Briefs | Poker: Phil Hellmuth's entrance at WSOP in Las Vegas isn't subtle

Poker

"Kiss my ring!" says 11-time gold-bracelet winner, dressed as Julius Caesar: Flanked by dozens of women, heralded by trumpeters and mobbed by fans, Phil Hellmuth channeled Julius Caesar as he arrived at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.

The no-limit Texas Hold'em champion who won the main event 20 years ago slowly made his way to his table Sunday, nearly two hours after play for the day began.

"When you dress as Caesar you actually feel more powerful," Hellmuth told The Associated Press as he waited in a car outside the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino before his stunt.

"Kiss my ring!" the 11-time gold-bracelet winner said. "Hail Caesar!"

Hellmuth changed into more conventional attire during a break.

Hellmuth, who last year dressed as Gen. George S. Patton, said his entrances have become a personal tradition at the WSOP.

"It's kind of a fun spectacle," Hellmuth said.

Nearly 1,700 players entered the tournament Sunday, and officials expected a sellout of about 2,600 players today, the last day the tournament will accept entries. The event started Friday.

Peter Eastgate won $9.15 million last year after emerging from a field of 6,844 players in the $10,000 buy-in tournament.

NBA

Wallace has averaged 15 points: The Boston Globe and Boston Herald are reporting the Boston Celtics have reached an agreement with forward Rasheed Wallace, who has played for Detroit since 2004. The deal reportedly starts at $5.8 million and is believed to be for two years.

Wallace's agent, Bill Strickland, told the papers Wallace told him to call off meetings he was in the process of scheduling with other teams.

Wallace, 34, has averaged 15 points and 6.9 rebounds in 14 pro seasons.

Soccer

Guadeloupe, Mexico win Gold Cup matches: Loic Loval had a goal and an assist and David Fleurival also scored to lead Guadeloupe past Panama 2-1 in Oakland, Calif., in the CONCACAF Gold Cup opener for both teams.

In another Group C match, Mexico beat Nicaragua 2-0 as 32,057 watched at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

The 12-team Gold Cup is the national-team championship tournament of North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Guadeloupe led 2-0 at halftime. Panama's Nelson Barahona scored in the 68th minute.

In the second match of the doubleheader, Mexico's Luis Miguel Noriega scored on a penalty kick in the 45th minute and reserve Pablo Barrera connected from 7 yards in the 86th minute.

Swimming

Lezak opts for Maccabiah Games rather than world championships: American Jason Lezak, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, said he will skip the world championships and instead compete in Israel's Maccabiah Games in tribute to his Jewish heritage.

Despite skipping the sport's top competition of the year, Lezak said his goals remain the same.

"I came here to swim fast and hopefully bring home some gold medals for the USA," Lezak said.

The Maccabiah Games are an international competition for Jewish athletes held every four years in Israel. More than 900 American athletes will compete this year, officials said, making it the second-largest delegation behind Israel.

The 10-day competition begins July 13.

Horse racing

Favorites win Grade I events at Hollywood Park: Gozzip Girl took the American Oaks Invitational on turf and Zensational prevailed in the Triple Bend Handicap on the synthetic track in Grade I races at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif. Each was favored in the wagering.

Gozzip Girl, a 3-year-old filly trained by Tom Albertrani and ridden by Kent Desormeaux, beat Well Monied by 3-¼ lengths and covered 1-¼ miles in 2 minutes, 1/5 second. Gozzip Girl paid $6.40 to win in the $700,000 race.

Zensational, a 3-year-old colt trained by Bob Baffert, beat 5-year-old gelding Rush With Thunder by a length. Victor Espinoza rode Zensational, who ran 7 furlongs in 1:21-1/5 and paid $5.40 to win in the $296,000 race.

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