Play Poker Online Against the Stars of the Silver Screen

There's no secret that poker is taking the world by storm. Businessmen, college students and even grandparents are taking up the game at astronomical rates. But what about the rich and famous? They too are catching the poker bug.

According to Vanity Fair magazine, Leonardo Di Caprio and Tobey Maguire spread a monthly $10,000 buy-in "Billionaire Boys Game." The game is held at professional poker player Reagan Silber's Bel Air, CA mansion and includes actors Ben Affleck, James Woods and Mimi Rogers in the group of regulars.

Rogers, the ex-wife of actor Tom Cruise, plays online poker for hours at a time, netting $4,000 since last March alone.

James Woods helped establish an internet poker site with the intentions of providing a place for fellow actors to play head-to-head online.

Maguire, star of the movie Spiderman, hosts a game at his Hollywood Hills estate requiring a minimum $2,000 buy-in. Recent celebrities to his home game include Brad Pitt, Ed Norton and Robert De Niro.

Affleck and singer Robbie Williams, amongst other celebrities, are taking part in the European Poker Tour in Monte Carlo this coming March.

As the world of poker continues to grow, it should be no surprise that even the rich and famous need their share of action at the tables.

So next you sit down at a freeroll tournament sponsored by No Limit Freerolls you might be sitting next to a movie star.

Mr. Feather is a professional poker player and poker writer. Visit his website http://www.nlfreeroll.com and read his poker blog at http://small-stakes.blogspot.com .You never know. You may even bump into somebody famous there.

Name Your Baby for the Stars

What do I name my baby? Along with minor things like, how will I support my child and oh my goodness the baby is how many pounds and coming through how big an opening, this is a question that plagues new parents today. More and more people are shooting for originality in the naming process, wanting to be certain that their child is unique, one who stands out from the crowd.

Of course, if you wanted to fit in, you could pick up one of the most popular baby names. For girls, the top ten includes (in order from #1 to #10): Emily, Emma, Madison, Abigail, Olivia, Isabella, Hannah, Samantha ,Ava, or Ashley. Boys can pick from: Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Matthew, Ethan, Andrew, Daniel, Anthony, Christopher, or Joseph. But these seem to blasé.

Why not go for a celebrity name? Jennifer ranks pretty high in 2005, although it has dropped significantly over the past fifteen years, falling from #8 in 1991 to #42 last year. Perhaps Ms. Anniston and J-Lo aren't considered worthy. Madonna didn't even make the grade of the top 1000 baby names; of course, most new parents today probably scarcely remember her. Then again, I wouldn't want my daughter's friends singing "Like a Virgin" every time she came to class. Paris has moved up on the charts significantly in the last three years. Perhaps new parents are hoping to find a claim to the Hilton fortune. But 'Brittany' seems to be in a downward trend. Maybe it will pick up as those teen girls get a little older.

Looking for a manly boys name to convey that rugged independence? How about 'Marley', which ranks as #467 in 2005? A big fan of 'The Princess Bride'? Go with 'Westley', and perhaps your son will turn out to be an adventuring pirate who bravely slays ROUSes. (Sadly, 'Buttercup' didn't make the list. Maybe 'Daisy'?) Since the tide of popular opinion has turned against Brad Pitt, the name 'Brad' will most likely continue to decline in popularity. Oddly, despite the former success of both Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks, the name 'Tom' hasn't even been among the top 1000 picks for nearly ten years. And thankfully, Eminem has escaped the top rankings, as well.

Celebrities come and go, but their names tend to stick around for a long time. You never know when Hollywood may be calling to your child, and giving them a head start may help. Then again, it may keep them safe at home.

Statistical information came from the Social Security Administration's baby name website.

Nola Redd, mother of three, is working on naming her next baby as we speak. A freelance writer, she posts several short stories and articles at Writing.com. This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.BabyNameVote.Com/ which is a site for Baby Names.

3 Ways to See the Stars in Hollywood

The word Hollywood brings to mind homes that cost seven figures, rich movie stars and a place where you're never sure who you might see next.

But of course you can never guarantee you will run into a big movie star, no matter how hard you might look. There are other ways to see the stars though, and these can be just as much fun as a quick glimpse of the real thing.

Try visiting the Hollywood Wax Museum for example. This venue on the Hollywood Boulevard guarantees you will be able to rub shoulders with some of the biggest film stars of recent and more distant years. If you have ever wondered whether you were taller than Angelina Jolie, or what Elvis Presley really looked like up close, this is the place to find out the answers.

This venue has been open for four decades now, and it continues to be exceedingly popular with visitors. You can pay tribute to Michael Jackson here and even have your picture taken with your favourite celebrity.

The second way to see the stars is to visit the Hollywood Walk of Fame. You won't actually see them here of course, but you can see their handprints if you go along to Grauman's Chinese Movie Theatre.

You'll find the theatre on the Hollywood Boulevard, and it provides a fascinating look back through the decades at many of the most famous names in Hollywood. Modern movie tough guys such as Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger have sunk their hands into the concrete, but there are many older names there as well. Look for classic names such as Joan Crawford and Judy Garland, who left their prints in the 1920s and 1930s respectively.

If you want to see the stars' homes and increase your chances of seeing one of them, you should book a place on one of the tours of their Hollywood homes. Be careful to choose a good quality tour with a good reputation though, as some are not as good as others. And be warned that while you may be lucky and see a movie star, the odds are that you will simply see locations of interest rather than the stars themselves.

One final bonus destination alongside these three is the Hollywood Forever cemetery. This might seem like a strange place to go but the likes of Douglas Fairbanks Junior, "Gone with the Wind" director Victor Fleming and Mel Blanc are all interred here along with many others.

During your stay in Hollywood you can enjoy relaxing at one of the Hollywood hotels as well. You may not be able to afford the million dollar pads of the superstars but you can still relax in comfort during the evenings in the same town.

Andrew Regan writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.