Chimpanzee Card Players Chimpanzees have long been considered close to the human race in many different areas. This year, they will try their luck at the World series of Poker. Forty-eight poker playing chimpanzees will travel to Las Vegas to test their skills against human players.

Billy Hands, as several of his chimpanzee friends call him, is the most skilled of the bunch. Hands, whose real name is Bill Handlett, has been known to stare down Phil Ivey at a cash game arranged by the Metropolitan Zoo of Zoos.

Handlett's main rival on the Chimpanzee Poker Tour, is Maria "Banana" Lopez. Lopez has won several events on the tour, including the Chimp for Change charity tournament that was held at Rockefeller Center in San Francisco, Egypt.

"Eeee, E, EE, EEEE, EEEE," said Handlett, when asked about his battles with Lopez over the years. In response, Lopez was quoted as saying, "EEE, EEEEEEE, E, E, EE, EEE." A translator will travel with the chimpanzees on their stop in Sin City later this month.

Never before has any animal entered a WSOP tournament. One time several years ago, Wally the Koala tried to enter a No-Limit Hold'em event, but he was held out of the tournament because he did not get his entry form filled out in legible English.

PETA is expected to hold a rally outside of the Rio to show their displeasure with the treatment of the chimpanzees. Several PETA members cited last month when the chimps were exposed to second-hand smoke at a casino in Cairo.

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