Country star Sara Evans brings her collection of hits to The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort and Spa Saturday, July 27.

Evans first found success with the No. 1 hit "No Place that Far" from the album of the same name. She followed it up with the double platinum "Born to Fly" which included the chart topping title track and the crossover ballad "I Could Not Ask For More."

Evans has one of country's biggest voices which makes her heart felt ballads a favorite among fans. Her other hits include "Suds in the Bucket," "I Keep Looking," "A Real Fine Place to Start" and "A Little Bit Stronger."

Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are onsale Saturday, May 25 at The Agua Caliente box office, www.hotwatercasino.com and www.startickets.com for $35, $45, $55 and $65.

Perhaps no musician has a more devoted fan base than Jimmy Buffett, They literally follow him everywhere.

Look out Las Vegas, because the Parrotheads will invade when Jimmy Buffett plays two shows at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday, Oct. 19 and Saturday, Oct. 26.

Buffett has parlayed the success of his signature song "Margaritaville" into a lifetime long beach party.

He has also used his musical success for business ventures including the Margaritaville restaurant chain. He has appeared twice on "Hawaii Five-0 as a colorful retired helicopter pilot who spends his time at a bar on the border of North and South Korea.

Buffett was recently one of the first acts announced for the Boston Strong benefit concert.

Tickets for his Las Vegas shows are on sale Monday, May 20 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster. They range from $39-$211.

When summer hits Las Vegas it becomes all pool parties all the time. One of the city's newest resort's has an all-star lineup planned this year.

The Boulevard Pool at The Cosmopolitan has a performance from Weezer Saturday, July 27 at 8 p.m.

Weezer is one of the iGuide team's favorite bands so we could talk about their awesomeness all day. However, imagine seeing Rivers and the guys poolside, even better right?

Frankly, it's not really summer until I hear "Island in the Sun" (and "Summertime" by Dj Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince).

Tickets for the event are just $50 through Ticketmaster. That's the price of a few hands of blackjack or spins of roulette.

Weezer will also perform locally during the OC Fair at The Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa Friday, July 26. Tickets for the 8:15 show are available through Ticketmaster for $39.50, $59.50 and $69.50.

Other big names playing The Cosmopolitan this summer include The Offspring, NeYo, Blink 182 and Kendrick Lamar.

For more information check out www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com.

R&B crooner Keith Sweat returns to the Inland area with a show at San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino Thursday, June 27.

Sweat gained popularity in the '80s and '90s with a series of provocative love songs including "Make it Last Forever," "Nobody" and "I'll Give All My Love to You."

He was also a member of the R&B supergroup LSG with Gerald Levert and Johhny Gill.

I've seen Sweat in concert a few times and he never disappoints. He sings all the hits and constantly keeps the crowd involved.

During one show, his female singer was sick, so when it was time to sing his hit duet "Make it Last Forever," the audience sang the female part never missing a single note.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. are available through Ticketmaster for $40.

Actor/comedian Harland Williams hits the Inland area with shows at the Pechanga Comedy Club Friday, July 12 and Saturday, July 13.

Williams first caught everyone's attention one of the goofball crew members in "Down Periscope." He followed that up with a role in the cult classic "Half Baked," "The Whole Nine Yards" and "Robots."

Recently he has done voiceover work for "Kick Buttowski: Surburban Daredevil," "Robot Chicken" and "Robot and Monster."

Williams is just one of a lineup that includes many familiar faces and local favorites.

Upcoming shows at Comedy Club:
May 17-18 Brad Williams
May 24-25 April Macie
May 31-June 1 Ace Guillen
June 7-8 Ocean Galpion
June 14-15 The Greg Wilson
June 21-22 Chris Mata
June 28-29 Christian Finnegan
July 12-13 Harland Williams

There are 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. shows each night.

Tickets are $22 with a two drink minimum and are available by phone 1-877-711-2946, on site kiosks, the Pechanga box office and www.pechanga.com.

Up and Comers MMA will return to The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort and Spa Saturday, July 20 at 6 p.m.

The California promotion is one of the sport's fastest growing brands and features many local athletes.

Mixed martial arts events are extremely popular in the Inland area and always sell out fast.

Tickets are on sale Saturday, May 18 at 8 a.m. at the Agua Caliente box office. www.hotwatercasino.com and www.startickets.com for $30, $45, $65, $100 and $125.

Comedienne/actress Charo will bring her unique blend of comedy and classic guitar to Morongo Casino Resort and Spa Friday, Dec. 13.

Charo is famous for her appearances on popular '70s variety shows "Laugh-In," "Sonny and Cher" and "The Carol Burnett Show." She is most well known for her eight appearances on "The Love Boat." She has been on the show more than anyone else.

Charo is also an expert classical guitarist and has released several albums of Spanish music. She continued to tour, playing to packed crowds in Branson and Las Vegas.

Tickets for the 9 p.m. show are on sale Friday, May 17 at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster for $20 and $29.

Rocker Chris Isaak is bringing his unique sound to Pechanga Resort and Casino Sunday, Aug. 11.

Isaak burst on the scene with the hit "Wicked Game" and has been a mainstay of pop and country radio stations since.

His blend of rockabilly, country, blues and traditional rock makes him one of music's most creative artists.

He is also an accomplished actor who has appeared in the films "That Thing You Do," "Grace of My Heart," and the TV series "The Chris Isaak Show," "From the Earth to the Moon," "American Dad!" and "The Cleveland Show."

Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are on sale Friday, May 17 at the Pechanga box office, by phone at 1-877-711-2946 and www.pechanga.com for $50, $60 and $70.

Classic soul and R&B comes to Pala Casino Spa and Resort when Gladys Knight and The O'Jays hit the stage Sunday, Aug. 4.

Knight is a true music legend whose resume includes hits like "I Heard it Through the Grapevine (which she recorded before Marvin Gaye), "Midnight Train to Georgia," "Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me" and "If I Were Your Woman."

Her emotion filled vocals make every song a personal statement. I dare you to listen to "Neither One of Us" post break-up, it's devastating.

Knight is a nine time Grammy winner and an actress who has appeared in "JAG." "The Jamie Foxx Show" and "The First Family."

When the funk tinged bass and tight R&B groove comes on there is no mistaking an O'Jays song.

Eddie Levert and Walter Williams have been singing together since 1958. They were later joined by Eric Grant, continuing to perform around the world.

The O'Jays many hits include "Love Train," "Back Stabbers," "Forever Mine" and "For the Love of Money."

Tickets are available Friday, May 17 at the Pala box office, by phone at 1-877-946-7252 and Star Tickets for $50, $65 and $75.

The only legal and regulated online website in the United States for playing poker for money was launched last Tuesday, April 30.

Two days later the website registered its 100,000 player.

Players from every state and 19 other countries are in he mix even though a player has to physically be in the state of Nevada to play.

And some said the poker craze was over

Ultimate Poker is the website and Station Casinos owns 57 percent of the site.

Tom Breitling is the chairman of Ultimate Poker and he owns 14 percent of the company.

The site offers limit and no-limit Texas Hold 'em poker in single table cash games, sit-and-go events and tournaments. The first tournament was offered last Sunday with a prize pool of $10,000.

The site collects revenue from a rake of each pot of live play and entry fees for tournaments.

Players must be 21 or older to register and plans to offer compacts with other state governments so players from those states can play from home are in process. California and New Jersey are the first states targeted for compacts since both states already engage in compacts for other subjects and both have a lot of poker-playing residents.

Assembly Bill 114 was approved and signed by Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval in February that will allow the state to sign interactive gaming compacts with other states.

Station Casinos is also working on plans to tie its players' club program into activity on Ultimate Poker.

Activity on the site has exceeded the expectations of everyone connected to the website and everyone else. Presently the site has 50 tables available with a maximum of 10 players per table.

What will happen once the interactive gaming compacts with other states are signed, is anyone's guess at this point.

This may trigger legislation in other states to approve legalized online poker play since they would like to capture a piece of this pie rather that allow it all to flow into Nevada.

This is a trial run for Nevada. At the one-month mark, the politicians in Nevada and the State Gaming Commission will look at the results and see what changes, if any, need to be made.

This Nevada action will probably signal the demise of any federal action on forming rules and regulations on a federal level.

The income from the site will be subject to Nevada state and federal taxes and it is assumed that information on individual players will be available to both state and federal tax agencies, just like it is in real life casinos.

Currently Nevada has no state taxes on individuals. What the state's and the site's responsibility for informing other states taxing agencies for winnings accumulated by the states players while in Nevada is not clear. Presently casinos are required to issue W-2G or 1099-Misc. forms to the IRS when a certain accumulated total win figure is reached by an individual. Since those forms are reported to the IRS, the information should be reported by the individuals on their personal income tax forms and that information then flows onto the player's state tax forms, if the state taxes income, like all but six states do now.

I only hope that the taxing agencies will consider tournament winnings as gambling wins and not contest prizes, like the IRS does currently.

Player wins from cash play would continue to be reported as gambling wins. There is no requirement for present gambling sites to record an individual's gambling losses. That probably will still be an individual's responsibility.