Paris Hilton vs. Dogs

Thanks to ESPN’s Page 2, we get this great matchup in an NCAA-inspired tournament whose exact nature is, for me, rather vague: Poker Playing Dogs vs. Paris Hilton.

You are supposed to vote for one, though I don’t know what the criteria are. Here’s how they break it down:

DOGS: You have to hand it to the dogs, they were playing poker way before it was cool.

PARIS HILTON: There has to be some comfort waking up every morning knowing the world expects the worst from you.

Go ahead and check it out.

N.B. The photo of the “Poker-playing dog” should be familiar to my readers. Back in the Casino [ptz] days, I did a post called Dogs Not Playing Poker. Basically, some market whiz announced to the press that they were recreating C.M. Coolidge’s classic “dogs playing poker” series with actual live canines. They got a dog and posed it at a table. One problem: It was a blackjack table. The AP writer didn’t even call them on it, and so far as I know I’m the only one who even cared. The crack researchers at Page 2 obviously don’t know the difference.

If you want genuine pictures of anthropomorphic dogs playing poker or other casino games, just go the the UNLV Gaming Art Gallery. While you’re there, take a look at the 19th century lithographs. I don’t want to boast, but for me the commentary on them is one of the funniest things I’ve done. I’d love to do an animation of that series. If you are an artist, contact me.

Also, another poker entry made it to round three. Go ahead and vote for Jon Stewart vs. Texas Hold’Em.

ESPN just launched its own online poker service…any coincidence? I’ve got to hand it to them: they sure know cross-promotion.