In 2010, the third installment of the NBC reality franchise “Celebrity Apprentice” will hit television airwaves. The show, which featured comedian Joan Rivers best poker pro Annie Duke in the finale last time out, will likely not include a poker player this time around.

Ever since Duke finished as the runner-up to Rivers in May, the poker community has been abuzz that one of its own may appear in the third edition of the popular series. However, according to Huliq.com and the New York Post, the ensemble cast, which will likely once again pit men against women, does not appear to include a poker player. No official cast list has been released by NBC. The show is hosted by real estate mogul Donald Trump and raises money for charity.

Last season, Duke played for Refugees International, an organization that she worked closely with as part of her own charity, Ante Up for Africa. In the process, the poker community was instrumental in raising $730,000 for the charity. Poker players who made cameos throughout the season included Ultimate Bet front man Phil Hellmuth, Andy Bloch, Howard Lederer, 2009 Poker Hall of Fame nominee Erik Seidel, and Perry Friedman.

Embattled politician Rod Blagojevich headlines the “Celebrity Apprentice” cast in Season 3. His wife, Patty Blagojevich, appeared on NBC’s “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here” when Rod was unable to attend due to ongoing legal action. Blagojevich is the former Governor of Illinois and was impeached in January for, among other misgivings, allegedly trying to sell the Senate seat vacated by current U.S. President Barack Obama.

Joining Blagojevich on the men’s team will be another controversial celebrity, former baseball great Darryl Strawberry, a member of the New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and New York Yankees. Strawberry exited the league in 1999 and was the National League Rookie of the Year 16 years earlier. Chef Curtis Stone will join the “Celebrity Apprentice” cast, as will popular comedian Sinbad, whose credits include “A Different World” and “The Sinbad Show.” He has also appeared in movies such as “First Kid” and “Jingle All the Way.”

Former professional wrestler Bill Goldberg, who stormed onto World Championship Wrestling (WCW) scene with an undefeated streak in the late 1990s, will be a part of the new “Celebrity Apprentice” cast. Rounding out the men’s team is “Rock of Love” star Bret Michaels, who is also known for his work with the band Poison.

The women’s team features “America’s Got Talent” judge Sharon Osborne, whose fellow judge on the show, Piers Morgan, was the winner of Season 1 of “Celebrity Apprentice.” “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Time After Time” signer Cyndi Lauper will join the squad. Olympic gold medalist Summer Sanders, who took down hardware in swimming in 1992, will also make her way to New York City to film “Celebrity Apprentice.” There, actress Holly Robinson Peete, wife of former NFL great Rodney Peete, will join her.

World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) Maria Kanellis will also be a part of “Celebrity Apprentice,” as will comedian Carol Leifer, who has written scripts for hits like “Seinfeld” and “The Larry Sanders Show.” Finally, Selita Ebanks, a model, will round out the new cast.

The names of more cast members may be released, but for the meantime, it appears that the poker community will not be a part of the upcoming season of "Celebrity Apprentice." Over on CBS, Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho, the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Events, respectively, are competing as part of the Emmy Award winning reality series “Amazing Race.” The show airs at 8:00pm ET on Sundays and viewers will see the poker playing duo race around Dubai, United Arab Emirates on this week’s edition.

The Post reported that the “Celebrity Apprentice” cast was seen recording the opening credits in the Meatpacking District of New York City and that the show would begin airing in March.

Related Posts:

1. Celebrity Apprentice 3 Cast List Released, No Poker Players
2. Amazing Race 16 Cast Does Not Feature Poker Players
3. Rivers, Duke Make Final Push for Celebrity Apprentice Finale
4. Phil Hellmuth Weighs in on Annie Duke’s Celebrity Apprentice Chances
5. Annie Duke to Appear on Celebrity Apprentice 2
6. Celebrity Apprentice to Return Mid-Season, Retain 9:00pm ET Time Slot
7. Poker Industry Reacts to 2009 Celebrity Apprentice Winner Joan Rivers
8. Celebrity Apprentice to Return for Season 3
9. Annie Duke Appears on Ellen, Talks Celebrity Apprentice and Poker Strategy
10. CEREUS Network Traffic Rises with Celebrity Apprentice
11. Annie Duke Discusses Outcome of Celebrity Apprentice Season 2
12. Celebrity Apprentice Featuring Annie Duke Debuts March 1st
13. Joan Rivers Calls Poker Players Trash, Annie Duke a Nazi on Celebrity Apprentice
14. Annie Duke Clashes, Raises Money on Celebrity Apprentice
15. Joan Rivers Defeats Annie Duke in Celebrity Apprentice Finals

5 Responses to “Celebrity Apprentice 3 Cast May Not Feature Poker Players”

1. Dianna D Says:
   October 21st, 2009 at 2:41 pm

   Will never watch The Celebrity A………..again. Lost total respect for Donald Trump. Hope all
   the millions of poker players out there will also VETO this show and drive the ratings, down, down, down. Annie Duke WAS the real WINNER!

2. badass Says:
   October 24th, 2009 at 9:07 pm

   i love this show. the person who ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ is lame

3. Celebrity Smile Says:
   November 15th, 2009 at 8:00 am

   Its great that Goldberg will be getting back in the spotlight

4. Smiles Says:
   November 17th, 2009 at 4:14 pm

   Holly Robinson Pete will be a refreshing addition to the womens team!!!!! Will miss the poker players though!!!

5. Mike celeb smiles Says:
   January 19th, 2010 at 3:35 am

   I’m going to miss the poker players for sure!!!

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