Question of the Day - 28 April 2011

By "Playmate signings," we assume you're referring to the monthly Playboy Model Calendar Search contest, which takes place in the Playboy Club at the Palms on the last Thursday of every month -- they'll be picking "Miss May" tonight!

It's an open contest that the venue's been hosting since 2009 -- you can view each past month's winner at MissPlayboyClub.com. Contestants can apply online at that site, or in person any Thursday at the Playboy Club, up until midnight on the night of the contest. The monthly prize includes a Palms package, $1,000 cash, and the chance to appear in Playboy magazine.

From your question, we were unclear if you were thinking of taking part in the contest, or if you just wanted the chance to hang out with a Playmate or two. If the latter, then there's no shortage of opportunity in Las Vegas -- the city's practically awash with Playmates, especially now that pool season is in full swing. Here are some suggestions for promising hunting grounds:

• Home to the Playboy Club, the Hugh Hefner Sky Villa, and the Playboy Comedy Club, the Palms is any Playmate's home away from home (Jenny McCarthy once dealt cards at Playboy Club). On Friday, May 6 Hef and fiancé Crystal Harris (December 2009 Playmate of the Month), plus various 2010 Playmates, will host the season premiere of the Ditch Fridays pool party there, for example, which ties in with your dates.

  You just missed what must have been one of the biggest gatherings of Playmates (what is the collective term?) ever, when Hef and son Marston shared a joint birthday celebration at the Palms earlier in the month, along with Ashley Mattingly (March 2011), Anna Sophia Berglund (January 2011), Ashley Hobbs (December 2010), Shera Bechard (November 2010), Francesca Frigo (August 2010), Kassie Logsdon (May 2010), Amy Leigh Andrews (April 2010), Heather Young (February 2010), Kimberly Phillips (September 2009), Crystal McCahill (May 2009), Jennifer Pershing (March 2009), Jessica Burciaga (February 2009), Kayla Collins (August 2008), Patrice Hollis (September 2007), Tiffany Selby (July 2007), Heather Smith (February 2007), Jordan Monroe (October 2006), Alison Waite (May 2006), Christine Smith (December 2005), Scarlett Keegan (September 2004), Hiromi Oshima (June 2004), Qiana Chase (December 2003), Marketa Janska (July 2003), Pennelope Jimenez (March 2003), Serria Tawan (November 2002), Miriam Gonzalez (March 2001), Neferteri Shepherd (July 2000), Irina Voronina (January 2001), Stacy Fuson (February 1999), Tiffany Taylor (November 1998), and Deanna Brooks (May 1998)*.

• Other pools also provide rich pickin's -- former Hef girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson regularly hosts at Wet Republic, sometimes alongside former fellow Mansion resident Holly Madison (who, of course, you can see most nights performing in Peepshow,/a> at Planet Ho.

• Clubland is another fertile hunting ground -- 2010 Playmate of the Year Hope Dworaczyk hosts at Vanity nightclub at the Hard Rock this Saturday, April 30, for example, while you just missed 2008 Playmate of the Year Jayde Nicole hosting at the new Gallery nightclub at Planet Hollywood (April 22). She's been a Vegas regular of late, also hosting the opening of the new Posh after-hours club at The Playground, among other things.

• We still don't get the whole celebrity candy store concept, with diamond-encrusted lollipops and so forth, but Sugar Factory, and the new Sugar Factory American Brasserie at Paris, seem to be a veritable Playmate magnets, with sightings of Alison Waite, Stacy Fuson, Shauna Sands, Holly Madison, Sara Underwood, and Carmen Elektra, to name a few.

• The new Chateau Beer Garden at Planet Hollywood is also proving to be a popular lunching spot for Playmates, with sightings to date of Tiffany Selby, Danielle Fornarelli, Alison Waite, and Stacy Fuson.

To conclude, our recommendations are the Palms and Planet Hollywood (Bettie Page and Cabo Wabo Cantina in the Miracle Mile both had recent visitations), both of which have ongoing Playboy/Playmate connections, as being the hottest spots for sightings, although keep an eye on upcoming events at the hippest party pools at other hotels, too. We try to keep abreast (ahem) of celebrity hostings and so on in our Cool Pools feature, plus follow @SinCityAdvisor on Twitter, where we also post news updates about the sexier happenings in Vegas that we don't necessarily post at LasVegasAdvisor.com.

*List courtesy of the Las Vegas Sun.

The plot thickens: "I think you might have misunderstood the Palms Playmate signing session. I used to work there three years ago and if I remember correctly (it's hazy since I am gay and did not pay much attention to the bunnies) that they use to have (and may still have) a meet and signing in the "Mint" (the high-roller area) on the main casino floor once a month." Aha! Our bad. We didn't know about this. A reader writes in to correct us: "I thought the question referred to the Playmate autograph signings that occur at the Palms on a seemingly regular basis. Often they're set up behind a table by the theater. Your answer doesn't really address these events, and I really think that's what the author intended." Some further investigation revealed Playmate autograph signings on an irregular basis -- at first it looked like the third Saturday in the month, and then we found a recent signing on the third Friday. A call to the concierge was equally unenlightening -- she told us that the signings take place on Fridays, coinciding with shows at the Playboy Comedy Club. The box office doesn't open until noon, so we'll check back and post what we find out here.