Video from the Travel Channel’s “Battle of the Buffets”, in which Badlands Booker, Cookie Jarvis and the LeFevres competed can be viewed on the Travel Channel’s website

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An attendee of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas noticed changes in the casino restaurants offering all you can eat deals:

This year at CES I noticed one little thing that seemed to be a universal change among most of the casinos. The buffet lines around the city have posted signs informing customers that there is now a time limit on dining. (The most extreme case we saw was a 1 hour limit on a Sushi Buffet in the Rio.) They’ve also taken to charging extra for patrons who wish to indulge in the more expensive parts of the repast.

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After attending an Offspring concert in Japan, Kobayashi met up with the group in Las Vegas. He has also posted some pictures from his trip. There is no information about the “Wedges & Wings” contest, spoilers or otherwise.

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Steakbellie has posted writeups of his Chicago jalapeno contest experience and his participation in the “Wedges & Wings” contest (no spoilers)

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In a blog entry from this afternoon, Kobayashi reports that he is still experiencing jaw issues (automatically translated)

As the conference gets near, condition of the jaw had become bad (depending upon training because), to today it had made or the air which it has.

Unless you avoid just the reappearance before the hot dog worldwide conference, that you thought.

Once, somehow the day was received.

When this is proof of growth, it is to be delightful, but you think that luck was good.

It is the jaw which with special care it can have utilizing.

Temporarily, it tries applying to the present tournament.

We should not participate, that the one worrying it is with you think, but it came to here.

Support we ask.

Kobayashi also says that he met with American government officials for an undisclosed purpose.

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Steakbellie will compete in the “Wedges & Wings” contest in Las Vegas tonight. He verifies that Kobayashi is present. Steakbellie reports that three separate TV specials will be recorded at the same session, which will fulfill the Spike TV contract.

I think this leaves 6 unknown slots in the contest.

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Las Vegas Advisor has information about tomorrow’s “Wedges and Wings” contest.

Kobayashi’s blog reports that he got a new hairstyle and is not sure when he will be able to update his blog, so he will probably attend.

STBW says that October will be a “very very light month” CE-wise for Sonya, so she will probably not attend.

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The New York Daily News reports that Arturo Rios will compete in the “MLE Chowndown” to be held in Las Vegas Tuesday.

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Skinnyboy recorded video of Pat Bertoletti’s and Rich LeFevre’s appearance on local television before the Las Vegas qualifier.

There is also a video of Rick “The Grizzly” Baird’s introduction.

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WorldPictureNetwork has a good gallery of last Thursday’s Nathan’s qualifier in Las Vegas. The captions are quite good in regards to names, but unfortunately the only result listed is Pat Bertoletti’s winning amount. Robin Leach, formerly of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”, was a commentator.

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Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane has a travelog of Thursday’s Nathan’s qualifier in Las Vegas with numerous pictures. He has a picture of the undercard for hotel employees, won by Ron Koch with 18 hot dogs in 6 minutes.

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Official results for the top two finishers in yesterday’s Nathan’s qualifier in Las Vegas have been posted to MLE and ifoce.com/news

1. 46 HDB Pat Bertoletti
2. 33 HDB Rich LeFevre

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Las Vegas Nathan’s qualifier results from a Laura Flynn comment:

1. 46 HDB Pat Bertoletti
2. 33 HDB Rich LeFevre
3. 23 HDB Mongo Marquez
4-5 14? Kevin Ross
4-5 14? Jason Erb

Pat Bertoletti becomes the third person to break 40 hot dogs and buns. Rich LeFevre’s 33 is also a personal best.

update Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane also has results on his blog which report Bertoletti ate 46 HDB.

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A press release about next month’s Nathan’s qualifier in Las Vegas can be found in a myspace blog. The entrants listed in that document:

The Las Vegas qualifier, which last year witnessed the historic breaking of the 50-dog barrier by #2-ranked Joey Chestnut, appears poised to make history again. Third-ranked Pat Bertoletti has claimed that he will break the world record of 53 ¾ hot dogs and buns in Las Vegas. Bertoletti, a Chicago native, recently upset Chestnut at the St. Patrick’s Day Showdown on Spike TV, and seems to have momentum going into hot dog season. Bertoletti’s main obstacle, besides history, will be Rich “The Locust” LeFevre, the #8-ranked gurgitator in the world. A local mother and daughter team, Debi and Robyn Affentranger, will also be on hand to compete.

The contest, to be held Thursday, May 3 at 3 p.m., is an official qualifying round of the Nathan’s Famous worldwide hot dog eating circuit.

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Ron Koch has sent me the following email:

Just saw an eater at Ollies a\hamburger joint at UNLV.they called him bonsy.He is so thin thus the name .Well anyway he polished off 14.5 quarter pound hamburgers with buns in 10 minutes without even sweating.

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Brian Seiken reports that Ron Koch will face a field of pro football players at the New York, New York hotel in Las Vegas on May 21. This will be Koch’s first contest since the Reno ribs contest in August.

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A clip from a recent “Las Vegas” episode has been uploaded to http://eatfeats.com/videos/LasVegasHotDogContest.wmv (2 minutes 5MB) The video shows Sam (Vanessa Marcil) winning a hot dog eating contest for casino employees by eating the contents of a tray filled with of 50-80 bunless hot dogs (We only see her eat about two or three)

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The “Las Vegas” episode with the hot dog eating contest will be rerun on TNT at midnight eastern tonight (9 pm Pacific)

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(Thanks Laura Flynn) Brian Seiken’s new episode was not the only Las Vegas themed competitive eating program last weekend. There was a hot dog eating contest on NBC’s “Las Vegas” Friday in which Sam (Vanessa Marcil) competed. This was not Sam’s first eating contest; she competed against “Cookie” Jarvis in 2004. The episode will be rerun on cable on TNT on March 8.

There was also an immunity challenge eating contest on Survivor Thursday. Pig snouts were one if the items consumed.

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Brian Seiken has posted the latest episode of his television show, which features interviews with Las Vegas residents Ron “The Undertaker” Koch and El Toro. There is also a visit from Rabbi Abramawitz and a clip of sportsradio host Jim Rome (who has criticized Sonya Thomas, Joey Chestnut and Kate Stelnick) being attacked by former Rams quarterback Jim Everett.

In other updates, Brian Seiken has Crazy Legs Conti’s appreciation of Boston Celtic Dennis Johnson, a tribute to Super Paul Barlow Jr and a report that a new medication has resolved his acid reflux issues and should help him return to his previous level.

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The Hungover Gourmet has a blog entry about meeting Sonya Thomas at the eBay conference in Las Vegas.

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The following video captures were taken from the video of the goldenpalace.net grilled cheese contest on the contest page at goldenpalaceevents.com after the contest timer expired (around 2:20 – 2:26 in the video)

It is obvious from the video captures that Sonya has a significant amount (probably 1/4 to 1/2 a sandwich) outside her mouth after the contest is finished. I assume that the man with sunglasses and a notepad is a contest official and he apparently took no action after he saw the amount of food outside Sonya’s mouth.

If the chipmunking rule is going to be interpreted liberally, then Sonya has every right to take advantage of that interpretation, but IFOCE should clarify the details of that rule so other eaters can take advantage of it as well.

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Erik Denmark has a video of Eater X’s grilled cheese exhibition & Andrew Lane has a gallery by El Toro on their blogs.

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from dogsarefunyes.blogspot.com

ArenaBowl XX FanFest, Las Vegas, NV

1) Joey Chestnut 47 grilled cheese sandwiches – world record
2) Sonya Thomas & Pat Bertoletti 37 – tie
4) Rich LeFevre 35
5) Chip Simpson 33
6) Ron Koch 20
7) Erik “the Red” Denmark 17.5

Other results – not necessarily complete
Jason “Erbavore” Erb 15
El Toro 12.5
Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane 10
Doug “Cerberus” Ecks 8

Tim Janus 18 in five minute exhibition against Arena Football player

Mike Justice 9 in amateur contest

updated 10:00 pm

updated June 11, 9:47 am – Marketwire has a press release and video about the contest.

updated 7:34 – Andrew Lane has a trip report (which is a must-see for females who have ever wondered what men’s bathrooms in Las Vegas look like)

Updated 8:43 PM – KESQ has an AP article about the contest

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Tomorrow a potential $100,000 will be awarded if an amateur eater from Las Vegas eats more than 36.5 grilled cheese sandwiches in 10 minutes. The new poll asks if you believe if a feat is possible for the best amateur eater in North America.

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