After Dark, which also airs on NBC. He commented in a press release, “I’ve done alright in the televised tourneys I’ve participated in and I’ve won several tournaments around town. I have yet to play in the WSOP events, but I hope my schedule will permit me to do so in the future.” Other films that the newest Friend of Full Tilt has appeared in include “Hotel Rwanda,” “Traffic,” “Reign Over Me,” and “Traitor.” He will also appear in next year’s follow up to “Iron Man,” which stars Robert Downey, Jr.

Other Friends of Full Tilt include Bruce Buffer, who currently works with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Buffer appeared at the final table of the WPT Invitational during Season III, finishing sixth and earning $5,000. Poker author Michael Craig is a Friend of Full Tilt, as is All-In and Bluff Magazine columnist Jay Greenspan. Others include Niklas Heinecker, Gabriela Hill, Matt Hughes, Gary Jones, Stephan Kalhamer, Brian Koppelman, Maxi Muller, Ali Nejad, Jeremiah Smith, Mike Swick, Johnathan Wendel, and Yueqi Zhu.

Full Tilt Poker is kicking off its relationship with Cheadle by hosting a $5 + $5 private charity tournament online to benefit Ante Up for Africa. The date for the event has not yet been announced, but is expected to take place prior to the $5,000 buy-in contest in Las Vegas at the Rio. A bevy of Team Full Tilt pros will also be in attendance during the 10 week-long WSOP festivities, including Chris Ferguson, reigning WSOP Europe Main Event Champion John Juanda, Jennifer Harman, Phil Gordon, Erik Seidel, Andy Bloch, and Durrrr Challenge participant Patrik Antonius.

Full Tilt Poker is the second largest site worldwide with a seven day running average of 11,400 real money ring game players. Its 24 hour peak is over 16,000 and the site happily accepts customers from the United States. It is one of only a handful of online poker rooms that appears on the list of 200 sites distributed for censorship by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to 11 of the world’s largest internet service providers (ISPs). Other USA-friendly sites on the list, which was generated randomly and made public last week, include Bodog and Players Only.

Full Tilt lands Don Cheadle

Full Tilt Poker announced Thursday it was welcoming actor, charity fundraiser and activist Don Cheadle to their team as a Friend of Full Tilt.

Don Cheadle may not have much, if anything, for major tournament cashes, but he's no stranger to poker. He's played in televised events such as the NBC National Heads-Up Championship and Celebrity Poker Shoot-Out.

The poker world sat up and took notice in 2007 when he was paired against Phil Ivey in the first round of the NBC National Heads-Up Championship and managed to defeat one of the game's best pros. He went on to lose in Round 2 to Scott Fischman.

NBC invited him back in 2008 and 2009 to participate again. In 2008, Cheadle was out in the first round after losing to Gus Hansen, but in 2009 he held his own against David Pham in the first round before being defeated in Round 2 by Paul Wasicka.

"I've done alright in the televised tourneys I've participated in, and I've won several tournaments around town," Cheadle said. "I have yet to play in the WSOP events, but I hope my schedule will permit me to do so in the future."

One event he has played in during the WSOP each year has been the Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament he co-founded with Annie Duke and Norman Epstien. The tournament was created in 2007 and takes place during the WSOP each year to help raise money for Darfur relief.

Ante Up for Africa has raised more than $2 million to help support humanitarian aid to the crisis in Sudan.

The event draws top celebrities such as Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and top pro poker players like Team Full Tilt's Phil Ivey, Chris Ferguson and Andy Bloch.

Team Full Tilt is a select group of some the world's best professional poker players who represent the poker site at live events and on the site. Friends of Full Tilt also include celebrities such as UFC fighter Matt Hughes, UFC announcer Bruce Buffer and author Michael Craig.

For more information about the poker site, visit Full Tilt Poker.

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PokerStars Ante Up for Africa Tournament Raises €260,000

The first ever PokerStars Ante Up for Africa charity poker tournament was held last night in Monaco on the eve of the European Poker Tour (EPT) Monte Carlo Grand Final. The live event raised €260,000 for the Darfur charities.

A total of 40 runners put up €4,000 each to play in the massive fundraiser, creating a €160,000 prize pool that was donated to charity. PokerStars, which sponsored the Monaco tournament, donated another €100,000. In the end, Team PokerStars Pro member Isabelle Mercier emerged as its champion, defeating Teddy Sheringham. However, the grand prize package, a trip to the 2010 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, went to Sheringham, a British soccer player who was a member of the Manchester United in the late 1990s.

Rapper Nelly, whose songs “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma,” among others, hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States, was in attendance in Monaco to raise money for charity. He was flanked by fellow singer Christina Milian, who hit number two on the same chart with “Dip it Low” in 2004. Another musical act to showcase its poker skills was The Dream, who won BET’s Best New Artist in 2008. The band Good Charlotte was represented by its lead singer, Joel Madden, and Bruno "Kool Shen" Lopes, a rapper from France, also joined in the festivities. Other celebrity attendees included “Heroes” star James Kyson Lee, “Sex in the City” actor Jason Lewis, U.K. television personality Kirsty Gallacher, Formula 1 driver Nico Rosberg, Liverpool goaltender Pepe Reina, and two members of the rugby community, Sebastien Chabal and Mike Tindall.

Team PokerStars Pro member Daniel Negreanu was on-hand for the event in Monaco. He’s fresh off a win in a CAN $2,500 buy-in tournament held during the British Columbia Poker Championships in November for CAN $370,000. “Kid Poker” also took fifth in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Europe Main Event for nearly $400,000. That tournament was won by Full Tilt Poker pro John Juanda and represented the first bracelet win for an American in WSOP Europe history. Three former WSOP Main Event champions were on hand in the Principality as well, as Greg Raymer (2004), Joe Hachem (2005), and Peter Eastgate (2008) hit the felts for charity. All three are card-carrying members of Team PokerStars Pro. Eastgate holds the record as the youngest Main Event winner ever, taking down last year’s edition at the tender age of 22.

Victor Ramdin, who won the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Foxwoods Poker Classic in 2006, was also in attendance. His WPT win was worth $1.3 million and saw the Team PokerStars Pro member race through a final table that included Alex Jacob and Edward Jordan. Also in the field on Monday was the runner up in the 2009 National Heads-Up Poker Championship, Vanessa Rousso. One of the top female poker pros in the game, Rousso fell to Huck Seed heads-up. The tournament airs on Sundays on NBC through May 17th and the action starts at Noon ET each week. Dario Minieri, who won his first WSOP bracelet last year in a $2,500 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament, also turned out.

The first day of play in the €10,600 buy-in EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final takes places today with Day 1A. Tomorrow, contestants participating in Day 1B will hit the felts. The survivors will merge together on Thursday for Day 2 and play down to a winner on Sunday. Last year’s champion, Glen Chorny, pocketed €2 million for the win and defeated a record field of 842 players. The final table included Isaac “westmenloAA” Baron, Antonio Esfandiari, and Team PokerStars Pro member Luca Pagano.

Annie Duke, Don Cheadle, and Norman Epstein founded Ante Up for Africa three years ago. To date, it has helped raise over $2 million for the cause, including $245,000 generated from NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice.”

ESPN Schedule for 2009 WSOP Announced

In a media guide released prior to the start of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP), the television schedule for the prestigious tournament series on ESPN was unveiled. A total of four events will be televised.

The action gets underway on Tuesday, July 28th at 8:00pm ET with a two hour review of the $40,000 buy-in No Limit Hold’em tournament. The event is aimed to commemorate the 40th running of the WSOP, which makes its home at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. This special tournament is expected to bring out the world’s most popular poker stars, setting the stage for the rest of the television schedule. Last year, the $10,000 World Championship of Pot Limit Hold’em kicked off ESPN’s coverage, with Full Tilt Poker pro Nenad Medic winning his first bracelet.

On August 4th, the following Tuesday, the WSOP Champions Invitational will air on ESPN at 8:00pm ET and run for two hours. Norman Chad and Lon McEachern will once again provide commentary on the spectacle. Poker News Daily Guest Columnist and “Celebrity Apprentice” candidate Annie Duke, who won $2 million for her efforts and bested fellow Ultimate Bet pro Phil Hellmuth heads-up, won the 2004 WSOP Tournament of Champions. Mike Matusow took down the 2005 installment, defeating Hoyt Corkins heads-up, while World Poker Tour Host Mike Sexton outlasted Daniel Negreanu in 2006, the last year the event was run. The 2009 Champions Invitational is a freeroll that is open to all past WSOP Main Event winners. Its victor will receive the Binion Cup along with a new car.

On August 11th from 8:00pm ET to 10:00pm ET, the Ante Up for Africa tournament will hit television airwaves. The $5,000 buy-in contest is held just before the Main Event and helps raise money and awareness for the crisis in Darfur. Ante Up for Africa was founded by Duke, actor Don Cheadle, and Norman Epstein and has raised over $2 million for the cause over the past two years. In 2007, a total of $700,000 was raised from the inaugural WSOP Ante Up for Africa tournament. Brandon Moran and Dan Shak, who finished first and second, respectively, donated their entire winnings to the non-profit. In 2008, John Hennigan and Michael DeGusta (who finished first and second) also donated their cash prizes. Others in the field last year included Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Ray Romano, Brad Garrett, Jerry Cantrell, and Casey Affleck.

Starting on August 18th, the Main Event will air every Tuesday night on ESPN. Each of the four starting days will receive its own two hour block of coverage over four consecutive weeks. Day 2A and Day 2B will air on September 15th and 22nd, respectively. Each of the remaining days of play in the 2009 WSOP Main Event will play out over the course of one week, culminating in the final table, which will air on Tuesday, November 10th. The “November Nine” will once again experience a 100 day delay in the final table playing out. Last year, ESPN television ratings boomed by 50% as a result. There are 31 episodes of WSOP coverage in total. Beginning on October 13th, they will kick off at 9:00pm ET.

In an interesting twist, the final table will play down from nine players to two on Saturday, November 7th. Once two players remain, play will pause for another three days, resuming on Tuesday, November 10th, just before the final table will air on ESPN. The $50,000 HORSE Championship will not be seen this year on ESPN. In 2008, Scotty Nguyen infamously won the prestigious tournament while allegedly under the influence. His verbal abuse of tablemates and floor staff challenged ESPN editors. In the end, Nguyen took home nearly $2 million for the victory and the ceremonial Chip Reese trophy.

PokerStars to Host European Version Of Ante Up for Africa Tournament

As April comes to a close, there are many huge events on the tournament poker calendar. While play begins at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship today, next week brings the year-end festivities of the fifth season on the PokerStars-sponsored European Poker Tour (EPT) with its Grand Final. As a part of that schedule of events in Monte Carlo, PokerStars has announced that for the first time ever there will be a charitable tournament before battle begins in the Grand Final.

PokerStars will team up with Ante Up for Africa, the charitable foundation started by actor Don Cheadle and Poker News Daily columnist Annie Duke, to present the first ever Celebrity Charity Poker Tournament. The event will take place on April 27th at 6:00pm local time, one day before action begins on the EPT Grand Final. The tournament, much like the previous events that have run during the World Series of Poker (WSOP) over the past two years, is aimed at raising money within the poker community for the current humanitarian efforts in the war-torn African nation of Darfur, which continues to suffer from ethnic cleansing, poverty, and starvation of its citizens.

Team PokerStars Pro members Daniel Negreanu, Joe Hachem, and Vanessa Rousso will compete in the €4,000 buy in No Limit Texas Hold'em tournament with all of the proceeds that are raised going towards the efforts of Ante Up For Africa. As the Grand Final draws the cream of not only the European poker community, but also those from the United States, there should be a bevy of brand name pros and celebrities in this event. Instead of a cash prize for the winner, PokerStars will be awarding a special prize package to its flagship EPT event in the Bahamas, the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure, in January of 2010.

The two previous tournaments run during the schedule of the WSOP in Las Vegas have drawn the best in the poker world as well as some of the most popular celebrities in Hollywood. Luminaries of the entertainment world, including Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Montel Williams, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Jason Alexander, Charles Barkley, Ray Romano, and Shannon Elizabeth, have stepped up to play poker against top professional poker players such as Barry Greenstein, Howard Lederer, Phil Hellmuth, Erik Seidel, Chris Ferguson, Phil Ivey, Greg Raymer, Phil Laak, and Andy Bloch. Top professional John “World” Hennigan captured the championship last year in Las Vegas, but more importantly, the previous WSOP events have raised close to $2 million for Ante Up For Africa.

The hope of Ante Up for Africa for the events this summer in Las Vegas during the WSOP and in Monaco during the EPT is to bring more attention to the crisis and create further support for peacekeepers and aid workers in the region. For more details on the organization and its efforts in Darfur, visit the Ante Up For Africa website to learn more and make a donation.

Poker Industry Versus Melissa and Joan Rivers on Celebrity Apprentice

This week’s episode of NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice featured the poker industry, represented by Ultimate Bet pro and World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner Annie Duke, square off against Joan Rivers and her daughter, Melissa. Next week’s installment could even feature an appearance by Duke’s arch-rival, Phil Hellmuth.

Two tasks were included in this week’s two hour-long episode of Celebrity Apprentice. In the first, teams were asked to come up with packaging and retail store displays for Lifelock, an identity protection service. The two teams, Athena and Kotu, would be judged on brand message, originality, and overall design. Athena selected R&B artist Brian McKnight as its Project Manager, while professional golfer Natalie Gulbis stepped up for Kotu.

Duke had not yet volunteered to be Project Manager. She told NBC cameras in comments reiterated in a recent interview with Poker News Daily, “When you do any of these advertising challenges, it’s very subjective and depends on what the client wants. I didn’t want to manage something I had very little control over.” The winning Project Manager on Sunday would receive $20,000 for the charity of their choice. Duke is playing for Refugees International, which works closely with Ante Up for Africa, a charity she started along with actor Don Cheadle.

Duke’s team, Athena, met with executives from Lifelock. She prodded Todd Davis (Lifelock’s CEO) and another official for three keywords to describe the company. She also inquired as to whether the campaign should emphasize the benefits of obtaining Lifelock or be more fear-based. One of the executives explained in an interview with Celebrity Apprentice cameras, “Annie seemed to be the one that was asking questions and taking the lead.”

The construction shop that created the in-store displays for both teams was located in across town in Brooklyn and closed at 8:00pm. A few hours prior to the deadline, Duke’s team still had not sent any representatives to direct the shop’s workers, prompting the WSOP bracelet winner to instruct West Coast Choppers CEO Jesse James and Playboy Playmate Brande Roderick to head there. She cautioned McKnight that she was performing a task that wasn’t her job, leading teammate Melissa Rivers to comment, “Annie is tending to absolve herself of any responsibility. She started laying the groundwork in case it doesn’t go over well tomorrow.”

McKnight was laid back throughout the episode, whereas Gulbis quickly assigned tasks from the start and deferred to comedian Joan Rivers in several instances. The elder Rivers came up with the idea of using Kotu’s celebrities as a central selling point. Above each team member's likeness, a thought bubble appeared explaining why Lifelock was important to them. Meanwhile, chaos engulfed Athena, with Duke continuing to prod McKnight to adhere to the construction schedule. She explained, “Brian should have been more aware of the deadline and he certainly should have been more on point with the other side of the team. He was too laid back.”

Roderick chose to take a backseat during the task, flirting with the construction staff rather than help push the process along. The lack of progress caused Duke to chastise, “I can give Jesse a pass because he’s sick, but there was someone else who knew what the deadlines were. To have Brande, who was literally just wood floating down the stream, is a hindrance more than a help.” James developed a stomach bug during the episode, but continued to compete.

In the end, Athena chose to use Davis’ likeness in a similar advertising concept to what the company had already successfully employed. Contrastingly, Kotu was praised for its use of celebrities. Its creativity was the deciding factor, as Gulbis was awarded $20,000 for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. The decision by Lifelock executives sent Duke’s team into the boardroom. Joan Rivers fully anticipated Duke to throw Roderick under the proverbial bus. She told NBC cameras, “I had dinner with Annie and she said, ‘Brande has to go. Brande’s stupid. Brande is not helping the team. We’ve got to get rid of Brande. She is an idiot.’”

However, the boardroom featured Duke blame McKnight for his lack of attention to deadlines. Joan Rivers promptly exploded at the poker icon, claiming, “Annie is a trouble-maker. She’s a snake.” However, show host and real estate mogul Donald Trump later asked Duke to evaluate Roderick. She commented, “Brande doesn’t stick her neck out. I think that, in poker, you have people who play to last and people who play to win.” Ivanka Trump then quipped to Duke, “You’re the dominant personality every time you’re on a team. You’re very authoritative. You’re very assertive except when it counts.”

Joan Rivers continued to unleash her angst against Duke while watching the boardroom unfold, at one point throwing a wine glass at the floor and shouting, “This girl has been such a conniver.” Joan Rivers decided to leave the suite so she would not have to be in the same room as Duke. However, outside the door was none other than her arch-rival. The two exchanged words in a heated argument, ending with Duke explaining, “Joan is overprotective of her daughter. She felt like I didn’t defend Melissa enough or lay into Brande enough.” Annie apologized and Melissa Rivers was spared being fired.

The teams were then called back into the boardroom, where Trump announced that their next task would begin immediately. The money-raising task featured teams selling pieces from Ivanka Trump’s jewelry line for charity in an auction. Duke stepped up to be Project Manager and appropriately squared off against Joan Rivers. Duke promptly delegated tasks to her team members. James was put in charge of designing the auction’s preview guide, Roderick selected outfits for models to wear and dealt with their agency, and Melissa Rivers was tasked with selecting jewelry.

Many of Joan Rivers’ interviews with NBC cameras during task featured quotes such as “Annie would spit on the ground and drown her own mother in it if it gave her a step forward in her life. She’s a… She’s not a nice person.” Her daughter chimed in, “Annie is very aggressive about raising money and she almost bullies people.” Duke stated that whoever raised the least amount of money on her team would join her in the boardroom should Athena ultimately lose the task.

The strained relationship between Duke and Roderick was repaired during the second task. Melissa Rivers mocked their closeness, commenting, “I’m really pissed at Annie’s two-facedness.” Gulbis, on Joan Rivers’ team, came up with the idea of soliciting Duke’s competition in the poker world to bid against her team. She focused in on Hellmuth and explained, “I want to see Annie’s reaction to seeing arguably one of the greatest poker players of all-time fundraising for me, not her.” Hellmuth is a fellow Ultimate Bet pro and owns the record for the number of WSOP bracelets won with 11.

The end of the cliffhanger show featured the first Celebrity Apprentice winner, Piers Morgan, called in by Trump to help be his eyes and ears. The episode continues next Sunday, April 19th, at 9:00pm ET on NBC. Hellmuth did not appear in its preview.

Annie Duke Cleans Floors, Witnesses Rodman Alcohol Intervention on Celebrity Apprentice

I've been watching NBC's “The Apprentice” ever since its first season premiered back in 2004. Sunday's show was one of the most bizarre I've ever seen and ended with poker pro Annie Duke, a contestant on the show, witnessing the exposure of five-time NBA champion Dennis Rodman's drinking problem. The board room became a real-life intervention.

Last week, the contestants were tasked with creating a promotional campaign for the launch of a video phone designed by ACN. From the onset, Rodman's erratic behavior was brought into the spotlight, as the basketball veteran clashed with teammate and country music star Clint Black, ending with Rodman throwing down his microphone and leaving the set. In the end, however, the men's team pulled out its first win of the season on the strength of a concert by R&B singer Brian McKnight, sending the women to the board room, where “Deal or No Deal” model Claudia Jordan was fired.

This week's task was to manage five hotel rooms at the Loews Regency Hotel in New York City. The teams would be graded on customer service and other factors such as room cleanliness. The winning Project Manager received $20,000 for the charity of their choice. Duke is playing for Refugees International, which she's worked closely with as part of Ante Up for Africa, the charity she founded along with actor Don Cheadle.

The women's team, Athena, selected TLC's Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins as its Project Manager, while the men's squad (Kotu) picked Rodman. Duke commented on Rodman taking on a leadership role: “That forces him to interact with the customers, which you know can only end in disaster.” Duke's comments would foreshadow one of the most unique endings in the history of The Apprentice, which is in its eighth season on NBC.

Watkins was quick to delegate tasks as the teams received crash courses on making beds, scrubbing toilets, delivering room service, and even taking care of guests' pets. Talk show host and New York native Joan Rivers was put in charge of Athena's concierge services, taking advantage of her local connections and top-notch interpersonal skills. By the time the men had decided to purchase treats for their guests at the popular Carnegie Deli, Rodman had already began ordering vodka cranberries from Loews' kitchen.

Rodman suggested parking a Ferrari outside of the hotel for guests to use, claiming “People look at cars! People look at people! They look at my ass all the time!” Meanwhile, Duke was among those furiously cleaning rooms in the minutes before guests checked in. She recalled, “We're just frantically trying to get it done and these stains won't come out. It was a lot of freaking work.” She joked that she would leave a $100 tip at hotels in the future.

Rodman continued to drink throughout the two hour-long episode and provided little direction for his team after the first few hours of the task. Guests of Kotu were waiting to be checked in, while the women were organized on the strength of Watkins' leadership skills. Duke served as the bellhop at the beginning of the task for her team and was extremely professional. She told NBC cameras, “I behaved like an employee the whole time. I was weird about it.”

Guests who checked in came armed with a bevy of requests, including on-stage tickets for Equus and dinner at the popular Waverly Inn. Each team welcomed a guest from the first season of Celebrity Apprentice. For the men, it was “Sopranos” star Vincent Pastore, who quit during the previous season. For the women, it was actor Stephen Baldwin, who was fired in Week 11. Rivers commented on the importance of fulfilling the needs of celebrities: “You really have to treat them like a celebrity. They expect a little more.” Pastore's special requests included cannoli and CDs.

With a lack of leadership, the men's team struggled to fulfill guests' orders. A bottle of chardonnay arrived more than an hour late and several room service orders were bumbled. Rodman, who swore profusely throughout the show, went to dinner at Tao with several of his guests and the team's driver. The women, meanwhile, struggled to keep pace with a needy room of men who requested Duke to bring them cart after cart of food. On her new fans, the Ultimate Bet pro commented, “I was really proud that I was being requested. I knew I was going to be judged on the quality of service.” The room in question was disappointed at the service received from pro golfer Natalie Gulbis.

After returning from dinner, Rodman grew tired of his team and once again walked off. This time, he proclaimed, “I'm out of here. They're too fucking cool.” He removed his shirt in the hallway of the hotel and exited the scene. Former “Monster Garage” host Jesse James told his teammates, “I think Dennis may have an alcohol abuse problem for real.”

The next morning, Athena offered complimentary breakfast to its guests, which resulted in numerous errors being made. Breakfast arrived to one room 40 minutes early and patrons in another room saw their massage bill double without being told. Reality star Khloe Kardashian took the fall for the first error and Rivers was to blame on the second. Duke explained, “Khloe had no friggin' clue and she's, for me, a little bit frustratingly laid back. We've got a lot of crap to do today and people need to be on task.”

In the board room, show host Donald Trump, who has gone to Duke early and often for objective advice, asked the World Series of Poker bracelet winner whether she thought her team won. Duke responded, “There's so much subjectivity from the guests, but I think that, as a hotel staff, we did fantastic particularly given the steepness of the learning curve we had to climb up.”

Instead of breaking down the task, the board room featured Rodman's drinking problem coming to life. One of the NBA's top rebounders lashed out at James, commenting on his former alcohol abuse (James has been sober for nine years). James, who was seated in between Rodman and Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker, pointed at both and said, “You have two of the greatest athletes in the history of American sports right here. Look at the contrast.”

In the end, the men's team scored 86 points out of a possible 100, well short of the women's total of 91. Dennis was fired on the spot in a rather unconventional board room. The show's credits included the text, “For problems with alcohol abuse, contact Alcoholics Anonymous.”

Celebrity Apprentice airs at 9:00pm ET on Sunday nights on NBC and runs for two hours. Duke remains in the running after five weeks.