Nicky Hilton Host New Year's Eve Pure Nightclub Poker Tournament

Nicky Hilton co-hosted a poker tournament with Kevin Connolly at the new Caesars Palace poker room as a part of her New Year's Eve party at Pure Nightclub located in Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Nicky Hilton will also provide the final seconds countdown to midnight and the arrival of the New Year, 2006.

The Poker tournament was opened to the public and attracted 92 entrants, including celebrities, a pack of championship class professional poker players, walk-ons and some friends of Nicky Hilton. The pros included 2005 WSOP Circuit Tournament of Champions winner Mike Matusow, WSOP champion Joe Awada, 2005 WSOP Champion Jennifer Tilly, Phil "Unabomber" Laak, Chip and Karina Jett, WPT and WSOP champion John Phan, Evelyn Ng, WSOP multi-millionaire David Williams, Antonio "Magician" Esfandiari and two WSOP bracelet's owner Scott Fischman. Absolute Poker's Phil Tom was playing in the tournament. Woman Poker Player covergirl, Cyndy Violette, was there, playing at the same table as Nicky Hilton. Nicky Hilton didn't win her namesake tournament but she played over two hours and outlasted many of the professionals. Her sister Paris Hilton was across the strip at the Tao Nightclub in the Venetian hosting her own Las Vegas New Year's Eve party.

The weather co-operated and the eight minute fireworks show went off as planned, dazzling the eye, deafening the ear and casting a great cloud of smoke over the hundreds of thousands of Las Vegas New Year's Eve party goers crowded onto the Strip.

I was at the Nicky Hilton poker tournament with the cameras and offer these scenes from the new Caesars Palace Poker Room tournament area.

More photos from Nicky Hilton's New Year's Eve poker tournament at Caesars Palace in the continue reading section below. Photos you will only see here on the Poker Prof's Blog.
Happy New Year from Las Vegas!