<table> </table> <strong><span class="subhead">Poker finalists now wait</span></strong></p><p><strong>Dennis Phillips</strong>, a 53-year-old amateur poker player from a St. Louis suburb, surged to chip lead in the World Series of Poker, as the tournament on Tuesday skimmed down to the final nine players. They will meet at the tournament&#8217;s final table in November to play for the $9.12 million top prize.</p><p>Phillips, a trucking account manager from Cottage Hills, Ill., held 21.4 million chips after more than nine hours of play that started at noon on Monday, a slight edge over 26-year-old <strong>Scotty Montgomery</strong>.</p><p>&#8220;I love this game,&#8221; said Phillips, who said he was calm as could be as he gave opponents serious stares at one of the two remaining tables.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">All-female bodyguards</span></strong></p><p>Indian cricket star <strong>Mahendra Singh Dhoni</strong> is used to being surrounded by women.</p><p>Now police in his hometown of Ranchi, India, have assigned an all-female group of bodyguards to keep unwanted admirers away. In two recent incidents, women tried to throw themselves at Dhoni.</p><p>Known for his good looks and swashbuckling style in cricket, Dhoni is one of the biggest celebrities in India, endorsing everything from hair gel to motorcycles.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Ban Johnson game rescheduled</span></strong></p><p>The Ban Johnson All-Star game has been rescheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium.</p><p>The game was originally to be played on Saturday morning, but heavy rains forced the postponement.</p><p>Gates open at 6 p.m., and no ticket is necessary for admittance.</p><p><strong><span class="subhead">Quick hits</span></strong></p><p>&#8226;Oklahoma basketball player <strong>Jenna Plumley</strong> was arrested and charged with trying to steal makeup from a Wal-Mart store. Plumley signed a ticket that will require her to appear in municipal court, police said.</p><p>&#8226;Australian Open finalists <strong>Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Stefan Koubek</strong> and <strong>Karin Knapp</strong> withdrew Tuesday from the Olympic tennis tournament because of injuries.</p><p>&#8226;Arizona State University reinstated its men&#8217;s swimming program, two months after the school announced it was dropping the sport to cut costs in the athletic department. Financial support came from various donors across the globe.</p><p>&#8226;Former U.S. national captain and current New York Red Bulls midfielder <strong>Claudio Reyna</strong> plans to announce his retirement today.